Venetian plaster and marble walls that seem lit from within
Thin layers of Italian plaster, polished by hand until the light seems to sink into the wall and rise back out.
Talk with Greg or Gabriel now, until 10 p.m. Text us any time. Greg or Gabriel will reply first thing in the morning.
Venetian plaster and marble for homes
Marble walls without a single slab
Faux marble walls for homes
Veined and polished by hand, with no seams, in any color, even one nature never made.
How much does Venetian plaster cost?
Venetian plaster gives walls a polished depth you can almost see into, and marble without a single seam or slab: thin layers of Italian plaster, burnished by hand, in homes north of Indianapolis. Polished Venetian plaster runs $13 to $22 per square foot of wall, veined faux marble $22 to $38, and painted faux marble starts at $300.
Venetian plaster and marble, up close
Our own work.
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White marble-look plaster TV wall
A TV wall in high-gloss plaster made to look like white marble, its gray veins sweeping across the whole wall as they would through one slab.
The wall, ready for its TV -
Faux marble media wall with niches
A whole media wall in faux marble plaster, its veins running across the niches and the inset panel as they would through a single slab of stone, without the slab’s weight.
The wall and its niches 
A niche, veined inside and out -
Marble sample boards
A custom marble can be seen first on a sample board, before any of it reaches a wall. A few of ours: our signature polished Calacatta Borghini, a warm mushroom marble veined in gold, a black and white marble, and a soft gray. Up to two boards per custom finish are free.
Calacatta Borghini, polished 
Warm mushroom, veined in gold 
Black and white 
Soft gray Along the way
The warm mushroom board, being made
More of our work
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Cypress Ink limewash kitchen with a cream marble backsplash, Zionsville A kitchen in soft gray-green Cypress Ink limewash, above a backsplash of polished cream marble with no grout lines. The same home has an oxblood bedroom and a lavender bathroom.
Faux marble, with no seams or slabs
Veined in Venetian plaster, with gold or silver leaf that catches the light as you pass, faux marble covers a whole wall, a fireplace, a staircase, or a powder room without a single seam.
Why the polish takes years to learn
Each thin layer is pressed and burnished at the right moment as it dries, so light travels into the surface and back. A rushed pass goes flat, and every hesitation shows in the shine: the least forgiving finish we make, and the most luminous.
Painted faux marble, a smaller investment
Faux marble in paint, from $300, is a smaller investment than marble-look plaster, and we show you both side by side. For metal or pearl, see our exotic paints.
Other ways to give a wall depth
Tips from the studio
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Depth comes from thin layers
Venetian plaster gets its depth from many thin layers, each burnished, so light travels into the surface and back. Rushing a single layer is how a wall goes flat.
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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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A polished ceiling brings light down
A softly polished plaster ceiling sends light back into the room, so a low or dim room feels taller and brighter by evening.
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The staircase wall is your largest canvas
The tall wall beside a staircase is seen from two floors and every step between. In faux marble or Venetian plaster, it becomes the home’s gallery without a single frame.
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Dining rooms are seen at night
Choose a dining room finish in the evening light you will eat by. Deep, polished, or metallic walls glow by candlelight in a way daylight never shows.
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Lacquer a dining room or a library
High-gloss lacquer over perfectly smooth walls reflects candlelight like still, dark water. In a dining room or a library, it makes every evening feel like an occasion.
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Lime, the way palaces were finished
Marmorino, a lime plaster with marble dust, finished Venetian palaces for centuries. On a modern wall, it brings the same quiet, stony light.
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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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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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Caring for Venetian plaster
Polished plaster wipes clean with a soft, damp cloth and mild soap. When it looks tired after years of use, a fresh coat of wax brings back its glow.
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Let a mirror double the glow
A mirror across from a lit, textured wall doubles its glow, and the whole room feels brighter for it.
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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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Try a bold palette in the powder room first
Love a palette that feels a little outside your comfort zone? Start in the powder room. A small room loves all the attention it can get, and you will see the colors come together at full strength. If you love it there, carry it through the house.
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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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Finish the shelves like the wall
Built-in shelves in the same finish as the wall around them look carved from one block, and whatever you set on them stands out.
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Walk through it twice
See the finished room twice: once in daylight, once in the evening with your lamps on. A mineral wall has two characters, and you should love both.
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Plaster the ceiling
A clay or Venetian plaster ceiling catches the light differently at every hour, and turns a plain room into one where people look up.
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Know the signs of a rushed wall
Peeling, chalking, lap marks, and blotchy patterns usually start with one rushed step. Paint and plaster problems shows what to look for before you hire anyone.
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 Venetian plaster and marble
We bring polished samples to your free visit; every quote is fixed and in writing.
| Venetian plaster walls | $13–$22 per sq ft |
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| Veined faux marble walls | $22–$38 per sq ft |
| A tall staircase wall | $6,650–$11,500, in faux marble, about 250 sq ft |
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 Venetian plaster and marble
What is Venetian plaster?
Venetian plaster is a polished plaster, troweled in thin layers and burnished to a high gloss. We use San Marco and other Italian plasters on walls, ceilings, fireplaces, and range hoods. Its matte, grainy cousin is Marmorino.
What is faux marble?
Faux marble is a finish with the look of Italian marble, troweled or painted by hand. It can cover a whole wall with no seams, veined in metallic foil on request.
Does faux marble look real?
Up close, it reads as marble: veined, layered, and polished by hand. Because it is troweled on, a whole wall has no seams and no slabs.
Is limewash the same as Venetian plaster?
No. Limewash is matte, with soft, cloudy color that shifts through the day. Venetian plaster is polished, with the depth of stone.
Can faux marble have gold veins?
Yes. Metallic foil veining is available on request, and Venetian plaster can carry gold or silver leaf veins.
Can you match the marble I already have?
Yes. We matched a faux travertine to a marble inlay already set in a client’s floor, and we can tune faux marble to your countertop or floor the same way.
Can I see Venetian plaster before I decide?
Yes. We bring samples to your free consultation, so you can see them in your own light and run your hand across them.
Can I do Venetian plaster myself?
You can learn it, but of limewash, clay, and Venetian plaster it is the least forgiving: many thin layers, each one burnished, and the sheen shows every mistake. Only microcement asks more of a beginner. For walls you will live with, choose a Venetian plaster contractor whose finished walls you have seen up close. See what doing it yourself really takes.
Tell us where you picture Venetian plaster or marble
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