Specialised paint finishes: the full guide
What counts as a specialised finish
Anything that is not flat emulsion on a flat wall. In practice that means six families of work, and they behave differently enough that the choice matters more than the colour does.
Limewash gives a soft, cloudy depth and breathes, which suits older masonry. Microcement and concrete-effect coatings give a smooth mineral surface with no grout lines. Venetian plaster polishes to a marble-like sheen. Metallic and pearlescent glazes shift as the light moves across them. Roller and trowel textures add physical relief. Faux finishes imitate timber, stone or rust on a surface that is none of those things.
Choosing by room, not by photograph
A finish that looks extraordinary in a showroom can be the wrong call in a flat. Microcement in a hallway takes scuffs from bags and shoes and cannot be touched up invisibly the way emulsion can. Venetian plaster in a bathroom needs sealing or it will mark wherever water sits.
The questions worth answering before choosing: how much light does the wall get and from what angle, does anything touch it regularly, and will you want to change it in five years. Limewash and textured finishes forgive a repaint. Microcement and polished plaster do not, because taking them off is a hack-back job.
Interior and exterior are not the same product
An exterior specialised finish has to hold up to ultraviolet light, wind-driven rain and constant humidity. Pigments that stay true indoors for a decade will shift outdoors in two years, and a texture that traps water on a shaded elevation will grow algae in it.
Where a client wants a textured or mineral look outside, we use an exterior-grade system with UV-stable pigment and a fungicide, and we accept a slightly narrower palette to get it.
What it costs and why
Specialised finishes are priced per square foot rather than per room, because the labour is in the application and not the area. Textured roller finishes start around $6 per square foot. Limewash and lime-based finishes run from about $9. Microcement and polished plaster start near $18 and rise with the number of coats and the level of polish.
Most of that is time. A polished plaster wall is four to six passes with curing between them, and the burnishing that produces the sheen cannot be rushed.
Looking after them
Wipe with a soft cloth and a mild solution. Abrasive cleaners and scouring pads will cut the sheen off polished plaster and burnish textured work flat in patches, which is far more obvious than the mark you were trying to remove.
Seal microcement and polished plaster in wet areas on the schedule the manufacturer gives, usually every two to three years. Limewash can simply be refreshed with another coat when it starts to look tired, which is one of the reasons it suits a wall you expect to live with for a long time.
Getting a sample before you commit
We put a sample board on your wall, in your light, before the job is booked. A metallic glaze under a showroom spotlight and the same glaze under a north-facing window in a Singapore flat are two different products, and a photograph will not tell you which one you are buying.
