How to Antique a Venetian Plaster Wall

Layered Plaster

• 1

  Apply a different color of Venetian plaster on top of the plaster already on your walls. Use the same method you used to apply the existing coat, and aim for good coverage. Allow it to dry thoroughly, or until the plaster is no longer cool to the touch.

• 2

  Sand the top plaster application until the initial color shows through. Sand from the bottom of the wall up to expose as much original plaster as you wish. Remove the new plaster only up to about hip-height and the occasional top corner or edge, leaving the middle of the wall coated with the new color. Remember you're mimicking the look of very old age, a process that happens very slowly and gradually over centuries. Avoid sanding random splotches into the wall.

• 3

  Sand the edges of the remaining new plaster with fine sandpaper to feather the edges. Feel free to leave rough edges and flakes, and even gouge out small bits of plaster with a utility knife -- there's no need for uniformity. Make the look as subtle or as obvious as you'd like.

• 4

  Polish the top layer of plaster by holding your plaster trowel at a very flat angle to the wall. Apply firm pressure and burnish in circles to knock off high, sharp points and to add shine and a few scuff marks. Coat with a Venetian plaster protective finish available at home improvement stores for a glossier finish.

Pompeii Fresco

• 5

  Wipe the walls down with clean water to ensure that they are free of dirt, dust, grime and anything that may interfere with a colored finish. Allow to dry.

• 6

  Mix faux finish glaze with your base color until the desired tone is achieved. Test the color on a practice board before you begin.

• 7

  Wet the first wall with clean water using a spray bottle or a large sponge. Wet the wall thoroughly to help the glaze spread before sinking into the plaster.

• 8

  Spread the tinted glaze onto the wall with a large sponge, working quickly in large, sweeping motions. Wipe up runs and drips before they soak into the plaster and create streaks. Vary your pressure and stroke, aiming for random yet good coverage rather than uniformity.

• 9

  Sweep a clean, wet sponge gently over the wall, softening the initial sponge strokes. Notice the glaze settling into divots and making them look darker but rubbing off the high spots to make them look lighter. Continue this gentle sweeping motion until you achieve the look you want. Do not allow the initial sponge coat to dry before you sweep over it with the clean sponge.

• 10

  Mix another batch of tinted glaze, using a different concentration of color. Try a light glaze over dark or a dark glaze over light on your practice boards to decide which finish looks best.

• 11

  Use a smaller, rougher sponge to apply random splotches of the new tint to the wall. Use a light touch and vary your stroke to avoid creating a stenciled look. Concentrate the new color in certain areas or spread it evenly across the wall depending upon the look you want. Immediately soften the new glaze with a clean, wet sponge. Repeat the application process for the rest of the walls.

• 12

  Apply as many coats of varying tints as you'd like to achieve your desired depth of finished color. Allow it to dry completely. Hand-paint frescoes with diluted acrylic paints if you wish, and allow to dry.

• 13

  Sand over the walls using very fine sandpaper and a very light touch to soften the edges of the paint and glaze. Sand portions of the fresco away completely to mimic the wear of old age.