Talking Green
More and more, there has been a lot of press and attention on Global Warming and the need to use more ecofriendly or "green" products. With the release of documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth, the popularity of hybrid cars, the prevalence of green products and articles in all shelter magazines, going green has become a full fledged trend. This trend has also extended into the area of wall finishes.
"Green"
Wall Finishes
There are a number of outfits currently promoting clay or lime finishes as ecofriendly and more jumping on the bandwagon all the time. The fact is Italians were green before green was cool. Italian plasters such as venetian plaster or marmarino are made of organic material such as marble dust and slaked lime. The lime has a very high PH level which naturally prevents mold and mildew. The walls also breathe and age well. If you check out pictures of old Italian villas done with plasters they are still holding up after (in some cases) hundreds of years.
We have done our homework in this area and any paints, glazes and plasters that we use are environmentally friendly. For instance, for many years the only way to do a good looking "faux" finish or glaze was with oils. We went to a manufacturer who specifically formulated his glazes to to work as well as oil visually while being easier on the environment.
The beauty of it is that a skilled artisan can use these materials to create finishes that fit in any type of decor-- from old world to Art Deco to Midcentury modern to cutting edge. The two projects we just finished illustrate this. We did a 14,000 square foot home in Atherton that had a Mediterranean look and feel, while the 8,000 square foot home we did in San Rafael was very contemporary.
Call for A Free Consultation
If it has been a while since you have seen our portfolio, we have many, many new finishes. Call 925 606 0644 or email molto@earthlink.net if you have any projects you would like to use "green" finishes on.
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