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Where Artistry Begins
Anyone in Brighton and Hove who wants Venetian plastering training will find it at the Zavoré Academy in Birmingham. The courses are not held on the south coast, so you travel to Birmingham for three or four days and then bring the craft back to Sussex.
The courses are made for people from Brighton and Hove who already work in the building trades, such as painters, decorators, plasterers and builders, as well as designers, restorers, property investors and anyone retraining. You can arrive with no experience at all.
Brighton and Hove has some of the best known Regency architecture in England, and a large number of homes that reward careful, authentic decorating. The demand for a high quality wall finish is real, and it is shaped by the buildings.
The seafront squares and terraces in Brighton and Hove date largely from the Regency and Victorian periods, and many of the grand houses are now divided into flats. Kemp Town, Regency Square and Brunswick are well known examples. Beyond them are Victorian terraces and bay fronted villas across both towns. Solid walls in buildings this age benefit from breathable lime based plaster and Marmorino, and tall rooms with good proportions suit a rich, burnished wall.
The city is also known for its independent restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and creative businesses, which tend to value individual interiors. Polished plaster, metallic finishes and artificial rock can give a venue a character that wallpaper and paint struggle to match. Homes near the sea may also want finishes that are chosen and protected with care.
If you are a decorator here, Venetian plaster lets you offer something specific to the area, a service for owners of period flats who want the finish to match the building.
Take the Beginner Course if you are new, the Advanced Course if you have the basics, or 1 to 1 Training if you want to set the agenda. The days run from 10am to 5pm.
The Beginner Course gives you a full foundation, from preparing surfaces and base coats to the systems for each product and the Marmorino, polished plaster and metallic finishes. The Advanced Course develops artificial rock, textured Marmorino, sanding, high gloss polishing and tinting. Tailored days with a tutor are available through 1 to 1 Training.
Our article on choosing the right Venetian plastering course may help you decide. Dates are listed on the training page, or you can register interest there.
Students go to the Academy by train or by car, and Birmingham is central in England. Plan your accommodation before you book, because even the shorter course takes three days.
Zavoré keeps a partner rate at a hotel near the Academy, so mention Zavoré when you reserve a room. A pickup from the airport or station can be added to your course booking, with a price that depends on where you arrive. Every seat includes lunch and refreshments.
You take your finished panels away as a portfolio, and you have a Zavoré certificate to show. After the course you buy Zavoré materials at trade pricing, and the private course group and helpline are there for life. If you take the Advanced Course, you also get help to find, price and win a first paid decorative job.
You can see the kind of walls Zavoré installs on the page for Venetian plastering in Brighton and Hove. The shop sells plasters and waxes with tracked UK delivery, and our guide to polished plaster courses in the UK compares what is out there.
The Zavoré Academy in Birmingham runs the courses. Students from Brighton and Hove travel there by train or by car, as nothing is held on the south coast.
Often, yes. Lime based plasters and Marmorino are breathable, which suits solid older walls. The courses explain how each product behaves so you can choose properly for each job.
No. The Beginner Course welcomes people with no experience. The Advanced Course is for those who have done the first course or who come from site.
The Beginner Course is 3 days, the Advanced Course is 4 days and 1 to 1 Training is 3 days, all from 10am to 5pm.
Tuition from working applicators, all materials and tools, lunch and refreshments, your finished panels, a Zavoré certificate, trade pricing on Zavoré materials and a private course group with a lifetime helpline.
To book, call 07592 929191 or email sales@zavore.co.uk. Half the price holds a bench with the rest due on the day, or you can pay in full online. Dates are on the training page.
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