Spec It Like It’s Smooth: A Guide to Seamless Wall, Floor & Ceiling Finishes
Wall, Floor & Ceiling Finishes
Seamless Surface Finishes for Interiors
Seamless surface finishes bring elegance and unity to interior spaces by creating smooth, uninterrupted surfaces. These finishes let light, texture, and shapes flow naturally without breaks.
At MBBM Studio Architects, we use materials like micro-cement, polished plaster, and custom resin to create interiors that feel subtle and rich. Walls, floors, and ceilings become continuous surfaces that tell timeless, modern stories.
Seamless finishes remove visual breaks, giving spaces a sculpted look that improves both style and function. Whether for homes or offices, these finishes enhance spaces with lasting beauty and strengthen your unique design vision.
Introduction
Seamless finishes aren’t just a design flex—they’re a strategic tool in retrofit, restoration, and contemporary architecture. But when clients say “we want that smooth concrete look,” they might mean Venetian plaster, microcement, KOURASANIT, or even polished concrete. Each system carries its own technical baggage, aesthetic language, and substrate demands.
At MBBM Studio Architects, we’ve specified and overseen the application of all four systems across retrofit, residential, and commercial projects. This guide compares their performance across walls, floors, ceilings, and even wet zones like bathrooms and swimming pools—helping architects, clients, and contractors choose the right material for the right surface.
Venetian Plaster: The TRADITIONAL Classic
Best for: Decorative walls, heritage interiors, boutique ceilings
Composition: Lime-based plaster with marble dust
Finish: Polished, high-gloss, layered depth
Breathability: Excellent—vapour permeable, ideal for lime substrates
Limitations: Not suitable for floors or wet zones without specialist sealing
Maintenance: Requires skilled application and occasional waxing
Architect’s Insight: Venetian plaster is about craftsmanship and storytelling. It’s not a performance finish—it’s a visual experience. Ideal for conservation areas and interiors that demand elegance over durability.
Microcement: The Performance Overlay
Best for: Floors, wet rooms, furniture, commercial interiors, swimming pools
Composition: Polymer-modified cement with fine aggregates and resins
Finish: Seamless, matte to satin, highly customizable
Durability: High—abrasion and impact resistant, waterproof when sealed
Substrate Compatibility: Bonds to tiles, screeds, plasterboard—ideal for overlays
Wet Zone Suitability: Excellent for bathrooms, showers, and pools with proper system detailing
Maintenance: Easy to clean, sealed surface
Bonus Insight: Microcement isn’t just for floors and wet rooms—it’s increasingly used in swimming pools. With the right system (primers, mesh, sealers), it offers waterproofing, slip resistance, and seamless aesthetics that rival traditional masonry pools.
Architect’s Insight: Microcement is the workhorse of modern seamless finishes. It’s versatile, resilient, and retrofit-friendly—especially where build-up must be minimal and visual continuity is key.
KOURASANIT : The Mineral Purist
Best for: Natural interiors, conservation projects, breathable walls and floors, wet rooms, pool surrounds
Composition: Hydraulic lime, pozzolanic binders, mineral pigments
Finish: Earthy, matte, mineral-rich textures
Breathability: High—supports vapour exchange, ideal for lime-based substrates
Durability: Moderate—sensitive to abrasion, best for low-traffic zones
Wet Zone Suitability: Suitable for wet rooms and pool surrounds with correct detailing
Environmental Profile: Low-VOC, sustainable sourcing
Architect’s Insight: KOURASANIT is where sustainability meets tradition. It’s ideal for projects that demand authenticity, breathability, and planning compliance—especially in heritage overlays or biophilic design schemes.
Polished Concrete: The Structural Statement
Best for: New builds, commercial floors, industrial interiors
Composition: Full-depth concrete slab, ground and polished to expose aggregate
Finish: High-gloss or matte, natural stone-like variation
Durability: Extremely high—ideal for heavy traffic and industrial use
Substrate Requirements: Requires structural slab, curing, grinding, and polishing
Retrofit Suitability: Poor—due to thickness, weight, and installation time
Wet Zone Suitability: Viable in new builds with proper detailing, but rarely used in pools
Architect’s Insight: Polished concrete is a structural finish, not a coating. It’s impressive, but rarely viable in retrofit unless the slab already exists and is in good condition. Best reserved for new-build commercial spaces or industrial conversions.
Conclusion
Specifying seamless finishes isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about aligning material performance with architectural context.
Venetian Plaster brings elegance and heritage value to decorative surfaces.
Microcement delivers modern resilience across floors, wet zones, and even swimming pools.
KOURASANIT offers breathable, mineral-rich finishes for conservation and natural design.
Polished Concrete makes a bold structural statement—but only when the slab and site conditions allow.
At MBBM Studio Architects, we’ve specified and overseen the application of all four systems across retrofit, residential, and commercial projects. From heritage interiors requiring breathable lime-based coatings to high-performance overlays in wet zones and pool surrounds, our detailing is grounded in site realities—not product brochures. We tailor every specification to performance, longevity, and planning compliance, ensuring that finishes not only look right but work right.
Materials We Trust
At MBBM Studio Architects, we don’t just specify finishes—we interrogate them. Every material we recommend has been tested against real-world constraints: retrofit complexity, substrate compatibility, planning sensitivities, and long-term performance. Below are four finish systems we trust and have specified across residential, commercial, and legacy projects.
Venetian Plaster
You may find traditional lime-based finishes like Marmorino, Travertino, and Intonachino at Stucco Italiano. Their range is ideal for heritage interiors and decorative wall treatments that require breathability and elegance.
Microcement
For seamless overlays that perform in wet rooms, floors, and even swimming pools, you may find what you’re looking for at CEMHER. Their systems offer excellent adhesion, abrasion resistance, and waterproofing when correctly detailed.
KOURASANIT
If you're exploring breathable, mineral-rich coatings for conservation projects or natural interiors, you may find inspiration at KOURASANIT. Their polished mortars are rooted in ancient techniques and tailored for modern architectural applications.
Polished Concrete
You may find polished concrete solutions—ranging from exposed aggregate slabs to microcement hybrids—at London Polished Concrete. Their portfolio includes commercial installations and bespoke residential finishes, ideal for new-build environments
