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Naturally Healthy Homes specializing in high-performance straw bale building and natural building

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Straw Bale Article Published

Here is the article about straw bale building that I wrote for Home Power Magazine. Once the viewer loads, click the full-screen icon (the four-cornered box) and zoom in to read. Enjoy! – Rebecca

Created using FlowPaper Flipbook Maker ↗

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This might be my favorite shower that we've "tadel

This might be my favorite shower that we've "tadelakt-ed" recently. The client wanted lots of movement and a range of tones and colors - white, cream, gray - to echo the variation in the floor tile. Having the window in the shower requires serious waterproofing but you can't beat the natural light.

Saturday studio session serves up several striped

Saturday studio session serves up several striped samples, from subtle to surreal

What do we mean by “craft plaster”? Craft plas

What do we mean by “craft plaster”? Craft plaster is like craft beer.

The craft beer movement uses more traditional brewing methods, emphasizing quality over quantity. Small, independently owned breweries know the traditions and compete based on unique flavors made with high-quality ingredients.

We mix our plasters in custom batches for each project. We know what's in our plasters and why it's there. Our plasters are made with pure ingredients: lime, clay, sand, mineral pigment, and a touch of cellulose. We know our craft and we customize the installation process to get the desired results.

In a time when the term “plaster” has become almost meaningless because of products that claim to be plaster but are more similar to synthetic paint, all of the terms lose meaning. What is Venetian plaster today? What is Marmorino or Tadelakt? They are ancient techniques based on knowledge of the craft and the materials. They shouldn’t be something that comes from the paint store and smells like acrylic, but, sadly, that is what most installers are now using. Synthetic products are faster and more foolproof than traditional materials and methods, but the end product is an approximation of the original.

We are proud to offer unique, high-quality, bespoke finishes installed by artisans who know the traditions and techniques. It’s not the most inexpensive option. It’s not the fastest option. It’s the craft option.

A four-coat polished lime plaster to create moveme

A four-coat polished lime plaster to create movement and subtle drama. Although the plaster appears textured, the surface is smooth and silky to the touch.

A little animation of our recent fireplace remodel

A little animation of our recent fireplace remodel

Fun new shapes and sleek black lime plaster finish

Fun new shapes and sleek black lime plaster finish renew an old fireplace. The degree in sculpture came in handy on this one

Tadelakt shower / wet room In a custom color. The

Tadelakt shower / wet room In a custom color. The client wanted lots of tonal movement and we were happy to oblige. The variation in the plaster quietly echos the variation in the floor tile

A little teaser detail of a fireplace we’re work

A little teaser detail of a fireplace we’re working on: nearly black lime plaster with subtle texture and some burnish

Misty gray burnished lime plaster for a powder bat

Misty gray burnished lime plaster for a powder bathroom renovation

Maximum movement: recently, we’ve been getting m

Maximum movement: recently, we’ve been getting more requests for a lot of tonal variation and character in lime plaster and we’re happy to oblige. Plaster can be a wide range of things, from a calm serene background to a dramatic dynamic focal point. This is Earthaus Stone in “Oyster” with lots of undertexture and burnish

Magic: from rough brown scratch coat of clay plast

Magic: from rough brown scratch coat of clay plaster to smooth bright top coat of clay plaster

Tadelakt + marble = yummy Cool gray bathroom surr

Tadelakt + marble = yummy

Cool gray bathroom surrounds happy tile with tiny pink flowers

(Yes, I know I should wait until the plumbing fixtures are installed but I get too excited to wait)

Spent the morning in the plaster studio trying out

Spent the morning in the plaster studio trying out some new products

This custom tint of lime plaster provides a soothi

This custom tint of lime plaster provides a soothing background that harmonizes with the wood and terracotta. The larger bullnoses at the windows add to the soft serenity.

Architect: @hubbellandhubbellarchitects
Builder: Pat Lawrence
Plaster: @earthaus.plaster Stone

Installing the reclaimed redwood siding on the str

Installing the reclaimed redwood siding on the straw-clay sauna. We pulled thousands of nails (two 5 gallons buckets full!) to be able to salvage this gorgeous 65 year old wood.

Very dark plaster, very bright light. This bathroo

Very dark plaster, very bright light. This bathroom feels like it was carved out of anthracite. Ceiling, walls, and floor in black with a burnish.

I love a good challenge: lime plaster meets unmask

I love a good challenge: lime plaster meets unmaskable rough wood ceiling

Trimming the edges of a plaster sample board is su

Trimming the edges of a plaster sample board is surprisingly satisfying

When plastering, we spend a lot of time facing a w

When plastering, we spend a lot of time facing a wall. It's good to stop and look around from time to time because something amazing like this might be going on right behind you.

A lovely warm white tadelakt plaster bathroom for

A lovely warm white tadelakt plaster bathroom for an interior designer's studio. The highlight wall in the shower is full "wet wall" tadelakt that can withstand significant water exposure. The rest of the walls and ceilings are what I like to call "splash wall" tadelakt: it's still water-resistant and can handle splashes but doesn't require as much labor to produce the same sexy look and feel.

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Builders specializing in high-performance natural homes with a focus on carbon-smart green building practices, straw bale building, energy efficiency, natural finishes, clay & lime plaster, and sustainable materials for new & existing homes in San Diego County, CA, General Contractors License #B1053512, a Benefit Corporation
email: info@simpleconstruct.net or call: (619) 342-6709

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