Feature wall of bare plaster- sealant?

[MasterPlonkey]

I really want to keep a feature wall in the pink bare plaster that we’ve just had done, and not paint over it. It’s so pretty and I really love the texture of it. Plaster coloured paint wouldn’t be the same. Can anyone recommend a transparent and ideally non-shiny sealant to treat the plaster for this purpose?

Sorry, no advice, but I agree bare plaster looks absolutely gorgeous. A friend of mine left her plaster unpainted throughout her house, and it looked wonderful.

Bumping hopefully- anyone else doing this?

Regalia did your friend's place smell like wet plaster? I love the look so much but the smell is bad if it gets damp. I wonder if she sealed her walls in the end?

My friend has a huge wall in bare plaster. It’s not sealed. He doesn’t have kids though, so marking is less of a concern.

Have a look at Bauwerk Limewash paint, it gives you the plaster finish look but in loads of different colours, I'm using it in my kitchen. I love the plaster look but the finish is no good if you have kids or pets.

I have kids and pets.. thanks for the tips I will look into that.

Masquerade by Little Greene. The intelligent emulsion is wipeable and looks fantastic, like plaster. I do think you should use actual paint!

Any protection will add a certain amount of shine . You can use a transparent acrylic emulsion ( somewhat like a clear acrylic varnish) but it does add a slight shine. Talk to a professional paint supplier. Another solution is to use a wax or oil finish. They will however slightly yellow the plaster . A third option would be a chalk paint or lime wash, which are virtually the same thing depending on ingredients. They can be tinted to whatever color you want including basic white. They will leave a dry powdery mat finish. In southern France they are traditionally waxed to add protection. However do know that once they have been oiled or waxed you cannot paint over them with an acrylic paint.

Thank you Whataretalkingabout thats helpful. I’m worried that in trying to keep the plaster, I’m looking for something that works better in theory than in real life spaces. Ideally I wouldn’t restrict the look to just one feature wall but would love to leave it all unpainted as bare plaster. So maybe (weirdly) it sounds like the most plaster like finish i will get is actually to add on a paint? If I can’t seal plaster without adding a lot of shine or darkening or yellowing the plaster colour..?

JollyMollyPolly do you still get the variability of colour or depth of colour that you see in plaster, in a lime wash/chalk paint? an (given this would be near a steamy bathroom or kitchen) does that finish add much protection.

I’m definitely worried about the damp plaster smell and the kids and pets wall marking potential.

marshmallowfinder I’ll have a look at the Little greene colour, thanks. I’m hoping for the warm tones of plaster to be in there. It’s going to be in either east or north facing so not going to have much warm daylight on, if that makes sense.

OP, if you really like the plain unfinished plaster you could just live with it and touch it up now and then if it gets damaged. Plaster dries completely and will not remain damp so it will lose that damp smell very quickly. The main problem with leaving it unfinished is it won't be as hard nor as resistant to scratches or dents as it would be with a finish. Also it will absorb grease stains. Visit a professional paint supply store. They will give you the most accurate answer and will help you find the best solution.

I’m looking into varnishes over a plaster finish and not all of them are shiny- I wonder if that’s the way forward. More research needed.

Hi OP, could you not just give it a couple of coats of knocked down PVA? If that then looks too shiny you could use a water based satin varnish over the top?