What are the walls made of? Plaster or drywall? Is plaster falling off, or are drywall seams popping? Why do you say they are not in good shape?

Venetian plaster is very pretty. Is he going to faux finish the walls with paint to look like Venetian Plaster, or is he proposing to use Venetian Plaster? I have never heard it called Venetian Plaster Paint before. Venetian Plaster is thick, so it can be used to cover up some wall problems.
Renee

Hi Renee,

Thanks for responding. I just looked at what he is going to be using and it's called "Le Belle Mura", which is Venetian Plaster. Yes it looks pretty but I'm wondering are we going to have a hard time cleaning the walls since our house can get a bit dusty at times (it's a 1928 bungalow).

It could be a good solution for less than perfect walls, but IMO it wouldn't fit a 1928 bungalow (but if you're not trying to do an historic renovation, that wouldn't be an issue). If you go this route, make sure that you really love the look and the color, because it could be very difficult or impossible to change later.

I suspect that your contractor suggested this because it'd be faster, cheaper, and require less skill than restoring the walls, rather than for aesthetic reasons. (This is the same reasoning behind popcorn ceilings.) You might want to ask your contractor what it would take to fix the walls instead -- most walls can be repaired. If they can't be repaired, they could be replaced. The cost may not be prohibitive, since a bathroom is a relatively small space.

Venetian Plaster is not difficult to clean, and since the color is in the plaster, washing does not affect it.

I also recommend asking him how much it would cost to just repair the plaster, and why he thinks Venetian Plaster would be a better choice.

I don't think there are any problems painting over Venetian Plaster if you grow tired of the color as long as the contractor does not finish it with wax or polyurethane.

Renee

My guess is he is trying to go for the "wow" effect...he's a friend of a friend. I'm not sure if this is the best route to go. Here are a couple of pics: