Silk plaster in interior design

The use of decorative plaster in surface finishing has become a common way of decorating walls and ceilings. What it is, what are the features of this material, how to decorate the space with it, we will consider in the article.

Decorative plaster or silk-effect coating is a finishing material with a thick consistency, which is used to decorate the walls and ceiling of a room. This covering is often equated with liquid silk-based wallpaper. In fact, these are two different finishing materials, differing primarily in composition. There is no silk in decorative silk plaster, it is visually nicer and more uniform, has no roughness.

A feature of this material in comparison with liquid wallpaper is the uniqueness of the texture. Outwardly, silk plaster looks more presentable, therefore it costs more than liquid wallpaper. It is more durable and denser in consistency, suitable for interior decoration of surfaces of premises. Usually the composition is applied to the base at a temperature of +5 to +35 degrees. It is sometimes called decorative pearlescent paint for interior use.

It also differs in that it is more difficult to apply it than liquid wallpaper. This also complicates the correction of damaged areas that need to be replaced. It is almost impossible to do this unnoticed. The advantage of this finish is the ability to add various glitters to the finishing mass. The texture is also different in appearance: it looks solid, while liquid wallpaper, upon close examination, consists of individual granules.

Another feature of the application is the layer thickness. If for liquid wallpaper, which is applied in one layer, it is 4-7 mm, in this case the total thickness is up to 3 mm, while for the desired effect, the application is carried out in two layers. The difference between each type of silk plaster lies in the methods of forming the second layer. For such a material, even the tool with which the pattern is formed matters. Outwardly, it may resemble cracks, overflows, crinkled textiles. Drawings that are much more aesthetically pleasing than those drawn with liquid wallpaper look especially beautiful on such a basis.

This material provides a seamless application technology, which resembles the method of facing liquid wallpaper. Due to some of the fillers included in the composition, the surface pattern may look translucent. Silk plaster is a kind of liquid silk that is spread on prepared wall surfaces. This coating has a pleasant gloss and embossing that will look different from different angles. Such material is not cheap, but its effect cannot be compared with ordinary plaster or liquid wallpaper.

The finishing material is unique and has a lot of advantages:

• Silk plaster can be used to decorate walls and ceilings in all types of rooms. It looks beautiful in the corridor, hallway, relevant in the bedroom, living room, study, children's and home library.
• The effect of the finished surface looks better than wallpaper of any type and other finishing materials. The look of the finished cladding creates an elegant backdrop for the interior.
• This material is an environmentally friendly raw material. There are no harmful components in the composition, therefore, during operation, toxins that are harmful to health will not be released from the surface.
• Among the components of decorative plaster are antimicrobial additives, thanks to which fungus or mold will not start on the walls.

• This coating is antistatic. It does not electrify, during operation, dust will not be attracted to it, due to which the surface will look neat.
• Due to plasticizers, the cladding will be resistant to slight deformation of the walls themselves. If a small crack can form on the base, the lining will not tear, but will stretch without breaking the solidity of the surface.
• Decorative silk plaster has good sound insulation performance. It will reduce the level of annoying sounds that often come from neighboring apartments.
• This finishing material has thermal insulation properties, due to which the room where the walls will be decorated with this material will become warmer. At the same time, the structure of the material is capable of air permeability.
• Due to a wide range of shades, the material allows surface finishing in the form of a single-color canvas or a pattern according to an individual sketch, which is formed after applying the base coat.

This composition usually dries within 24 hours, although some varieties can dry up to 4 days. It is sold in powder form and in small plastic buckets. Consumption is approximately 150-300 g per 1 sq. m, it depends on the thickness of the applied layer and the type of tool for distributing the mass over the surface of the base.

In addition, such a composition is practical and durable. With proper preparation of the base and the implementation of the application technology, it will serve as an interior decoration for up to 10-15 years. However, in order to prolong the durability, the coating will have to be treated with additional compounds.

In addition to this nuance, decorative silk plaster has several more disadvantages:

• The cost of this finish is quite high; not every buyer can purchase it for decorating interior walls. On average, a square meter of finishing will cost from 600 to 950 rubles.
• The product absorbs different odors, which is especially bad if you smoke or cook indoors.
• To add texture, you will have to apply the material to the base twice.
• The surface for such a finish must be prepared as carefully as possible, otherwise the appearance of the cladding will not look beautiful.
• The surface treatment technique with this composition is more painstaking than wallpapering, so one day may not be enough to complete a high-quality coating.

Silk decorative plaster according to the effect of application can be of three types: wet, crinkled and smooth (liquid) silk. In addition, there are other types of silk screen printing.

The most interesting are:

• under a stone;
• with imitation of aged wood;
• with marble chips;
• textured Venetian;
• rain;
• broken stone.

The application methods for each type are different:

• For crushed silk, after the main layer, a thin layer of liquid silk is applied in chaotic movements in different directions. You can use a sponge. After about 20 minutes, the surface is smoothed with a plastic spatula.
• For the surface "under wet silk", after the base layer applied with a Venetian trowel, apply a second one, after 15-20 minutes performing circular movements with a roller in different directions, making the stains different due to the amplitude of application.

• The classical method of application resembles the previous one, however, when applying the second layer with a Venetian trowel, the surface with a slight relief is slightly smoothed.Movements should be long and undulating.
• For the structural drawing, the direction of movement, their pressure, matters: the tool should not stick to the wall.
• Drawing "rain" is applied at an angle: a special trowel is pressed to the surface, then torn off, after which the relief is slightly smoothed.

Textured plaster with a silk effect allows you to make color images that are different from liquid wallpaper: such an application of a pattern resembles a wet painting. This is not a smearing of voids, but the formation of a pattern with a colored paste. If you need to make a monochromatic covering with a pattern, you can initially try to do it in a place that will later be covered by furniture.

The texture of silk plaster depends on the type of application, the density of the composition and additional inclusions, as well as the consistency. In some cases it is relatively smooth, in others it is velvety. The smoothness of the surface is due to the fine fibers. In addition, the composition includes dyes and metallized pigments. The effect of shine is transmitted by the inclusion of micro-particles of mother-of-pearl into the mixture of polymer solution, due to which the coating appears voluminous. This material is made on the basis of knitting acrylic polymers and polyester threads with the addition of quartz chips, which liquid wallpaper does not have. The main constituents are cotton or cellulose fibers. Due to plasticizers, the service life of silk plaster is increased.

The color range of shades of pearlescent silk plaster is varied. In the palette there are many colors, in addition to the basic white, "silver" and standard colors (milky, beige, peach, marble, gray and silver-blue, bleached-pink), it contains many tones that can be used to decorate any interior. The neutral group includes muted gray tones with an admixture of colored pigments. The line of delicate shades includes: mint, nude, olive, caramel, coffee with milk, lilac, turquoise tones. Of the saturated colors, emerald, burgundy, orange and their shades, aqua, terracotta, blue, sand, green, coffee, brick colors attract attention.

This decorative material can be used in many ways. Silk-screen printing is suitable for decorating the surface of walls, ceilings and architectural features of a room. The decoration of the entire wall area is the traditional application of this decoration. The accentuation of a certain section of the wall with such material looks much more interesting. For example, you can combine silk plaster to highlight the area at the head of the bed in the bedroom, pasting the rest of the surfaces with silk-screened wallpaper.

The alignment of the joints can be masked with a molding. The use of silk plaster in the form of a panel looks especially interesting. So the decoration will not hit the pocket and you can use it to create unique paintings by framing them in a baguette or ceiling plinth. If finances allow, you can arrange an accent with a transition to the ceiling. This will bring novelty to the interior and allow you to accentuate the desired functional area.

The use of such a finish in the kitchen is undesirable. But in the living room, hallway, such wall decor will look advantageous. It is far from understanding the classics, therefore it will be a highlight of the interior.

The application of the material is impossible without preliminary preparation of the walls. To make the coating look beautiful and presentable, it is worth taking note of a few tricks of experienced craftsmen. The cladding process includes leveling the base, priming the surface and applying the compound.

• If the base was previously covered with whitewash with a non-uniform structure and grains of sand, sand them: they can cause a poor-quality coating.
• If there are greasy stains, old paint or whitewash, remove them completely, then walk over the surface with a damp cloth to remove whitewash dust.
• Remove all bumps from the surface, cover pits and cracks so that the plaster layer is even.
• Allow the dust to settle for a while before applying the primer, then wipe the floor.

• Prepare a building roller and a flat brush to speed up the processing of the substrate.
• Use a deep penetration primer in your work, taking into account the type of base (for concrete, wood, drywall), these preparations are different for each surface.
• Take a composition with a penetrating power of up to 1 cm, it will strengthen the walls and even out their structure.
• Buy a composition with quartz chips: it will create a rough crystal lattice on the surface, due to which the decorative plaster will last longer.
• Treat the surface two times at intervals necessary to dry each layer.
• Buy a white primer, it is relevant not only for dark surfaces: due to the white shade of the primer, the color distortion of wet silk applied to the base is excluded.

• Please note: this material is not applied in one layer, like liquid wallpaper. You can't get a silky surface like that.
• The thickness of the first layer should not exceed 2 mm.
• Apply the mass in small portions, but optimally quickly, leveling the thickness of the areas among themselves.
• Strokes can be done in different directions: this will give the finishing individuality (this is how they create prints in the form of curls and leaves, as well as a radial pattern).

• To give the texture of wet silk, it is worth applying the first layer of the composition with a maximum thickness of 1 mm.
• When finishing the surface with a second layer, you can use special textured rollers: they will help to give the seamless cladding any pattern and texture (up to imitation of textile folds) that will play in the sun.
• If you need to make a contrasting pattern on the finished canvas after drying, you should purchase a special roller with a pattern and, having dipped it into the material of the desired color, roll it over the surface in the direction from top to bottom.

The composition is sold in the form of a ready-made mass and a mixture for dilution. The first variety does not need to be adjusted apart from the case if it is necessary to add mother-of-pearl or pigment to the composition. The second category involves diluting it with water at room temperature in the proportions indicated on the package. An important nuance in the process of finishing work is the fact that in the case of an independent change in the color of the mixture, it is necessary to knead all the material at once. Otherwise, the finish may look like patches that differ in the intensity of the shade.

Decorative silk plaster has a lot of positive reviews on the net. Those who used it to decorate the interior of their home, note: wet silk is a beautiful and unusual way to decorate the walls of different rooms. At the same time, such a decor of surfaces looks very stylish, emphasizing the well-being of the owners and their delicate taste. Reviews of silk plaster are mostly enthusiastic: the coating looks luxurious, beautiful, like in the paintings. The only drawback, according to consumers, is the need to find a good master who will perform the cladding flawlessly, since the finish is difficult to apply.

To understand the difference between wet silk and ordinary plaster and liquid wallpaper and to appreciate its significance for interior design, it is worth referring to the examples of the photo gallery. If desired, such plaster can be used to decorate the interior in a classic, modern, ethnic style.

• An example of using art painting on silk plaster on a wall ledge.
• Accentuating a niche with a picture looks beautiful and unusual.
• Reception of a visual increase in the space of the guest area by means of a monochromatic coating with the effect of "wet silk".
• The design of the ledge using the Venetian plaster method conveys a special coating effect.

• An example of the design of the wall of the guest space of the living room with the effect of an aged surface and a central image.
• Accentuating the sleeping area fills the space with a special atmosphere that promotes relaxation.
• An example of combining the finishing of two textures: silk plaster goes well with decorative brick tiles.
• The semi-antique surface with cracks and a silky sheen looks unusual.

• An example of making a picture using auxiliary tools and paint of several colors makes it possible to understand the difference between the patterns of liquid wallpaper.
• The use of smooth technique allows you to create a textile effect on the walls, which visually makes the living room space cozier.
• An original technique for decorating the surface with a silk pattern. Due to the pearlescent sheen, the pattern appears voluminous.
• Applying a volumetric pattern over a silk surface looks unusual.

For how silk plaster looks in interior design, see the next video.