Birmingham and Solihull Homes, Choosing a Plaster Finish

Short answer. Venetian plaster suits most homes in Birmingham and Solihull, from city centre apartments to Victorian terraces and new build family houses. Polished plaster and Marmorino work well in hallways, living rooms and kitchens, while microcement is the better choice for floors and showers. Zavoré is based in Birmingham, so local jobs are planned from our own studio, starting with a sample board in your colour.

For every decorative finish we install in Birmingham, from Venetian plaster to limewash, gilding and murals, see our decorative finishes specialist in Birmingham page.

Zavoré lays this for you too. Our own team provides Venetian plaster installation across the UK, including Venetian plastering in Birmingham.

A city with every type of home

Birmingham and Solihull cover a wide mix of housing. There are apartments in the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter, Victorian terraces in areas such as Moseley and Kings Heath, and streets of semi detached houses from the 1920s and 1930s across suburbs like Hall Green and Sutton Coldfield. Solihull, Shirley and the villages around them add newer estates and larger detached homes.

Each type brings its own starting point. A new build usually has smooth modern plaster walls that are ready for a primer. An older house may need cracks filled and loose plaster fixed first. Either way, Venetian plaster can be used, as long as the wall underneath is sound.

Which finish for which room

• Hallways and stairs. These walls take knocks from bags, buggies and shoulders, so a hard wearing lime finish such as Grassello or Marmorino makes sense. Our guide to hallways and stairs goes into more detail.
• Living rooms. A single feature wall or a chimney breast in polished plaster or Travertino, a finish made to look like travertine stone, gives the room a focal point.
• Kitchens. Marmorino or Grassello can be finished with wax or a sealer to help it resist marks. See our notes on Venetian plaster in kitchens.
• Bathrooms and floors. Microcement, a thin cement based coating, gives a joint free surface for showers, walls and floors.
• Statement walls. Liquid Metal, our range of metallic finishes, suits a bar area, a dressing room or a fireplace wall.

How a Birmingham job runs

Because the studio, showroom and Zavoré Academy are all in Birmingham, local work is straightforward to plan. A typical job follows these steps.

• You send photos, rough room sizes and any ideas or images you like.
• You choose a colour and a finish. The showroom is open for visits by appointment if you want to see finishes in person.
• A sample board is trowelled in your colour so you can see it in your own room.
• The material is tinted to that colour, so it arrives already made up in the colour you approved.
• The walls are prepared, then the plaster goes on in several thin coats with drying time between each one, before it is burnished, which means polished with a steel trowel, and waxed or sealed where needed.

Planning around your home

Venetian plaster is a wet trade, so it is easier to plan once other dusty jobs are finished. If you are having a kitchen fitted or new floors laid, it usually makes sense to plaster after the messy work and before final fittings like switch plates go back on.

To start, order a sample board in your colour, call 07592 929191 or email sales@zavore.co.uk. You can also see more on our Venetian plaster in Birmingham page.

Questions we get asked

Can Venetian plaster go on new build walls?

Yes. Smooth modern plaster walls in a new build can take Venetian plaster once they are fully dry and primed with a suitable primer.

Can I visit the showroom in Birmingham?

Yes, the Zavoré showroom in Birmingham is open for visits by appointment. Call 07592 929191 or email sales@zavore.co.uk to arrange a time.

Can Venetian plaster be repaired if it gets marked?

Small marks and chips can usually be repaired in place by a skilled applicator using the same material and colour. Keeping a little leftover tinted material helps.