SGRAFFITO

Sgraffito is plaster etching. While still damp, pigmented or plain lime plaster is painted with a layer of lime putty in a contrasting colour which can then be scratched off to reveal a dramatic design. Popular in renaissance Florence on external walls, it is hard wearing and textured. Ideal in drier climates, it is also used by pargetters in Suffolk and in semi-covered outdoor spaces anywhere. Sgraffito combines well with stucco.