Wallcoverings & Finishes Naperville, IL
Faux and specialty wall finishes in Naperville
Venetian plaster, limewash and metallic or glazed finishes applied by hand, sampled on a board first so you know exactly how the wall will move in the light.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Venetian plaster and limewash
- Sample boards before any wall
Quick answer
Specialty finishes in Naperville are for rooms where flat paint feels too plain: polished Venetian plaster in a dining room or powder room, limewash for a soft, cloudy wall, or a metallic or glaze finish on a feature wall. Each is troweled or brushed by hand over a prepared base, and every one starts with a sample board you approve. Call to talk through the room.
What the job involves
Finishes that change how a wall catches light
Paint gives a wall a color. A specialty finish gives it depth: the burnished movement of polished plaster, the soft, chalky variation of limewash, the shift of a metallic glaze as you walk past. They are applied in thin layers by hand, so no two walls are identical, which is the point.
We make a sample board in your chosen color and technique, adjust it until it is right, then prep the wall to the smoothness that finish needs. Venetian plaster in particular shows every flaw in the wall beneath it.
Updated September 2026
Types of work on this page
The 3 versions of this job we get asked for
Venetian plaster
True Venetian plaster is a lime-based material troweled on in several very thin coats and then burnished with the trowel until it takes on a stone-like sheen. It suits dining rooms, powder rooms, entries and fireplace walls, where the movement in the finish catches evening light. The wall must be skimmed dead flat first and primed with a tinted base. Acrylic Venetian products are an option where durability or cost matters more; we will show you both on sample boards. A wax topcoat adds water resistance and depth.
Limewash walls
Limewash is a mineral paint that dries to a soft, mottled, slightly chalky finish with visible brush movement. It is applied in two or three coats with a large brush in crossing strokes, and it looks different wet than dry, which is why the sample board matters. Interior limewash works best on a mineral primer over drywall or on plaster. It is breathable, low odor and ages gracefully, though it is not as scrubbable as paint, so it suits bedrooms, living rooms and feature walls rather than mudrooms.
Metallic and glaze finishes
Metallic paints and tinted glazes add a subtle shimmer or an aged depth to a feature wall, a ceiling tray, built-ins or a powder room. A glaze is applied over a base coat and worked with a rag, brush or sponge to leave a soft variation; metallics are layered in crossing strokes so they catch light evenly. These finishes are unforgiving of patchy prep, so the base coat is sprayed or rolled perfectly even first. A clear protective coat is added in areas that will be touched.
Choosing between the options
Venetian plaster, limewash or a glaze
Three routes to a textured, luminous wall. The difference is in the material and how hard-wearing it needs to be.
| Finish | Look | Durability | Best rooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venetian plaster | Polished stone-like depth | High with wax topcoat | Dining, powder rooms, entries |
| Limewash | Soft, mottled, matte | Moderate | Living rooms, bedrooms, feature walls |
| Metallic or glaze | Shimmer or aged depth | Moderate to high with clear coat | Feature walls, ceilings, built-ins |
What moves the price
What decides the cost of this job
Pricing comes from a walkthrough of the actual surfaces.
- Finish type. Polished Venetian plaster takes the most coats and hand time.
- Wall prep. Textured drywall needs skimming before plaster finishes.
- Area and height. A single feature wall versus a full room or stairwell.
- Sample rounds. Custom colors may need more than one sample board.
- Material choice. Lime-based plaster versus acrylic versions.
- Protective topcoat. Wax or clear coat where the wall will be touched.
Local conditions
Faux & Specialty Finishes around Naperville
Older lime and gypsum plaster walls take Venetian plaster and limewash beautifully once cracks are repaired, since those finishes are close cousins of what is already there. Across the 1980s and 1990s drywall houses that make up most of Naperville, the wall usually needs a skim coat to lose its light orange-peel texture before a burnished plaster will look right, so we build that step into the estimate from the start.
Step by step
How the job runs from the first call to the last coat
Talk through the room
Light, use and the look you want.
Sample boards
Your color in the chosen technique, adjusted until approved.
Prep
Repairs, skim coat where needed, sanded smooth.
Base coat
Tinted primer or base matched to the finish.
Finish layers
Troweled, brushed or ragged by hand in thin coats.
Burnish or seal
Polished, waxed or clear-coated where the finish calls for it.
Walk the wall
Checked in the room's own light with you.
Timeline
Timeline for a specialty finish
Prep takes a day, plus drying time for any skim coat. Each finish layer needs its own cure, so a Venetian plaster room runs three to five days, a limewashed room two to three, and a single feature wall one to two.
Want a real date for faux & specialty finishes?
Call (630) 389-8505 any hour. Tell us the rooms or the elevation and we will book the walkthrough.
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FAQ
Questions about faux & specialty finishes in Naperville
It is a real plaster material, troweled and burnished, with physical depth. Painted faux finishes imitate it with glaze and are thinner.
Yes, over a mineral primer that gives it something to bite into. It looks its best on plaster or a skimmed surface.
Venetian plaster with a wax topcoat is quite durable. Limewash is softer and better for rooms without heavy contact.
Very close, but hand-applied finishes vary slightly by nature. The sample shows the range you should expect.
Yes. Tray ceilings and domes are good places for metallic or glaze finishes.
A feature wall is one to two days; a full room of Venetian plaster can take three to five including prep and cure between coats.
Book faux & specialty finishes in Naperville
One number, both offices, answered around the clock. The estimate is a walkthrough, not a guess.
Call (630) 389-8505Calls answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.