I have a 1931 home that suffered a fire and extensive smoke damage, so I must redo it all.

The artist/painter who did the walls for me 17 years ago recently wrote me:

"I'd like to do the entire interior walls and ceilings in Venetian Plaster. It's a gorgeous look, and can be done in any colors. The effects can be subtle, or even look like marble. Venetian plaster is actually made with marble dust, so when it's troweled on the layers are ultra thin, and slightly translucent. When built up, they can create a marbleized look. The final step is to burnish it. The surface becomes like a mirror depending on how much the burnisher wants. Really beautiful, and classy."

Even though some of the walls will be restored to their original lathe and plaster, I'm wondering if the Venetian Plaster effect he describes above wouldn't be sort of Mediterranean 1990s. I'm not sure I want a marbleized look, let alone something shiny or translucent.

I would love to do a dramatic wall color, like a dark gray, except two of my rooms are huge, with vast natural wood ceilings, and dark gray wouldn't work in such an atmosphere. I think I have to keep it lighter with more contrast.

If I could decorate a room right now, I'd go for something bold and dramatic, like gray walls with orange geometrically patterned wingback chairs and rustic wood mixed with silver, metal and white accents. Average homes with normal size rooms actually offer a decorator more flexibility than my home, which has rotunda-like ceilings, turrets, etc.

Please advise, what do you think of Venetian plaster? And also, any bold wall color suggestions for large rooms with natural wood ceilings?