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.

February 6th, 2012

16,000 square feet of Classic Venetian plaster was used to turn the walls at “The Grandview Business Center” Located in Morgan Crossing South Surrey, BC into a major conversation piece.  Its not often you get approached to do a full interior Italian Lime plaster in a Commercial setting.  Why you ask would you want to choose a venetian plaster finish for a commercial space?

Why Lime Plaster

-Lime Plaster  has vertually no VOC’s making a pleasant enviroment to work in and be around

-Stronger than drywall and paint finishes Venetian plaster will hide scuffs marks and abrasions

-Endless possibilities of texture and sheen

-Most damage is easily repaired

-Seamless finish from start to finish only stopping in corners.

Here are some photos of this recent full interior Venetian Lime Plaster

January 7th, 2012

Well, we’re already three weeks into our massive Italian lime plaster commercial project in South Surrey, BC.

As you can imagine, a lot of work is going on around us on the project every day, so while we’re trying to keep productivity at a maximum, we also have to keep trade damage to our work at a minimum.

This week, focus has been on the main floor’s lobby, the corridors, ceilings, and that awesome barrel ceiling covered in Venetian plaster.

It’s a big challenge, a ceiling like that, but to know me is to know I love my job.

Everyone around me knows how much I dig the challenges and the change that come from project to project. My passion for what I do and for getting my clients what they want is what makes my work so successful.

This one’s got even more challenges, and people to satisfy, than anything I’ve done because it’s the largest project I’ve ever worked on, and I hope it proves I belong on both the artisan and big commercial side of plastering.

But what do you think? Here, take a look at how things are coming along.

This barrel ceiling’s a huge focal point, so I took extra care and due diligence, as it’s a heavy use area and we want it looking as fantastic years from now as it does opening day.

To get there, I started off by applying a two-coat Intonachino Lime plaster finish, and closed it up with a buffed super-smooth finish.

When you’re talking a “true” Venetian plaster, it’s actually a very thin finish. It can be somewhat delicate, and that’s something to consider on a project like this versus, say, a large home for a family of four. Given the massive building size, and the likelihood of foundation settling over coming months or years, I wanted a thicker plaster, just in case the building shifts any or nails decide to move any, and that extra coverage (and more work) should ensure longevity.

Craziness, I know, but it’s better safe than sorry, and it’s easier to do the job thoroughly the first time than to fix any problems a year or five years down the line.

Make sure your craftsmen don’t just think about how your job looks the day you have to sign the last check. You want them thinking about how that space will work for you over the coming years. Have that conversation with them, if you’re not sure they’re thinking in those terms — because they should be.

Look at this colour depth! This is what happens when I really push the envelope on the “maximum tint allowance” per bucket. Pay-off!

“Wax-on, wax-off.” Laying down the layers, pic by pic:

The end result? A stunning shiny show-stopper.

In this instance, it’s really a labour of love. It’s nine steps from start to finish — a lot of prepping, buffing, and grunt-work. There’s no easy way out on this one, it’s all about pushing through the burn thats the true nature of real venetian plaster.

At the end, all you see is how great it looks, and that’s okay with me.

Cheers,
Darrell Morrison.

April 3rd, 2011

When you’re a guy working in the building trades, it’s not very often you get to travel for work, let alone work in a place like Banff, Alberta. This fantastic retreat in the mountains has been a dream-like project for me, and I’m happy to share with you this video of a walk-through of how the project’s coming.

As the build got further along, more plaster work got added to my slate. I love an owner getting excited about my technique and wanting more as the work progresses, especially in a place like this. By the end, Stucco Italiano’s Italian plaster was used throughout, stretching from the bottom up to the third floor.

Please set your viewing to high-def for all the detail!

Take a look at the waxed deep magenta plaster walls in the powder rooms, which includes that awesome entry feature and incorporates those subtle smooth textures across the walls and ceilings, on all floors.

Why would you want to use Italian plaster over both walls and ceilings? You have to consider the characteristics. No paint will match the beauty or durability over the long-term like Italian lime or Venetian plaster, and when you’re creating a mood in a room, why would you neglect the ceiling?

When the colour is fortified right off the bat, as I hand-mix plasters for application, including base coats, it gives a rich layered finish that doesn’t look man-made — it looks like it just belongs that way. It’s natural, rustic, and amazing for creating a mood in big and small spaces.

Lime plaster builds an atmosphere you just can’t get with only paint, and I’m a painter saying that.

When you’re talking about any kind of art or space, lighting means everything, and it’s definitely true with Intonachino plaster approaches I use in my Venetian/Italian lime finishes. As light moves across the room, during dusk through to dawn, and the light shifts from season to season, it changes the way the plastered surface appears, and you’ll always notice something different. It’s almost like your walls are a living part of your space.

This video will provide a perspective on the feel created with these finishes, but if the same video was shot at different times of day, you’d get more a sense of why I say that lightning — natural or electrical — is plaster’s best friend.

It’s been a while since this amazing journey began. Have a look at how far we’ve come, and how this plaster came to life. Click here to see the beginning blog posts.

December 2nd, 2010

Guess what I’ve always dreamed of scratching off my bucket-list? Plastering a high-end commercial building.

Soon, I’ll be scratching it off! (Or I can change the bucket list to “super-big high-end commercial building,” maybe. Then, after that, add “downtown”.)

Starting April, 2011, I’ll be starting an amazing adventure with my team as we begin a massive lime plastering project in the Grandview Business Centre in South Surrey, BC.

It’s a great building, an important part of the new “Morgan Crossing” district, which is an area that has just exploded over the last two years.

The mall, The Shops At Morgan Crossing, has great businesses like the Steve Nash Sports Club and a favourite of mine, because we all love a good wine: the “Everything Wine Store”.

Located so close to the mall, the Business Centre’s a great location for professionals looking to be accessible and convenient for clients.

All right, let’s talk project details.

The Builder Double V Construction will be creating the blank canvas for this amazing project.

We’ll be putting lime plaster in all the common spaces (including lobbies, corridors, and washrooms) on the Morgan Crossing Business Centre’s 1st, 3rd, and 4th floors.

We’ve chosen the palette already.

The corridors will be a slightly polished sandy/cream-coloured lime plaster with subtle pitting and black flecks.

Washrooms will be treated with a cement-based plaster that incorporates subtle pitting, almost like a honed travertine, but seamless and free of any joints.

The lobby ceiling will have a shiny finish that resembles the look of polished marble.

I can’t wait to see so much of my work in one place. A lot of what I work on is in private homes, but this will be a project that I can “visit” for years to come — and close to home, too.

Stay tuned while I prepare for this awesome undertaking, because I plan to share the journey with you by blogging the process in words and video while things come to life.

Cheers,

Darrell Morrison

November 26th, 2010

So, over the past week I have experienced some of the coldest temperatures of my life,
-31 plus the wind chill. Ya it’s really freaking cold.

When the Millworkers from Victoria, British Columbia asked if I was really excited about going to Banff in the winter, I had no idea what was coming. Am I still excited “absolutely”. I’m just really cold.

But enough about me and freezing my butt off, let’s get to the progress on the house I’m here to transform.
This week I have seen some major progress on the drywall and I mean “Major”!!! From floor to floor everyone is hustling. Millwork is flying, drywall dust is falling. Well not really. I was able to save the owner and builder extra time as a 2 coat tape and mud drywall system is all that’s needed for my plaster finishing.

Check the progress everyone has made.

Look at the depth and authentic beauty we have been able to achieve using Stucco Italiano’s Intonachino

A four coat plaster system is what we are installing for this project. We sure don’t get the normal coverage, but this house is far from the norm.

Lots of polishing is required to achieve the finished product for this particular project.

Here is a wall in the drying stage which I like to call the “Ugly Duckling” stage. Its one of the worst times to analyze my work.

I am a big protector when it comes to my work and the other trades around me. For this project I ordered 1500 sq ft of 1/8 inch hardwood underlayment. I am using it to protect all the corners and Millwork.

Everyone has their own opinion of the finished Italian plaster. Most say it resembles suede or leather. My only thing is “don’t touch till it’s sealed please”.

Thanks for coming along on the journey to Banff. I hope you have enjoyed the progress this week and will stay tuned to for what’s to come. Some big walls and ceilings are coming over the next 2 weeks.

Cheers
Darrell Morrison

November 12th, 2010

Early last Monday afternoon, I drove past a sign reading “Welcome to Banff, Alberta.”

Over the next three months, I’ll be working on an amazing, extremely customized home that backs onto Banff’s beautiful Bow River.

Along with everything else that blows me away about this house is the fact that I think it has the most stunning millwork I’ve ever encountered anywhere. Entering this amazing home felt like I’d just walked into some mind-blowing 5-star hotel in, well… Banff.

To add to the dramatic millwork and scenic setting, I’ll be using rich, deep earth-tone colours that complement the amazing nature all around us here in these legendary mountains. The plaster will be a 4-coat slightly-pitted Intonachino lime plaster finish.

The Canadian Rockies, where Banff is found, is known for its stone, exposed rockface, forests, and generally rugged terrain. I think this Italian lime plaster will really rock the Rockies, and it’ll be a commanding, dramatic feature in this impressive home as it stretches throughout the place, on all three levels.

I know this mountain town will be an amazing and inspiring place to work during the winter months. Come spring, if the owner converts the place into a “mountain stronghold,” it’ll be a beautiful place to hole up and easily forget about the rest of the world.

Banff is the highest town in Canada, sitting at an elevation of more than 4,500 feet (about 1,380 metres), nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. It was declared Canada’s first national park in 1885, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a protected area of more than 7,700 square miles.

The Bow River, which this home backs onto, originates from the Bow Glacier and Bow Lake. It flows for 587 kilometres, joins with the Oldman River to become the larger South Saskatchewan River, and eventually spills into Canada’s famous Hudson’s Bay, halfway across the country.

July 17th, 2010

Since early June, I’ve been working on this large full-interior lime plaster project. By “large,” I mean a whopping 10,000 square feet.

For me, I find it really amazing to see all the progress as I watch the Venetian plaster come together, and I thought I’d share some photos of the process so far, since I think you’ll like it.

This really is a massive project and something like this needs a lot of careful work even before it begins. With 10,000 square feet to dress up, it took a lot of colour-picking with the clients. We had eight colour changes and it was quite the struggle to nail the exact texture, but we stuck to the discussion until everyone was happy — something I don’t take lightly. I’m always up for making sure my clients have what they want on the palette before we get going. Isn’t that the whole point of the work? The client?

To start the project, I finished the ceilings off with Stucco Italiano’s Intonachino X-Fine because, with it, I could create the perfect amount of distressing in the texture.

We got the ceilings done before a final colour had been chosen for the walls. Was that a dilemma? Yup, you bet it was. We started on the walls anyhow, and the whole project slowed to a crawl because we could only basecoat the walls while I continued working towards the orangey-gold tones the client was after.

I find one of the tough things for clients is how to visualize the way things will look in the end. I’m an artist, I can visualize, but I understand why they can’t. Thankfully, technology’s starting to really make life simpler that way. I recently picked up an Apple iPad and loved how easy it made the client’s colour decision after I used it to highlight a few scenarios.

With my iPad, I pulled up some photos of both projects and concepts I thought would work well in this client’s space. I used it to show how using two colours can add a great deal of interest and movement on the walls. Doing all of this on a jobsite on a Sunday was a great deal of fun for me. I showed the client on the iPad, then jumped right into mixing a sample and showing the client how it all comes together in reality, right then and there.

With the iPad showing a wider vision and my skills showing the up-close in-person look, the colour and finish got approved, and here I am, already done with the main floor!

Here are some of the pictures of what’s happened so far, and I hope you enjoy them as much as the client does.

May 29th, 2010

On June 1st, I begin a great project — a 10,000 square-foot (Venetian) lime plaster interior. This project calls for a smoother finish with minimal texture, a “Tuscan” influence.

To get that look, I’ll be using Stucco Italiano Intonachino.

For an accent in the basement level, I’ll be creating a woodgrain finish (also known as faux bois) for all the crown moulding.

This home has a view to die for and architecture I’m excited to be taking to another level with my finishing techniques. I’m scheduled to reach final completion in early August.

With a Tuscan/Mediterranean feel throughout this home, getting the perfect colour so a client can be comfortable with their final decision is a tough task, but it’s got to be perfect — just look at the stunning architecture! Anything less than perfect would be a crime.

You might wonder how a “young” guy like me in this industry is landing big projects like these large interior Venetian plaster jobs, but I think my work speaks for itself — and it should, anyone’s should. I love the work I do, I do it the best way I can, I use the best materials that are available to me, try to deliver the best customer service, and have finished work that blows expectations away.

Whether it’s in my work’s detail or in the way I work for my clients, I know it’s the little things that make the difference. My guys and I are tidy and clean, flexible, and we all know how to work well with other trades.

Isn’t that how it should be?

Enjoy the read and the photos.

Cheers

Darrell Morrison

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.