Poe

Poe is a colour in Portola Paints' Roman Clay range, described by Portola as a "deep plum". It was originally named Black Magic and takes its name from Edgar Allan Poe.

Roman Clay is Portola's clay-based plaster finish: smooth to the touch, with a mottled, marble-like movement.

Left unsanded, Roman Clay has an ultra-low sheen, so Poe absorbs light and reads velvety and deep. Portola notes its optional Topcoat adds a subtle sheen and darkens colours by 10 to 20 percent.

Portola publishes no LRV. A plum this dark will shift toward aubergine at night, so sample it on site.

In the John Ruggiero Studio entry on this page, photographed by Gieves Anderson, Poe covers the walls and ceiling of an entry hall, with a plum velvet bench, a black lacquered door, a crystal ceiling light and a large woven textile artwork.

Matching the velvet to the plaster makes the small space feel rich and deliberate. Portola recommends Roman Clay for smooth interior walls only, not wet rooms or exteriors.

Portola applies Roman Clay in thin, overlapping coats with a putty knife or trowel. The final coat shows the most movement.

On this site, compare Poe with Farrow & Ball Brinjal and Sherwin-Williams Socialite for painted plums, and with Portola's Pixie lime wash, also photographed for John Ruggiero Studio by Gieves Anderson.