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Where Artistry Begins
Venetian plastering training for St Albans is taught at the Zavoré Academy in Birmingham, so you come to us rather than the other way round. If you work in or around St Albans, the course lets you learn a hand finished craft in a small group over three or four days.
It will interest decorators with a full diary of repaints, plasterers who want to move beyond skimming, designers who like to understand what they specify, and homeowners restoring a period house who want to know what good plastering looks like.
St Albans is a historic cathedral city in Hertfordshire, built on the Roman town of Verulamium. Its centre has a medieval street pattern, and the older streets include timber framed buildings alongside Georgian townhouses, with Victorian and Edwardian housing spreading outward.
Fishpool Street is known for its Georgian houses, and conservation area rules apply across much of the centre. Owners of older properties are generally encouraged to use materials that suit the building, and breathable lime finishes fit that thinking. A listed or period home should always be discussed with the conservation officer before work, but the market for sympathetic, hand applied plaster is real.
St Albans is also a well off commuter city for London, and many of its households invest in their homes. Interior designers working in kitchens, living rooms and hallways often look for a finish that adds depth where paint falls flat.
In the newer flats and extensions, smooth polished plaster brings a luxurious surface to rooms with straight, modern walls. In bathrooms, tadelakt or microcement is a better match because it handles water.
The simplest rule is this. Choose Beginner if you are starting from nothing, Advanced if you have already trowelled plaster or have the Beginner behind you, and 1 to 1 if you have a specific design or finish in mind. Dates and registration sit on the training page.
You can read the full outline of the Advanced Course before you commit, and our guide to what happens inside the Advanced course explains the techniques in more detail. If you are still undecided, how to choose a Venetian plastering course is worth a read.
Birmingham is in the centre of England and is reached by train or by car. With courses running from 10am to 5pm on consecutive days, you will want somewhere to stay.
A partner rate is held at a hotel near the Academy, so quote Zavoré when you book. If you would like a lift from the airport or station, we can organise pickup alongside your booking, with the price depending on your arrival point. Students join from across the UK and abroad, so you will not be the only one travelling.
Back at home you can buy materials at trade pricing and use the panels you finished as a portfolio when you speak to a client or an architect. The helpline and private group give you someone to ask when a job throws up something new.
A St Albans painter who already looks after period houses could offer lime based walls as a premium service in the same visit. Take a look at Venetian plastering in St Albans to see how Zavoré approaches work in the area, and the polished plaster page shows the smoother end of the range.
Not in St Albans itself. The courses are taught at the Zavoré Academy in Birmingham, and people from St Albans and Hertfordshire travel there for the 3 or 4 days.
The Beginner Course covers the foundations, including preparation, base coats, textures and the three main finishes. The Advanced Course adds artificial rock, textured Marmorino, stencil work, acrylic polish plastering, vein work and tinting.
Lime based Marmorino is a breathable finish, which is why it is often considered for solid older walls. The course teaches how the materials behave so you can judge where each system belongs.
Yes. Advanced students get help to find, price and win a first paid decorative job, and the private course group with its helpline stays open to you afterwards.
To reserve a bench, phone 07592 929191 or email sales@zavore.co.uk, and take a look at the training page for current dates. Half the price holds your place, with the rest due on the day.
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