It’s not every day that you get called upon to apply authentic Italian lime plaster to 2,500 sq. ft. of walls and ceilings.

Beth Warnecke didn’t flinch, even when the client changed direction mid-project and requested a finish with zero burnish marks.

The home was beautiful, but the rooms were dark and moody and in need of an update.

The Venetian plaster required a smooth and level substrate, but the client had torn paper finish in part of the area that would just have to be worked around. Slower movements of the trowels combined with much less burnishing on the papered walls solved the problem.

Halfway through the project, the client decided that she didn’t want any visible burnish marks in the plaster. Warnecke had to pause the entire project. They discussed how to proceed and whether to do an expensive change order.

Ultimately, the client decided to proceed, and the resulting finish turned out to be breathtaking.

“I had a wonderful crew of subcontractors to work with on this project and could not have done it without them,” said Warnecke. “We are so fortunate in the St. Louis area to have a strong chapter of artisans that belong to the International Decorative Artisans league, and we can help each other out with these large projects.”