Venetian Plaster Training for Interior Designers, Learning the Finish You Specify

Short answer. Interior designers take Venetian plaster training so they understand what they are specifying. How the plaster is built up, what preparation it needs, which protection suits which room and what can go wrong. The Zavoré Academy in Birmingham runs group courses and 1 to 1 training, and a 1 to 1 can be shaped around specification rather than speed on the wall. You leave with boards you made yourself, which are useful in client meetings.

Why a designer would pick up a trowel

A drawing can say "Venetian plaster, satin, warm white" and still leave a lot unsaid. How many coats? Which primer on plasterboard? Wax or sealer in a cloakroom? Who decides where a wall starts and stops?

Spending time laying the material yourself answers those questions in a way a brochure cannot. You learn why preparation takes as long as it does, why a sample board should be agreed before work starts, and why some rooms suit some finishes better than others.

What you would cover

The beginner course covers the theory of lime plaster, surface preparation and the base coat, textures, coat systems and protection, and Marmorino, polished plaster and metallics. The advanced course goes further into theory, so that people can specify as well as apply, along with tinting, waxes and sealers.

For many designers, 1 to 1 training is the better fit. We talk before the course and agree what you want from it, so the time can lean towards comparing finishes, protection systems and colour rather than building trowel speed.

How it helps with specifying

• You can write clearer specifications, naming the finish, the protection and the preparation rather than leaving them open.
• You can judge whether a quote has left out steps such as priming or protection.
• You can explain to clients why a finish moves across the wall and why that is part of its character.
• You can talk to applicators in their own terms, which saves time on site.

It also changes how you plan a room. Once you know that a finish is built from several thin coats with drying time between them, you can plan the programme realistically, keep other trades out of the room at the right moments and avoid asking for a plastered wall the day before furniture arrives. Clients notice when a designer understands the order of works, and it saves difficult conversations with contractors later.

Sample boards and the sample case

The boards you make on the course go home with you. For client presentations you can also order The Sample Case, which holds every Zavoré finish on boards made in the studio. It is made for designers, architects, contractors and applicators who need to show what a finish actually looks like rather than describe it.

Our article on specifying Venetian plaster goes through the written side of a specification in more detail.

To shape a 1 to 1 day around your design work, or to ask which course suits you, call 07592 929191 or email sales@zavore.co.uk. Dates and fees are listed on the training page.

Questions we get asked

Is the training only for people who want to become applicators?

No. Designers and specifiers take the courses too, and 1 to 1 training can be planned around specifying rather than installing.

Do I get to keep what I make?

Yes. Your finished sample boards leave with you, along with a Zavoré certificate.

Can I order a set of finished boards for client meetings?

Yes. The Sample Case holds the full Zavoré library of finishes, made to order in the studio in the tints you choose.