Elevating Wellness and Sustainability with Venetian Plaster

This Earth Day week, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation at Ring’s End in Norwalk, CT, by artisan Patrick Joseph Marando on a material that beautifully bridges my favorite things - design, wellness, and sustainability: Venetian plaster.

At B3 Design, our work centers on creating luxury interiors that promote health and longevity—spaces that don’t just look beautiful, but actively support the well-being of the people who live in them. As someone who manages autoimmune conditions myself, I’m always looking for materials that are elegant, low-tox, and inherently healthier for our indoor environments. Venetian plaster is one of those rare finds that delivers on all fronts.

I love the material for mantels, fireplaces and the beautiful clean-lines it can form especially in mediterranean and modern interiors. What I was pleasantly surprised by, however were it's health benefits and opportunity for true artistry.

Novacolor's beautiful Celestia finish.

Why Venetian Plaster?

This ancient material—composed of natural lime and marble dust—isn’t just visually stunning; it’s a smart, sustainable choice. As it cures, Venetian plaster actively absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. It’s naturally mold- and mildew-resistant, contains no VOCs, and helps regulate indoor humidity. It’s particularly beneficial for anyone with asthma, allergies, or autoimmune sensitivities.

Novacolor's dimensional Swahili finish.

And the aesthetic value?

It’s unmatched and the possibilities are quite literally infinite. The most popular finish, Marmorino KS, which can be done in any color imaginable, has a subtle movement and depth that shifts with the light, creating warmth and texture in a way that feels quietly luxurious rather than overt. It's an interesting alternative to pricier natural stone in many applications.

Artistic elements of any kind can be incorporated. The products can mimic textures from satin and silk to suede or boucle. The plaster can be manipulated by the hand of the painter to render any pattern or texture imaginable. Stencils of any motif can be overlayed onto surfaces, mixed media can be incorporated-- turning any surface into an artist's canvas. More down to earth, and an interesting option for play spaces or offices, words and phrases, monograms or logos can be easily imprinted into the material... the sky's the limit!

Stencils, monograms, words, logos, etc. can be worked into the material.

Metals can be overlayed as repeating patterns or standalone moments.

Textures of any kind and any finish or color can be produced. (Novacolor)

Seamless Sophistication, Everywhere

One of the key takeaways from the presentation was just how versatile Venetian plaster truly is. It’s not just for walls—it can wrap entire rooms and architectural elements with a seamless, sculptural quality that feels almost custom-carved:

Bathrooms: Beautifully versatile for wet spaces (except standing water vessels- sinks or tubs), it can be applied across all surfaces—including shower walls and floors— even applied directly over existing tile, making it a particularly interesting remodeling option.

A beautiful plaster-wrapped bathroom. (Source unknown.)

Kitchens: Think plaster-wrapped range hoods, backsplashes, and even countertops for an elevated, monolithic effect.

Elegant curves demonstrate how plaster can fit beautifully into traditional interiors. (AO/JN Interiors)

Living areas: Gorgeous on fireplaces, ceilings, staircases, and curved walls. Its flexibility allows it to flow across complex forms with ease.

Beautiful movement and light reflection perfectly play against the arches and patina of the other materials. (Shaun Christopher Designs)

Fireplaces: The versatility of the product allows for beautiful artistry to shine in any style, from casual Californian, to sleek contemporary, to architecturally bold traditional.

On the left, an original bedroom fireplace just begging to be brought out of the 1990's. On the right, a penciled vision: A white plaster application would soften the form and add sculptural elegance.

An inspiration image to help save the day in the above example.

Venetian plaster offers a solution for clients who want natural elegance without sacrificing health or performance. It's also a quiet powerhouse when it comes to sustainability—a rare and welcome combination in luxury design.

A Thoughtful Alternative

In a world where quick fixes and synthetic finishes often dominate, Venetian plaster invites a slower, more considered approach. It ages gracefully, requires no harsh chemicals to maintain, and becomes part of the architecture itself. For those of us designing with both wellness and longevity in mind, it’s a material worth serious consideration.

If you’d like to explore how this might work in your home or project, feel free to reach out for a Discovery Call! We’re always happy to work materials that feel as good as they look into our full service design projects. We can't wait to create with you!

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