Marmorino and faux stone walls you can feel
Limestone in morning light, travertine by firelight, and Marmorino by lamplight.
Talk with Greg or Gabriel now, until 10 p.m. Text us any time. Greg or Gabriel will reply first thing in the morning.
Marmorino and faux stone for homes
Faux finish painters for homes north of Indianapolis
Faux finish painters for homes
Concrete-look plaster walls
Concrete-look plaster for homes
Troweled by hand with no seams, for walls, fireplaces, backsplashes, and range hoods.
Marmorino and lime plaster walls
Marmorino and lime plaster for homes
Lime plaster made with marble, from matte to softly polished, in one color or a dramatic, mottled blend.
How much does a faux finish cost?
Marmorino, lime plaster, and faux stone give a wall, fireplace, or backsplash the texture of Indiana limestone, travertine, slate, or concrete, troweled by hand for homes north of Indianapolis. They run $10 to $30 per square foot of wall.
Recent stone looks
Our own work.
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Lit alcove in faux travertine
An alcove lined in faux travertine, its layered grain lit from above, so a wall clock hangs in it like a piece in a gallery.
The alcove, lit 
From the hall, under the chandelier Along the way
The grain going on, the edges taped
More of our work
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Warm gray concrete look, fireplace column and mantel, Westfield -
Bone Marmorino kitchen ceiling that glows at golden hour, Geist -
Textured Indiana limestone, two-wall kitchen backsplash, Zionsville -
Charcoal plaster fireplace surround, the house still being built -
Ponderosa green Roman clay with a faux travertine firebox surround, Zionsville
Marmorino and lime plaster walls
Marmorino is lime plaster made with marble, grainy and matte or softly polished; carried across a ceiling, it holds the light like a cloud. Plain lime plaster is rougher and more mineral, like old stone: morning sun draws out its texture, and dusk quiets it. Like Venetian plaster, both show every hesitation of the hand.
Faux-stone walls
Stone in your entry or on an accent wall, with no seams or slabs: travertine, Indiana limestone, or the “world map” texture, in any color, even one nature never made.
Concrete-look plaster walls
Troweled by hand, concrete-look plaster brings the calm of concrete to walls, fireplaces, backsplashes, and range hoods, softer and warmer than the real thing.
Ways to bring stone home
Tips from the studio
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Give a column the weight of stone
A column or a chimney breast in faux stone or Venetian plaster reads as solid masonry, and gives a large open room an anchor the eye returns to.
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Lime with the calm of cut stone
Marmorino, a lime plaster with a fine stone grain and a soft sheen, gives hallways and stair walls the quiet of cut stone.
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Slate without the weight
A faux slate finish gives a feature wall the cleft, layered look of real slate, without the weight, the chill, or the cutting.
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Match the texture to the room
Bold texture and big movement suit a tall wall seen from across a room. A powder room seen up close wants a fine, subtle texture. We sample both, so you see the difference on your own wall.
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Stone matched to what you already own
Faux travertine or marble can be matched to a floor inlay, a countertop, or a hearth you already have, so the new work looks quarried with the old.
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Take the fireplace to the ceiling
Carry the surround all the way up, and a modest fireplace becomes a column of stone that anchors the room. Built-ins on either side finish the composition.
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Marble without the slab
Love marble, but not its weight or its seams? Faux marble in polished plaster brings the veining to a fireplace, a range hood, or a whole wall, in one piece.
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Set the mood at the front door
An entry in faux stone or a moody limewash tells guests what kind of home this is before they take off their coats.
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Treat the hallway as a gallery
A hallway is a room you walk through every day. A soft finish, art lit from above, and one color carried along its length make a corridor feel like an arrival.
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Let light graze the wall
A light set close to a wall and aimed along it draws long shadows across plaster and clay, so every pass of the trowel shows. A wall washer does it for a whole wall, a picture light for one piece.
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Give the kitchen one sculpted piece
A plaster range hood turns the busiest wall of the kitchen into its centerpiece, in the same lime, clay, or marble look as the walls around it.
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Wood and lime belong together
Natural oak, walnut, and cane beside a mineral wall feel calm and grounded: two natural materials that soften each other.
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Hallways and stairs take knocks
Where bags, strollers, and shoulders brush the walls, choose a harder, denser plaster, or put wainscoting below and the softer finish above. Children and dogs will thank you.
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Plaster follows a curve
Arches, curved niches, and rounded corners are where plaster shines: it wraps a curve in one continuous skin, with no seams and no edges to hide.
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Behind the stove, choose dense and sealed
Steam and grease want a dense, sealed surface. Venetian plaster, Marmorino, or faux stone wipes clean behind a range; matte limewash belongs on the walls beyond the splashes.
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Timing is half the finish
A plaster wall is worked at different moments as it dries: wet for color, firmer for pattern, nearly dry for polish. Knowing when to touch the wall, and when to wait, is most of the craft.
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Look from where you live
At the walk-through, judge the wall from where you sit and stand, not from an inch away. A finish made by hand is meant to be seen at a room’s distance, where its movement reads as one.
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Start with the wall everyone faces
Not ready to finish a whole room? Start with the fireplace. Every chair already faces it, so one finish there changes how the whole room feels, and the rest can follow when you are ready.
What you can count on, in writing
- What we quote is what you pay.
- Greg or Gabriel is on every job and answers your call.
- Every project carries a five-year workmanship guarantee.
- Under our Change-of-Heart Guarantee, if you dislike a mineral finish within 30 days, we repaint the wall at no charge.
The investment in Marmorino and faux stone
Up to two free sample boards come with faux stone.
| Marmorino and faux stone | $10–$30 per sq ft |
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| Finishing your fireplace surround | $1,150–$2,850, in clay, Marmorino, or faux stone |
| A new fireplace or TV wall | quoted after a visit |
What shapes your investment
- Wall condition and repairs
- Ceiling height, ladders, and scaffolding
- Ceilings and hard-to-reach surfaces
- Outlets, crevices, and tight corners a trowel can barely reach
- Niches, curves, and returns
- Which stone we reproduce, and in how much detail
- Framing for mantels and built-ins
- Small projects, which carry a minimum
- Rush schedules and overnight work
Questions about Marmorino and faux stone
What is a faux finish?
A faux finish gives a wall the look of another material, such as stone, marble, or concrete. Many call every decorative finish a faux finish; we make faux marble in Venetian plaster, and paints with metal or pearl in them are our exotic paints.
What is the difference between Marmorino and Venetian plaster?
Marmorino is a lime plaster made with marble, grainy and matte or softly polished. Venetian plaster is smooth and polished to a high gloss.
What can faux stone look like?
Indiana limestone, honed travertine, slate, Italian marble, or concrete. It can also be a textured damask pattern. As faux finish painters, we show you each on a sample board first.
Is faux painting the same as faux stone?
No. Faux painting creates marble, stone, and other effects in paint, a smaller investment, from $300. Faux stone is a mineral finish, not paint.
Tell us which wall to turn into stone
Greg or Gabriel replies today, or by the next business day.
Prefer to talk? Call or text (317) 795-6378.
Thank you
What happens next
- We reply today, or by the next business day at the latest, to check your dates and set a time for our visit.
- We visit with samples in the colors and textures you like.
- You receive one fixed quote, in writing.
Before we visit, gather two or three photographs of looks you love, and keep any fabric, tile, or stone you want us to match nearby.
To speed things up, text us a photo of the space.
Greg and Gabriel