Our Specialisms
Polished Plaster in Berkshire
Berkshire offers a broad mix of houses for polished plaster. Ascot and Sunningdale have large Edwardian, interwar and contemporary homes in generous plots. Windsor and Eton have Georgian and Victorian town houses close to the castle. Thames-side villages such as Bray, Cookham and Wargrave have riverside houses and boathouses, and in the west of the county, around Newbury and Hungerford, there are farmhouses, barns and country houses. Choice Finishes applies Venetian plaster, Marmorino, grassello, Tadelakt and external lime-based finishes across Berkshire. Explore all our finishes for polished plaster in London.
Finishes: Venetian plaster · Marmorino · Tadelakt · Microcement
Venetian Plaster — Lucido
Ascot and Sunningdale
Large houses in Ascot and Sunningdale are often substantially rebuilt or extended, with grand entrance halls, wide staircases, leisure suites and orangeries. Polished plaster gives these spaces a hand-made surface with depth that changes through the day. A tinted Marmorino in a hall and stairwell is calm and durable; a high-polish Lucido brings drama to a dining room, bar or cinema. In leisure suites with pools and steam rooms, Tadelakt and microcement handle the wet zones. Because we also carry out tanking, we can advise on the waterproofing behind them.
Riverside houses on the Thames
Thames-side houses in Bray, Cookham and Wargrave and the villages around Henley get strong reflected light off the water. A burnished finish responds beautifully to it, but the sheen needs choosing carefully: Lucido can look lively in a room facing the river, while Marmorino's satin finish is calmer. We sample on site so you can judge each finish in its actual light. Riverside elevations, boathouses and garden walls can take external polished plaster, using a breathable, weather-resistant lime-based system over a sound render background.
Windsor town houses and period homes
Around Windsor and Eton, Georgian and Victorian town houses are often listed and within conservation areas. These were built with lime, so the finish needs to remain breathable. Marmorino and grassello, made from slaked lime and marble, are generally compatible with solid walls. We assess the background, repair it in lime where needed, protect original cornices and joinery, and agree the specification with the conservation officer.
Barns and country houses
In west Berkshire, barns and farmhouses with oak frames and vaulted roofs suit hand-worked Marmorino or Spatulata, which give a soft, natural texture between the timbers. In country house reception rooms, a deeper tinted Venetian finish adds warmth alongside period features.
A faded, lived-in finish
Our hospitality projects are in London, not Berkshire, but the techniques transfer well. At The Ivy Market Grill in Covent Garden we applied a full Marmorino base and then a bespoke, hand-mixed smoky distemper wash to create a faded-elegance finish, tested on full-size sample boards under the venue's own lighting. In a Berkshire country kitchen, library or riverside sitting room, a similarly softened finish can make new plaster feel as though it has always been there. The Ivy Market Grill case study explains the process.
Bathrooms and showers
Tadelakt, polished with stones and sealed with olive-oil soap, is the traditional waterproof lime plaster for showers, wet rooms and baths when correctly detailed. Venetian plaster and Marmorino are water-resistant once waxed and suit bathroom walls away from direct water and cloakrooms. Microcement is the seamless alternative for floors and wet rooms.
Plastering in Berkshire
Our Berkshire area page covers our heritage lime plastering, cornice restoration and basement waterproofing across the county.
Polished plaster in Berkshire: frequently asked questions
Yes, using a breathable, weather-resistant lime-based exterior system over a sound render background, with careful detailing at sills, copings and junctions. We carry out external rendering too, so we can handle the background and finish together.
Yes. At The Ivy Market Grill in London we applied a distemper wash over Marmorino for a faded-elegance finish. Marmorino and Spatulata can also be applied with more tonal movement for a softer, lived-in look. We agree the effect on samples first.
Lime-based finishes such as Marmorino and grassello are generally compatible with traditional solid walls. We repair the background in lime where needed, protect original features and agree the specification with the conservation officer.
Get in Touch
Planning polished plaster in Berkshire?
Send us drawings or photographs and tell us about the property and the finish you have in mind. We will arrange a site visit, sampling and a fixed quote. Call 07854 393865 or email choicefinishesltd@gmail.com.