April 17th, 2012

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.

July 12th, 2010

It’s a good thing you hire me to do finish and not videos, because this one took me a year to make! What can I tell you? I’ve had spaces to make beautiful, but I finally found some time to share this one with you.

I’m pretty proud of this Tadelakt fireplace I completed last summer, so I’m glad I’ve finally got the video to post for you, including closeups, so you really get a good look at my work.

So, you ask why Tadelakt lime plaster was my first choice for this project?

This is a good lesson in why the material’s such an important consideration. You need to know the end look you want and what combination of products to use to get there. It’s tricky, and it’s why you need artisans who know their stuff but also know the kind of use it’s going to get, so both look-appropriate and wear-appropriate products are used.

All I can tell you is, out of all the styles of Venetian plaster I keep in my arsenal, it’s Tadelakt lime that brings the smooth, silky, and finely-honed “stone” appearance that makes it MY number-one choice for restoring a fireplace.

Personally, I also think it takes the mother-of-pearl finish the best, since it’s all about the smoothness of the finish.

It’s also really tough, so, Tadelakt really rocks in high-traffic, high-use areas like the fireplace.

I hope the film gives you that feeling, too, and gives you a good look at the detail I’m so proud of.

Cheers

Darrell  Morrison

June 16th, 2010

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.

April 23rd, 2010

Over the past week, I had the opportunity to work on the new Bosa building in White Rock, BC, with one of my favourite designers — a big fan of my style of Venetian Plaster. She’s always pushing me to try new things and stretch my creativity, so it’s a great working experience to be around her.

When meeting a new client and designer, the most important part of the meeting is being able to absorb their ideas and use that as inspiration for creating a unique design that’ll reflect the best of everything they want.

I think I pulled that off, and it’s even reflected in the materials we used.

For this project, I used Carrara Marmorino. It’s different because of its small granules, which allows it to polish to a beautiful satin finish. For added durability and a beautiful finish, I sealed the surface with natural beeswax.

September 12th, 2009

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 Solus Stone Fireplace

July 14th, 2009

For this project the main goal was to repair the ceilings. There had been some major cracks cutting through in a straight line for sometime in this home after a major renovation. Now I know most people dread the thought of having to work above their head especially doing a Lime plaster finish. For me though its just another day at the office. I love ceilings, they have a feeling of a challenge like hiking a mountain or running in a marathon. You see when you start any venetian plaster finish their is no stopping you must complete the task. So if I am distressing a 300 square foot ceiling I have to complete it in that day. The beauty of this project was the creativity, I was able to come up with ideas like the rosettes, which added a great deal of architectural detail. I hope you enjoy the video.

Cheer’s

Darrell Morrison

If you would like to see the video in High Definition click this link
http://www.youtube.com/user/MorrisonDarrell

June 16th, 2009

Welcome to my news letter. Inside you will find detailed information of my recent projects and favorite finishes. You can view it here

The features in this issue include

1. “Uniquely Daring” a subtle carrara marmorino feature wall

2. “Inspirational Thoughts” for you or your clients design ideas

3. Featured project “Diplomatic Immunity Clothing Inc. On South Granville, A classic white venetian plaster with a twist.

4. “The Grand Entrance” a full interior paint project in Tsawwassen including lots of wood finishing and wood graining a lost art.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think??

September 15th, 2008

This is one of our current projects on the go located in the new district of south surrey, both bathrooms will be completed with Carrara Marmorino completion date is the 21st of September check back for the completed photos.

******* Update this is the finished shot of the master bathroom***** a dark grey finish with a hint of brown.

September 15th, 2008

Walls made of water is what many people say this finish looks like, with its high and low polished area’s it adds a great deal of depth and character to any room. While this finish looks like it has a great deal of texture it is quite smooth. The project involved 2 bathrooms with a walk threw shower (1st one i have ever seen) the ceiling was completed in the same finish to complete the ambient atmosphere. I used Lime based Carrara Marmorino an organic green plaster that consists of crushed marble.

June 25th, 2008

A two colour application was used to render this wood craftsmanship to resemble an old bank entryway. The idea came from an old bank fascade in New York.