Fine finishes, explained

Venetian plaster is lime and marble dust, built up in paper-thin coats and burnished with the trowel, then optionally waxed for luster. It suits feature walls, ceilings and fireplaces, not countertops, floors or tubs.

Limewash is brushed onto dampened masonry, brick or lime plaster in three or more cross-hatched coats. It breathes, so it should never be sealed, and it needs protection from sun, wind and temperatures under 40°F for 7 days.

For wood, nitrocellulose lacquer dries fast and glossy but yellows and turns brittle. Pre-catalyzed lacquer resists better, and conversion varnish offers the highest performance for kitchens and baths.