Creating a healthy, naturally beautiful and harmonious home has finally become more accessible for Australians in recent years. The most promising and affordable natural building system that I have investigated and used is Hempcrete, which has been used more widely overseas. It provides a wonderful platform to create a healthy, sustainable and natural home to …
Our latest addition to creating a healthier bedroom is a fresh, natural earthen feature wall behind the bed. It has a natural, rammed earth textural feel and softness to it that entices you to touch it. At night, the light enhances the play of the wall and it truly is beautiful and uplifting to look …
A Sacred Space Clearing is a powerful and wonderful ritual to begin the new year with. Setting a couple of quiet hours aside over the holiday season to perform this ancient ritual, will allow you to set clear intentions on what you want to clear and bring into your home and life next year. This …
An informed understanding of Astrology can empower us in negotiating the flow of our lives and how to handle important passages and cycles when they occur. The Four Pillars of Destiny is an ancient system of Chinese Solar Astrology, which is based upon the cycle of the Earth around the Sun. It includes the unique …
Over the weekend I heard of the sad news of a Site Manager who committed suicide a week ago. He was close to the same age as my husband, who is also a Site Manager and had young children and a wife. Although I didn’t know him personally, he was considered a happy person with …
One of our conceptual designs for a modern, healthy family house made using a natural ‘hemp-crete’ building methodology, has been included in the Sustainable Living Expo that opened last night at Beaudesert. ‘Home: A look at Sustainable Living,’ is a design and architecture exhibition focused on exploring design solutions that reflect the values of the …
Whilst there are many factors that will affects a home’s energy, the numerology of your house is an interesting aspect to be aware of. When you consider that each number has a specific vibration associate with it you want to ensure you are in harmony with it to have enjoyable experiences whilst living in that …
I was introduced to the Spirale Colour Therapy system earlier on this year at a workshop in Melbourne by its creator Pascale Osanz. It works on a combination of colours, light and energies. It involves a self-selection of 12 coloured bottles which is arranged into a Colour Matrix. This selection process is done without conscious …
It was a pleasure to attend the annual Feng Shui Conference held on the Gold Coast on the 3-4th July by the AFSC (Association of Feng Shui Consultants). It is always good to see a group of likeminded people come together to share knowledge. The experiences discussed were insightful and made me consider the many possibilities …
I recently attended the ‘Natural Materials’ Workshop, run on the Gold Coast by Rockcote and have left with not only a deeper appreciation of the clay and lime materials used in a variety of the renders but the art of the application by the artisan.
The textural beauty of these natural materials is captured in these ancient render systems, which have been used for thousands of years and recently bought back to modern use with by the skill of trained artisans. In Europe and Japan, these decorative finishes have been used for centuries with the skills often being passed down generations and the materials and trade secrets being highly valued. The modern day ‘Artisans’ who are trained to develop the unique characteristics of each material use these materials and transform them into works of art.
There are numerous benefits for using these natural materials over the more common cement and acrylic based ones. Mainly, they are from nature and inherently allow walls to breathe and moisture to move through them as well as repel dust being negatively charged. They avoid harmful and unnecessary chemicals. In the spaces these natural renders are used in provide a more harmonious, healthier and beautiful environment for people to live in. Different application techniques can be used to provide an aesthetic that can range from an earthy, rustic, natural texture to a smooth, lustrous finish and the more polished, plaster finish.
Clay renders are generally easier to apply, breathable, negatively charged (like the ocean), affordable and durable. The range includes a finer Clay Plaster Décor then grade up to medium to course Earthern Renders. These clay renders can be only used internally and suitable for seamless walls, fireplace and feature walls. They are available in a range of colours from natural white to most tinted shades making it a very versatile material.
The Lime renders are extra versatile and durable as well as being moisture resistant and able to be used in wet areas. As well, they are carbon neutral, biodegradable and recyclable making them an excellent selection for any building work. The Venetian Plaster has a luminous shine and can be made to look like polished cement and marble and can be made to be dramatic and very polished. The Marrakesh is like the traditional Tadelakt and Moroccan plaster finishes and provides a smooth, lustrous finish that can achieve flowing, seamless curves. Its surprising elegant and can be used in most applications due to it being water resistant, including shower areas yet is the most expensive finish. The Lime Plaster Basecote is another with a European-inspired, rustic finish and can be finished with the Lime Wash paints to be used in most applications also being lime based.
An interesting combination of mainly clay and lime render combination is the Otsumigaki (‘Otsu’ for short), which is developed from Japanese plasters and offers a smooth, soft subtle lustre and textural patina. It is used only internally as contains only a small amount of lime. The Velvetino is also another Italian inspired render with a strong, velvety finish which can be made to look like stone and produce a lightly polished, natural look.
Having previously used the Clay Plaster Décor with hemp at home during renovations as well as in a new Administration building in a new school opened this year it has been an easy, affordable and beautiful healthy material to use. It has proved to be low maintenance even with children at home. I’ve also used the Lime Plaster Basecoat & Lime Wash at this school and able to closely match the school’s colours to the oxides used to achieve the colours for the Lime Wash. These materials have been used in many residential & commercial spaces with add on benefits such as one Hotel in Canberra having noted a reduction in cleaning costs by 80% due to healthier internal spaces requiring less maintenance.
It has been a great experience to learn more about the materials in a hands-on workshop and what can be achieved. As well, having done the clay render at home before this workshop, it was definitely useful to see the process first and I definitely have an appreciation for the artisans and how they can take these materials to the next level. I would highly recommend anyone looking to renovate or build to investigate these materials further. For more information on these Natural Materials from Rockcote follow this link: https://www.rockcote.com.au/ranges/natural-materials.
