The polished plaster experts delivering stunning finishes from Cape Reinga to Bluff

Striking the perfect balance between refined elegance and grounded earthiness, polished plaster has maintained its position as a popular interior finish for centuries. And, whether it appeals to some innate human desire to be connected to the earth, or simply scratches an aesthetic itch, the reign of polished plaster shows no signs of stopping.

Local polished plaster experts, Ambitec, have been servicing the New Zealand market for the last 20 years. Wendy Nannestad, Ambitec Director, says they have recently expanded their team of certified artisan applicators to include two South Island based installers. Previously, Ambitec had to send a team from Auckland across the Cook Strait — but now, with Dowd Concrete and Plaster in Queenstown, and Claddagh Plastering in Christchurch, Ambitec is able to offer their South Island clients greater choice, flexibility, and affordability.

“Both companies are very experienced with polished plaster and high-end projects,” Nannestad says. “They’re able to provide a premium local Ambitec service and work directly with the clients, from quoting to site visits and installation. There's now more opportunity for customers down in the South Island to use Ambitec finishes, which is great.”

Ambitec’s curated range of plaster systems — Suave, Tierrafino, and Bone China — cover all the bases, from soft textured minimalist finishes to more rustic applications. “Suave has a contemporary minimalist look, and can be tinted from whites and brights to darker colours. It comes in three different texture levels — low, medium, high — and three polish levels — matte, satin, and gloss,” Nannestad explains.

“Tierrafino has more of a traditional look, as it’s mixed with clay, so it has a fine aggregate running through it. It can be applied with different levels of texture and polish, like Suave, but the colours are more neutral and earthy.”

Bone China, Ambitec’s third offering, is a decorative finish for more delicate applications. “It’s got fine crazing in it, so it almost looks like porcelain.”

The plaster is applied in layers by hand, creating texture with each sweep of the trowel. “If it's a high texture finish, the installer will add more irregularities in the surface; if it's low texture, they add a few irregularities, and then when it's almost dry they float the plaster, which flattens it off. After that, it is honed to the desired level,” Nannestad says.

“Most of our finishes are applied with a medium texture, but we will always create a master sample first to ensure that the texture level is exactly as per client expectation.”

Ambitec tints each batch of plaster in-house, and can create custom colour matches to other paints or finishes in a designer’s material palette. Textural elements, such as sand, mica, and straw can also be added to create a unique finish.

Nannestad says she always encourages clients to visit the Ambitec showroom to view, and discuss the range of finishes they have available. With a number of stores in Auckland featuring Ambitec polished plaster on their showroom walls, she will often suggest a trip across town to give clients an opportunity to see how the plaster looks at scale.

“One of the most important things you need to consider when specifying polished plaster is lighting, as lighting is crucial to highlight the texture. One way to achieve that is through down lighting, LED, or spotlighting. And then, of course, you've got your ultimate — natural light. Ideally, you want the light to wash down the wall, highlighting the textures at various times of the day.

“If lighting is an issue, and can’t be relied upon, we will suggest opting for a two-tone plaster where a full shade and a half shade are combined to create a beautiful, soft, cloudy look. This means you’ll be able to see that there is something unique and special on your wall, regardless of light.”

Learn more about Ambitec and explore their recent projects.