01 / Quiet depth
Meteore 10 Intonaco
Light traces the hand-worked relief. Begin with the application, then find the colour that belongs in your room.
Explore the material ↗ISF Academy · Level 3
Metallic & industrial walls for real projects.
Level 2 gave you discipline on fabric-inspired walls – calm silk and suede readings on light-critical elevations. Level 3 moves that discipline into metallic and industrial surfaces – Klondike Classics & Lights, Meteore 8 Lamé, Valmetal and the Klondike Ferro / Corten families.
Over three days you’ll work large elevations under grazing light, control sheen, patina and direction, and understand where these systems sit as architecture – including how selected finishes interface with Waterproof Artistic Walls bodies for wet zones.
3-day studio
Metallic & industrial finishes
Framework & waterproof interface
Bay 1 · Textured metallic
Klondike Classic – textured metallic walls with depth.
Klondike Classic is the textured metallic body that many designers recognise from Valpaint. In Level 3 we treat it as a calm, architectural language rather than a loud feature effect.
- Build regulating bases and understand when Classic should lead a wall vs support a scheme.
- Control trowel pressure and direction so the metallic texture reads coherent on full-height elevations.
- Manage transitions into corners, soffits and returns without visible joins in the metallic field.
- Place Classic correctly alongside stone, concrete and fabric walls inside the Framework.
Italian Surface Finishes in UK
Klondike — textured metallic
In the UK we usually place Klondike Classic in lobbies, stair cores and feature walls that need depth and metal without becoming busy or “special effect”.
Bay 2 · Brushed metal
Klondike Light – brushed metallic fields under grazing light.
Klondike Light is the refined brushed-metal finish in the family. It’s closer to brushed aluminium or steel than textured plaster, and shows every decision you make with the trowel.
- Run Light over appropriate bases and compare it to Classic in the same tone under raking light.
- Keep strokes long and consistent so the wall reads as one brushed metal field, not broken bands.
- Work around openings and corners so the grain stays continuous and believable.
- Place Klondike Light carefully in corridors, lift lobbies and suites where light is unforgiving.
Italian Surface Finishes in UK
Klondike Light — brushed metal
In the UK we treat Klondike Light as a controlled brushed metal plane – often on one or two key elevations in a space rather than on every wall.
Bay 3 · Weathered steel
Klondike Corten – weathered steel plates on standard walls.
Klondike Corten delivers weathered steel readings on interior walls. The goal is believable Corten plate, not random splashes of rust.
- Build plates with believable proportions and joints, not just random verticals and horizontals.
- Control drips, runs and oxidation so they feel like weathering, not accidents.
- Balance colour and depth so the Corten holds up under close inspection and wide shots.
- Discuss where Corten belongs in the Framework – feature walls, stair cores, spa reception and retail.
Italian Surface Finishes in UK
Klondike Corten — weathered steel
In the UK we normally treat Corten as a single industrial gesture in a space – one wall or core – supported by quieter concrete, stone or fabric finishes.
Bay 4 · Oxidised iron
Klondike Ferro – oxidised iron plates with controlled patina.
Klondike Ferro reads as oxidised iron rather than Corten steel. It carries a different energy and demands tight control of oxidation depth and direction.
- Build plates and patina in a way that feels like iron, not generic rust.
- Use vertical and diagonal flows to suggest weight and weathering without losing control.
- Balance Ferro with concrete, timber and hard finishes in stair cores and industrial-leaning interiors.
- Discuss where Ferro makes more sense than Corten or standard metallic systems.
Italian Surface Finishes in UK
Klondike Ferro — oxidised iron
Ferro tends to appear in industrial-leaning stair cores, bars and gallery spaces where a more iron-like reading is needed rather than Corten plate.
Bay 5 · Mineral + lamé
Meteore 8 Lamé – mineral body with lamé veil.
Meteore 8 Lamé combines a mineral relief body with a lamé metallic veil. It sits between stone and metallic, and is easy to over-decorate if you are not disciplined.
- Construct the mineral body, tuning relief so lamé has something to read but doesn’t become noisy.
- Apply lamé in layers to control intensity and direction of reflection.
- Test under different lighting conditions to see when “enough” lamé has been reached.
- Decide when Meteore 8 belongs in a scheme versus classic metallics or pure concrete bodies.
Italian Surface Finishes in UK
Meteore 8 — lamé mineral
In the UK, Meteore 8 Lamé often appears in lobbies, corridors and hospitality backdrops, where designers want a metallic reading that still feels grounded and mineral.
Bay 6 · Flat metallic
Valmetal – flat metallic language for walls & joinery.
Valmetal provides a flat metallic reading that can unify walls, joinery and small details into one metallic language. It’s less about texture and more about sheen, tone and composition.
- Work Valmetal on boards and selected wall areas to understand coverage, light and colour scaling.
- Test it next to Klondike and Meteore 8 Lamé to decide which surfaces should carry which system.
- Discuss where Valmetal belongs – joinery, niches, panels, details – versus field walls.
- Log mixes and application notes so Valmetal can be repeated faithfully on future projects.
Italian Surface Finishes in UK
Valmetal — flat metallic
Valmetal often appears on joinery, panels and details that tie into larger metallic bodies – a way to extend metal language through a space without overloading every wall.
