Tadelakt in the Bathroom: A Waterproof Finish for Your Bathroom Renovations in 2025

Tadelakt is redefining luxury bathroom design in Toronto in 2025, and our recent project at Charles Residences in Yorkville Village is a perfect example of its timeless elegance. This refined bathroom transformation features hand-applied Tadelakt plaster on the walls, ceiling, and custom niches—bringing soft texture, organic depth, and a seamless finish to one of Toronto’s most sophisticated homes.

Finished in a warm, custom-tinted neutral white, this Tadelakt bathroom evokes a serene, spa-like atmosphere while showcasing the craftsmanship and artistry behind this ancient Moroccan technique.

Tadelakt Walls: This bathroom features a custom Tadelakt finish in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, chosen for its soft warmth and timeless neutrality. Tadelakt, a traditional Moroccan lime plaster, is ideal for wet areas thanks to its natural waterproof qualities. When paired with the gentle glow of White Dove, the result is a soothing and organic space that feels effortlessly luxurious. The subtle variations in texture and light reflection make this handcrafted wall finish a standout feature—both beautiful and practical for spa-like bathrooms.

The luxury bathroom has evolved. In 2025, the trend is moving away from cold, tiled spaces and towards a more organic, sculptural, and seamless aesthetic. This shift is perfectly embodied by two of the most popular high-end finishes: Tadelakt and microcement. While both Tadelakt and microcement can create a beautiful, modern look, they are fundamentally different. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand which is best for your home.

The Look: Organic vs. Industrial

Tadelakt: Originating in Morocco, Tadelakt is an ancient lime-based plaster known for its soft, velvety, and undulating appearance. When hand-polished with olive soap, it develops a beautiful, subtle sheen and a natural patina over time. It’s the ideal choice for creating a spa-like, tranquil sanctuary with a handcrafted feel. Its inherent movement and gentle imperfections are its greatest assets. See how a Crumbling 18th-Century Home in Morocco Went from Shambles to Chic in this architectural digest article on how the walls are coated with a polished plaster or our beloved tadelakt.

Microcement: Microcement is a modern, cement-based coating with added polymers. It delivers a sleek, uniform, and slightly industrial look. While it can be tinted in a wide range of colours and finished with a satin or matte sealant, its texture is generally harder and more uniform than Tadelakt. It’s the perfect choice for a clean, contemporary bathroom with a minimalist edge.

Suitability for Wet Areas: A Deeper Dive

Both Tadelakt and microcement are excellent choices for wet areas like bathrooms, but they function differently.

Tadelakt: Tadelakt is naturally water-resistant due to its composition and the burnishing process with olive soap. It is a breathable, lime-based material that regulates moisture, making it naturally mold-resistant. It’s a fantastic choice for showers, walls, and ceilings.

Microcement: Microcement is made waterproof through the application of a high-performance sealer. This gives it a sealed, protective layer that is incredibly durable and resistant to water penetration. It’s often favored for its robustness in high-traffic areas, including shower floors, where its strength is a significant advantage

Tadelakt isn’t just a wall finish—it’s a sculptural, high-performance surface that is naturally water-resistant, mold-resistant, and 100% grout-free. Perfect for luxury bathrooms, ensuites, and powder rooms, Tadelakt creates a soft, velvety aesthetic that feels both contemporary and timeless.

To learn more about how we use Tadelakt and see additional projects, visit our Tadelakt Plaster page

Designers love to use this peaceful decor trend — It transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary according to Livingetc.

For this Yorkville Tadelakt bathroom renovation, the client wanted a timeless look that married the elegance of old-world craftsmanship with the clean lines of modern design. We hand-applied Tadelakt across:

• Bathroom walls
• Mirror surround and vanity backsplash

The result is a visually cohesive space that glows with soft light and refined texture—offering the perfect balance between functionality and luxury.

Tadelakt works beautifully in a wide range of bathroom applications:

Seamless, sculptural, and waterproof—Tadelakt is perfect for walk-in showers and wet rooms. It resists moisture and eliminates the hygiene concerns of grout.

Tadelakt brings movement and depth to flat surfaces, transforming plain drywall into a feature. Integrated niches, shelves, and architectural details look like they were carved from stone.

Applied behind or around vanities, Tadelakt elevates even the smallest detail into a work of art—perfect for powder rooms and luxury ensuites.

Most often overlooked, the bathroom ceiling becomes part of the immersive spa-like experience when finished in Tadelakt.

The Charles Residences bathroom features a custom-tinted Tadelakt in an earthy, soft white that complements the bathroom’s tile and shower accents. The hand-burnished surfacewith olive oil soap captures and reflects natural light, adding dimension without visual clutter.

Every curve and corner was treated as a design moment, emphasizing the flow and continuity that only a seamless material like Tadelakt can offer.

Tadelakt is not just for residential homes—its durability, hygiene, and visual sophistication make it an excellent choice for high-end commercial spaces like spas, wellness centres, restaurants, and boutique hotels.

In an era where design must balance function and sustainability, Tadelakt offers a breathable, VOC-free, and mold-resistant solution with true visual impact.

Limewash: While limewash paint offers a beautiful, chalky, and matte finish with subtle movement, it is not suitable for wet areas like showers or splash zones. Limewash is highly absorbent, and while it’s naturally mold-resistant and can handle humidity, direct and prolonged contact with water will stain and damage it. It is best used on bathroom walls and ceilings that are outside of a shower or bath surround, often paired with a waterproofing sealant.

Venetian Plaster: Like Tadelakt, Venetian plaster is a lime-based plaster with a long history. It can be made waterproof with the right sealers. However, its aesthetic often mimics polished marble and can have a more glossy, polished finish than the soft, matte look of Tadelakt. While a great option for bathroom walls if sealed for waterproofing, Tadelakt is often the more traditional and popular choice for creating that seamless, sculptural shower environment.