Earth In Your Home
Photo by Tadelakt
BY NORA BOUZ - WELL-BEING INTERIOR DESIGNer
It's always exciting co-creating beautiful, warm, and inviting spaces. What makes this even more exciting is using healthy and versatile products; this is a challenge I like to take on any day of the week!
Over the last month, I have been further exploring natural interior finishes and their applications to add a unique flavour to each space and respond to the demand for eco-friendly products.
In this exploration, I had the privilege to speak with Elke Cole, a cob building expert with over 20 years of designing, teaching and building cob houses and structures. The Scope of Elke’s work encompasses everything from teaching internationally to public installations and private commissions.
We explored how to use earthen materials in the interior of conventionally built homes and promote the added health and beauty benefits of this phenomenal material.
Photo by American Clay
Although earthen materials are known to be used to build with, like cob housing and rammed earth, they can also be used in the interior conventionally built structures to add a natural feel and look, bring depth, regulate humidity, infuse the air with negative ion charge (which enhances the mood and increase our ability to fight diseases). This product is known in the industry as clay plaster and can found easily with variations of colours and textures.
Some of its applications are on walls, ceiling and floors. It can also be used as a fireplace mantle and sculpturing benches and unique features.
Applying clay plaster requires some skill, but it’s not too difficult. You can try it yourself or hire a trained person. Some of the techniques require more skill than others, like Sgraffito, sculpturing and Tadelakt.
Sgraffito is produced by applying layers of the clay plaster tinted in different colours and then scratching so as to reveal parts of the underlying layer.
Tadelakt is a Moroccan technique that makes the clay plaster waterproof when used in the shower and tub areas. It’s labour intensive and requires lots of patience!
Scupluring is another technique you might find interesting and can be done in a settle or elaborate way.
Tadelakt Technique - Photo by Takelakt UK
Sgraffito Technique - Photo by Clayworks
When it comes to colour, you can find a wide variety available that complement any design style. And don’t think that this product doesn’t work with the contemporary style; in fact, using the right colours and textures, the clay plaster can complement a contemporary style and bring much-needed depth and warmth
Photo by Clayworks
Last but not least, the greatest benefit to using this 100% natural and sustainable product is its low environmental impact and durability.
Some of the high-performance brands that are readily available with a wide range of colours and textures are Clayworks and American Caly