Stucco, marmorino, polished plaster, Venetian plasters, Italian plaster

Fresco Marmorino

We've recently developed another polished plaster technique which is based on an old method: fresco marmorino.  The application of the pigments is exactly the same, however we have adjusted the marmorino base so that we apply the pigment over a pitted and veiled surface which has been polished.  You can increase the depth of the finish by building up three or four layers of colour.

The result is really effective. Here's how it turned out on this feature wall which we did in December.  The rich burnt orange marmorino really seems to glow.

The Legendary Carlo Scarpa

I've always intended to spend some time visiting what I could of the works of Carlo Scarpa, in particular to admire the stucco work and pick up some ideas.  In October I was fortunate enough to do just that: I spent a week in Venice with my good friend Sam, a decorative painter who's a fantastic applicator of marmorino too.  We were able to visit the Olivetti showroom, the Fondazione Querini-Stampalia and the Castelvecchio in Verona.

To say that I returned inspired would be a serious understatement.  What excites me most about how Scarpa used these materials was just how contemporary the finishes look.  Although they're ancient techniques, when you compare how they're applied on a Scarpa building with how they are used elsewhere in Venice, they are very different.

One finish that Carlo Scarpa seemed to use a lot - and it's not immediately obvious in photos of his work, but you can spot it straight away when you see his work in the flesh - is encausto, a technique that involves applying stucco lucido over a coarse intonachino.  This is the finish used on the ceiling in the Olivetti showroom, where it ties in perfectly with concrete and stone that's used nearby.  It is also used in the Castelvecchio on panels like this one.  Again, Scarpa used this encausto technique in the Querini-Stampalia, however here the intonachino is much coarser, and the craftsmen used much more force when applying the final layers, so there is a lot more visible granulation.

Another technique that Carlo Scarpa used a lot was spatula-applied stucco lucido, especially on ceilings - a finish of which I was not a huge fan until recently - but when you see it in this setting, it just works so well.  There is virtually no variation in colour whatsoever, which I've always preferred.

It's amazing that although these buildings were completed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, their design really catches you, they are so unique.

The trip has brought one thing home to me: there will never be a wall finish that has the same range of design possibilities as marmorino.  It is truly timeless.

Marmorino motifs

During our last few projects, we've had the opportunity to do raised relief in marmorino.

There are different methods of carrying this out - the traditional method is stucco forte, which means adding a small amount of gypsum (or as the Italians call it, gesso) to marmorino.  This accelerates the set and means that the surface can be built up and modelled freehand.

If you want to produce quite a heavy build-up to the design, you can draw the design out in pencil, then use brass screws and copper wire to form a frame over which lime plaster, followed by marmorino, can be applied.

For bas-relief, this can be done simply with marmorino that has had a small amount of gypsum added.

White Book - Essential Interiors

The project we carried out for Garuda Design at Killeen Castle has been featured in this issue of The White Book.  The White Book comes out twice a year and features several of the most luxurious interiors in Ireland.  The article on Killeen Castle is illustrated with some beautiful photography of the spine wall with the embedded motif and the Carrara marmorino finish surrounding the swimming pool.

New-look website!

After five months of fine-tuning, our new website is finally up at www.pdmarlow.com.  Have a look, see some of our latest photos and above all, please give us your comments!

29 Pall Mall, SW1

Paul and Mark recently spent a week working on a project on Pall Mall in London's City of Westminster.  The classic marmorino finish looked beautiful in the soft tobacco shade that the designer had chosen.

Last weekend we were back in London and couldn't resist having another look at how it had turned out.  Work isn't completely finished there yet so the building wasn't open so we peered in through the windows and had some explaining to do when one of the owners came out to investigate these two shady characters with their noses pressed up against the glass...

House X, Killeen Castle

House X in the new Killeen Castle golf community is now finished.  The design by Garuda is stunning.  We were asked to produce two finishes: grassello lucido for the spine wall that bisects each storey of the house, which has an embedded motif.  Suzanne from Garuda wanted the effect to be very subtle, and the motif is mirrored by other elements within the design, such as handmade rugs.

In the basement, the house has a swimming pool.  We were commissioned to produce a finish which would complement the carrara marble.  The finish we used is one of our exclusive techniques, a carrara marmorino with subtle movement and virtually no tonal variation, a technique that has taken many hours in the workshop to perfect.

Lunn's, the Jewellers

The new Lunn's Jewellers is open in Belfast's Victoria Square.  The boutique was designed by Soon Interiors, using lacquered wood, limestone, and probably the most striking feature of all - a white stucco lucido angled ceiling.  It looks like the facets of a gemstone.

We have a couple of photos here, but better still, if you're around Belfast, call in to Victoria Square and see for yourself.

Douglas and Grahame Ltd (just finished)

Today we completed the Douglas and Grahame Ltd corporate headquarters.  It looks amazing.  We used a traditional stucco lucido technique; the final application was a true encaustic wax, which was polished using the hot iron method.

There's nothing subtle about this finish!  Normally on our projects, I often intercept strange looks on the faces of the other trades, people who don't quite get our work.  However, this hasn't happened here.  The finish is just so reflective, people can't help but notice it.

I'm not always a huge fan of the really highly polished stuhhi, but I must admit that this does look stunning.

Douglas and Grahame Ltd

We have just started work on the new Douglas and Grahame Ltd offices.

We have been working with Soon Interiors to come up with the finishes for the reception and lobby areas, as well as the board room.  It should look fantastic: sweeping curved walls in black stucco lucido.

I took this photo earlier.  I don't know why, but I just think the scaffolding looks great!  Weird, no?

John Huddleston Engineering

We've just finished the new reception and offices for John Huddleston Engineering, whose customers include Airbus and Bombardier.

We applied a pearl grey stucco lucido throughout, with an art wall incorporating the company logo.  The art wall was made up of an interlocking geometric design in various tones of grey.  Robert Huddleston's private office was finished in classic marmorino, this time in a warmer, smoky shade.

The official opening was held yesterday.

Cob in Cornwall

Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce of Cob in Cornwall have written a wonderful book called Using Natural Finishes, which is published by Green Books.

Adam and Katy have massive enthusiasm for their work, and it really comes across through the book.  Its design is great, too; I love the line drawings they've used along with the hundreds of bright photographs.

We had the opportunity to contribute: Adam and Katy have featured some of our work in the section that looks at finishes from around the world.

It's a fantastic book.  If you're interested in ecological building, or even if you haven't given it much thought before, you'll love this.

New Photographer's Gallery, Soho

Along with O'Donnell Tuomey, we have been involved in developing the exterior finish for the new Photographer's Gallery.  It's a deep Venetian red marmorino, applied over a lime plaster base to ensure durability.  It will incorporate cocciopesto, and we can't say any more than this, except that the final finish will be totally unique to this project - and breathtaking.

Large Facade in Marmorino

We are making final preparations before starting an extremely interesting project for O'Donnell Tuomey.  It's a six-storey-high facade on a very unusual building, the Sean O'Casey Community Centre on East Wall, Dublin. 

On this project, we are using a very unique system where we apply specially enhanced natural hydraulic lime base-coats over the cast concrete substrate.  The system follows almost identically the process recommended by Vitruvius; the granulation of the first layer is 4mm, the subsequent layers then grade down as follows: 2mm, 1mm, 0.8mm, 0.6mm, 0.3mm, followed by olive oil soap and potassium silicate.

Eleven processes - a far cry from three layers of acrylic enhanced hydrated lime that some try to pass off as "marmorino".

Natural Hydraulic Lime

We have added a range of natural hydraulic lime plasters for base coats to our armoury.

Over the years, we've used NHL from different companies, with varying amounts of success.  We're now confident that we have found what has to be the best materials on the market.  Even though NHL is better suited to new construction than air-hardening lime putty mortars, there are still some areas where you need to be very careful.  Manufacturers can be reluctant to give any kind of back-up.

Although the material we now use is deeply rooted in restoration work, and has been used for countless high-profile restoration projects, it fits squarely into modern eco-construction, especially when used with external insulation systems, etc.

This means we can now take care of all the plasterwork, from substrate out, and offer our clients a true marmorino system.

Colours outside

We've been working on a process for producing strong colours - reds and blues - in stucco lustro which will withstand our weather when used outside.

If you've been to Venice, you'll see that deep colours are sometimes used on facades, however they generally weather, which is fine in Venice but not really acceptable if the finish is used in a contemporary setting.

So after many hours of experimenting, we have finally cracked it.  We have two highly individual exterior projects coming up, where we will use the technique.  So we'll post some pictures soon, although we'll be keeping the technique very close to our chests!

Cooleville, Co Tipperary

Cooleville was featured in the Irish Times three years ago, and described by Kate McMorrow as a beautiful six-bedroom Georgian house with excellent equestrian facilities, which stands on 90 acres of formal gardens and parkland in the foothills of the Knockmealdowns.

Since last year, we have been privileged to work with Cooleville's current owner, who has an incredible eye for design and colour, and who really "gets" what marmorino is all about.  The finishes she has chosen for each area of the house harmonise to give a warm, luxurious yet uncluttered feel throughout.

Cooleville's generous proportions lend themselves perfectly to the rich, velvety texture and subtle tones of classic marmorino and intonachino.  We have finished the kitchen, breakfast room, boot room, and two of the bathrooms.  Eventually, we hope to finish the entrance hall and another stand-alone bathroom.

While marmorino is now used so often in contemporary design, this project really affirms how ideal these finishes are in the traditional setting of a stately home.

Pictures to the right, and on our website.

Killiney House

In August we finished this project for O'Donnell and Tuomey, which is undoubtedly one of the finest architectural practices in Ireland.

The design for the dropped ceiling cloud in the kitchen of this house gives the space real identity.  Modification of the light really works with the classic marmorino finish to accommodate the ceiling installation.

Pictures to the right and also on our website.

Autumn/Winter 2007

You might have noticed the lengthy post hiatus here... where to start?  Things have just been so flat-out busy over the summer that the blog has taken a bit of a back seat.

We finished the Castlemartyr project in July - it looks absolutely stunning.  The spa is incredibly elegant and serene... really, even the pictures don't convey the visual impact of actually being there.

The lighting complements the walls perfectly, and the cream stucco lustro just looks as if it's glowing.  I've posted some pictures on the right, and also on our website.

Castlemartyr - work in progress

The guys are still flat out in Cork, but I got these pictures through the other day.  Those site lights aren't the most photogenic - the colour is so much better in real life.

 

Worshipful Company of Plaisterers has a new forum

...and they have a thread on Venetian plaster!

Eileen Gray at the National Museum of Ireland

Eileen Gray's work mesmerises me.  I have a copy of the book Stewart Johnston wrote on her in 1978, and I spent ages trying to get the maximum detail out of each photograph by holding it as close to my eyes as possible.

But now there's a better system - visit the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks in Dublin where there is a permanent Eileen Gray exhibition.

The brochure introduces it this way:

In May 2000 the Director of the National Museum of Ireland, Dr Patrick F Wallace, succeeded in purchasing a substantial collection of Eileen Gray's work, with major support from the Department of the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, thus fulfilling one of her greatest wishes, to have her work displayed here in her own country.  The collection includes the chrome table from E1027, personal memorabilia, lacquering tools, carpets, chairs, tables, screens, lanterns, her portfolio and reviews of her work.  It allows us access into the world of an Irish designer who found fame and spent most of her life abroad, but who never lost touch with the land of her birth.

Capella Castlemartyr Resort

This month we're working down in Cork, on the Capella Resort in Castlemartyr.  Here's what Geoff Percival had to say in the Irish Examiner last Friday:

Castlemartyr Manor - the 220 acre, 17th Century estate, variously through the years the home of Sir Walter Raleigh, the 'Great' Earl of Cork, Richard Boyle, the Earls of Shannon and up until recently a Carmelite College - in Co Cork is about to re-open its doors to the public as the Capella Castlemartyr resort, a 103 bedroom country hotel complete with the obligatory 18-hole championship level golf course and full spa facilities.

Capella is still a relatively new company, having been formed only three years ago.  Singapore, Mexico, Austria, Germany and the US are some of the locations where it is currently developing its 100-odd room five star properties.  It signed off on the Castlemartyr project in Cork two years ago and is already planning a second Irish - and Co Cork - property at Dunboy Castle in Castletownbere.

The main unique selling point of Castlemartyr will be its faultless customer care.  The hotel will have two mascots - Irish wolfhounds named Earl and Cork - and guests can avail of coats and Wellingtons provided by the management if they wish to take the dogs for a walk around the grounds.  As much attention has been put into creating grounds and gardens for non-golfers (the grounds feature a swan lake, picnic areas, an historic chapel, wooded areas and the tomb of the Third Earl of Cork) as has been put into the 18-hole Ron Kirby (Fota Island) designed championship quality course.

No expense is being spared in introducing the Irish element, with the offer of readings by well-known Irish authors and performances of Irish dancing in the main grounds on the table for guests.

People looking for a spa break won't be disappointed with Capella's 16,000 sq ft 'wellness' spa and fitness centre combining to offer one of the best services of its kind in Ireland - ten treatment rooms, vitality pools, steam room, saunas, spa suite, yoga/pilates studio and ozone treated swimming pool all included.

Phew!  Well... we are working on the spa complex - cream stucco lustro has been specified for the walls by the German design team and it looks absolutely beautiful.  You can't see the movement straight on; the walls just seem to glow - but when you look across them the highs and lows of the patterning begin to appear.

Paul starts back tomorrow and we'll soon have some photos of the work in progress.

Killiney House

We're doing a project for award winning architects O'Donnell Tuomey - it's a private residence with a very unusual design.  Among other areas, we're finishing a cloud ceiling, which is basically a cantilevered ceiling structure supported by chains.

The whole thing - top, sides and underneath - is finished in natural white classic marmorino which is then treated with punic wax.

We're involved with a few projects with O'Donnell Tuomey - one of which is extremely exciting but I can't divulge any details for now in case our competitors get any ideas about sniping in...

...anyway there's no way they could emulate the finish we've achieved.  Even I can hardly remember how I did the sample!

Hawaii

Sorry there's been no posting in such a long while - we've just been so unbelievably damn busy!

In March I helped Mitchell of Coppola Bros with another project - this time it was in Hawaii.  It was a large house on a golf residence.  As with all of Mitchell's projects, the finishes were understated and very cool, the sort of thing that makes the client initally think: "Hmmm, I thought there'd be more bang for my buck..." but slowly they start to realise just how stunning they look.

Although we worked hard (on our tans) we also seemed to spend a lot of time snorkelling and sitting on the harbour fishing, enjoying a beer or two and generally pondering.

Mitchell's next project at the end of May will be for Kelsey Grammer - he invited me to come along but I'm already booked up - any ideas for get-out strategies will be welcome!