Category: Custom Fire Places

When a client wants to make a fireplace disappear from the field of view, we can think of no better finish than our monolithic high polished Italian lime plaster. We have created this proprietary custom finish to fit into a more modern style of home. With its mirror polished finish without any tool marks makes for a beautiful conversation piece while also creating a timeless feature with durability and uniqueness. The end result is a solid, seamless stone surface that appears to be carved in place. Contact the studio for information our Venetian and Italian lime based plasters applications for fireplaces, seamless showers and anything in between in Vancouver, Canada.

Enjoy this short video showing the level of quality we deliver.

High polished Italian lime plaster fireplace

Polished Venetian Plaster Fireplace Canada from Darrell Morrison on Vimeo.

or you can view it on on youtube

Black Tadelakt Fireplace

When I get asked to create samples for fireplaces its always something new. This house was no exception with a 14 foot tall fireplace as the main feature to the living area. The clients wanted dark. The pictures of the concepts they showed had a metal look. I decided that Tadelakt Italian Lime plaster was the best material for the project. Tadelakt comes in powder instead of paste. Tadelakt is a feebly hydraulic lime similar to NHL 3.5. The powder form gives the installer the ability to add larger amounts of colorants if needed, although this can effect the working properties of the Lime plaster material if excessive amounts of colorant are used.

Waxed Tadelakt Fireplace Hearth

The end finish we created is polished to an effect of gun metal with hints of bronze metallic which add an undertone of brown to this black Tadelakt fireplace. The hearth was waxed to add extra protection and differentiate the upper and lower area of the fireplace. I can’t wait to see photos when the wood burning fireplace is running this fall/winter. Lime plaster is a non-combustible material making it a great finishing material for hi-heat applications.

Here are some photos of the progress of building out the fireplace and getting things ready for finish coat.

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Enjoying a glass of wine at the end of hard work day.
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One thing about working on an Island is making sure you have “everything” you need. It felt like I brought everything but the kitchen sink.

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As this project nears its end we get a chance to enjoy a few moments of reflection, to think of all the hard work that goes into our clients projects and everyone involved. I will miss the early morning coffee and scenic views.

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Here are some of the before shoots

When I was approached for this fireplace in the spring of 2015 I thought to my self wow what a beast, this fireplace would be a killer retrofit from the old style of red brick. The clients had done there home work and wanted an Italian lime plaster for its beauty and versatility in colour choices and texture, we ended up using Cadoro Italian Lime Plaster Intonachio in a two tone custom colour made in house at our studio. From start to completion we handled all the construction.

Integrated Italian Lime Plaster Fireplace from darrell morrison on Vimeo.

We recently finished this detailed interior using venetian plaster in this beautiful traditional home, infused with tuscan details. The owners wanted a house built using environmentally safe products, however they were not aiming for LEED points. We used low voc colorants designed for this project and soap wax’s for sealing all the surfaces. Venetian plaster is a great alternative to paint materials as its surface does not show ware easily and its depth and beauty spark conversation. All the ceilings throughout the project were finished with a 2 tone Tadelakt lime plaster. The base boards, crown mouldings and stair kicks are finished in a pitted plaster finish to give the look of solid stone. I hope you enjoy viewing this project just as much as we enjoyed helping create it.

Continue Reading..

The process, the projects, the finished product: This is an inside look into how I create my Venetian plaster projects, making them come alive.

In this video, you’ll see steps used to create my Venetian plaster projects, including completed project photos of Classic, Carrara, Intonachino and Tadelakt plaster applications.

When it comes to my projects, it’s Stucco Italiano Italian lime plaster that is my one and only choice, and I think this video shows you why. When you think interior stucco think Authentic lime based Venetian plaster.

 

Now you’ll see I don’t exaggerate. I said this Tadelakt fireplace was massive? It was HUGE!

Stretching 16 feet across and with a towering peak of 11 feet, you can see why such a dominant feature made nailing the perfect colour the most important step in planning. But, hey, it’s always about “the perfect colour”.

Remember, I’ll always be happy to mix tints as often as it’s needed to make sure it’s a colour you’ll love living with well into the future.

Back to the massive fireplace: When you take a built-in entertainment centre/room feature and want to turn it into something bold and grand, while still adding value to your home, natural lime-based Venetian plaster is definitely the way to go. Remember that, it’s not just a cosmetic change — it’s adding value with beauty.

But, here, take a look for yourself.

“After”:

“Before”:

Here’s the soon-to-be Tadelakt fireplace. Mean, green… and wow! Could be a show-stopper if it’s finished right… but that’s why they hired me, because my company only does it “right”.

Our first step was building up the mantle for added size and drama, by using a 16-foot piece of 2×6 and some crown moulding. Et voila! There’s some beautiful architectural detail.

After finished beefing-up the mantle and the build was done, it was
time to figure out the posts for the bulk of the Tadelakt fireplace
application. This transformation really took it to the next level of
super-cool, don’t you think?

Look closely. Do you see both the bulk and pure “flow” those legs added? We felt it gave exactly the character needed to make this fireplace a feature to envy in an already-upscale neighbourhood.

Next came the real treat — doing the actual Tadelakt lime-plaster application. That’s when I get to feel like we’re putting icing on a cake. This, though, was a tricky cake.

You know me, I love a challenge. Personally, this profile was like nothing I had ever Venetian-plastered before. The detail, curves, and
difficulty reminded me of a lonely country road on a winter’s morning — a great pleasure to be on, but taking it slowly and carefully would
be essential, while knowing that patience would be rewarded with beauty.

Do you see how I used an orange mesh for tying the pieces together? This step is a massive pain, and really not a fun part of the project, but when it comes to a curved profile and the added degree of artistic difficulty that comes with it, that grief is worth the effort just for the extra years of architectural integrity it gives the project. It’s like your mom always told you, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right.” That’s how I operate, too.



Now the project is complete and the space has taken on a whole new look. It’s no longer a built-in piece of drywall, but a long-lasting element for the room, and a focus of the home that can be built upon for years. This fireplace will surely remain a strong selling point for as long as the home stands, because we built it to last.

I’m glad you popped in for a look at my recent work. Thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Darrell.

Recently, I finally got the tool I’ve been wanting to add to my company’s arsenal — a 12-colour carousel tinting machine.

You’re likely saying “A what?”

When I Say “Any Colour”, I mean It More Than Ever

For years, I’ve been creating custom colours. Many times, I’ve been unsuccessful because of technicalities, like not having proper colours available to me or a way to distribute them evenly or quickly among all the products I needed to mix to get the job done and done well.

Stuck working with these technicalities, a lot of my colours were found in one part of the colour spectrum — browns or tans, and even beiges now and then.

With the size of new lime-plaster interior projects and the new direction I’d like to take my Venetian plaster work in, I knew the time was right to get this tool that would make the difference in meeting my standards on a large scale.

As an example, I’m currently working on a 10,000 square-foot Intonachino lime-plaster interior. With so much surface to cover, the client is having a hard time choosing the perfect colour. We’re close, so they now only want slight shifts in shade and/or hue. (How are “shade” and “hue” different? Learn more by following this link.)

Picky? Not at all. Like me, they know job satisfaction is all about the details.

I’ve now taken great care to create 20 different colours for this project. That’s a bit of an extreme for any project, maybe, but you have to live with the colour long after I’m gone, and we need to get it right. I won’t get upset or rush you for a colour at the beginning of a project, because preparation and work can begin while we take the time to do the right things to help you come to a decision you literally can live with.

This tint machine makes my life easier and helps me live up to my dedication to getting you a a truly livable colour for your environment. Now, at any point in time, I can change a colour’s direction. You want a 25% lighter shade? Okay, not a problem. We don’t need a paint-shop pro or a chemist to guess it out. Let’s get that done ourselves — between you and me, and save ourselves a lot of headache and reduce wasted materials in the process.

Breaking It Down:

◦                                  Whatever your favourite material — Tadelakt, Intonachino, Carrara or Classic — I have full control over the colour and tint of the end-product.

◦                                  Your money gets saved because I’m not wasting materials or gambling on a factory’s ability to get those pallets of lime plaster tinted just the right way.

You want it lighter? Darker? I can change that on a dime now, so you get what you want when you want it. Hue by hue, shade by shade, we’ll nail the colour of your dreams.


One of my favourite things to do on the job is when I get to take something old and outdated and reinvent it all new and awesome.


In October, I got to do exactly that to a 50-year-old sandstone fireplace.


Not only did I lower the height of the fireplace by a whole eight inches, but I also created baffles for the Heatilator’s vents.


The plaster I thought best for this job was Tadelakt, but I got tricky and added Mother-of-Pearl to make the finish a one-of-a-kind fireplace.


I hope you enjoy checking out the pictures.


The Fireplace Before

We have had an amazing summer at Decorative Painting & Plastering Concepts and the fall is just beginning!!!! First off I must thank my clients for challenging me on their projects and giving me the opportunity to work with them. We spent a lot of time this spring marketing and teaching our clients about the benefits of Green and low V.O.C. materials not only has it been better for us and the environment but the advancements that companies like Benjamin Moore & Stucco Italiano have made make it possible for me as an applicator to provide the best quality materials and customer service knowing that they will hold up for years to come.

This is a photo of one of our recent full interior paint project in downtown Vancouver, it also included a custom metallic paint finish in the master bedroom and a custom Tadelakt pillar to match their existing Solus Stone Fireplace.

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