Plaster is everywhere — and a Hood River company has built an empire around it.
If you’ve thumbed through any interior-design projects lately, you’ve likely encountered homes where the walls seem to be glowing.
“Plaster is red-hot right now,” says Heith England, a plaster expert who has built an entire firm in Hood River, Sustain, around plaster. “People walk into a home with plaster and it just makes you feel different.”
Glass-windowed homes on bluffs overlooking the Columbia, rustic timber-frame havens, starkly modern high desert retreats, new-traditional renovations, farmhouse cabins — there is really no limit to the types of homes where plaster is playing a starring role in Oregon.
The material — a mix of lime, sand, water, and often other materials like gypsum — has a millenia-old history of use by humans, both for construction and for artistry. Ancient Egyptians applied plaster to floors and walls in their temples; ancient Greeks and Romans explored the artistic dimensions of plaster in their reliefs (in addition to construction use); Renaissance artists mixed it with color to produce some of the era’s most important artworks; and modern builders have employed it for interior wall finishes and decorative moulding.
England began his career as a drywall contractor in Sun Valley, Idaho, but switched to plaster when he fell in love with the material. After moving to Hood River, he started working with the New Mexico plaster company American Clay, exploring with different products and learning the process until he had it in his bones.Eventually, the plaster operation became Sustain, a design firm that now encompasses a contracting arm, interior design, a cabinet company and a retail shop in Hood River.
The company also holds regular events to teach contractors, designers, and homeowners about plaster, but England is still at the frontlines with trowels, hawks, paddles and floats, and training dozens of people in how to create the surfaces that make people feel like they are being held in someone’s hands.
“Plaster is in 90% of the builds we do,” England says. “People will call for plaster and discover the rest.”
Plaster’s emergence in the Pacific Northwest has everything to do with aesthetics and function. Visually, it lends a subtle luminescence that makes homes feel more handmade — adding a sense of texture, depth and coziness. But it also has numerous benefits that extend beyond how it looks.
First there is Oregon’s wet environment. When properly mixed, traditional lime plaster is breathable, allowing moisture to pass through walls and preventing mold and mildew growth. Plaster is also durable — it can last for decades, even centuries, without needing frequent repairs. Since it’s nontoxic (zero VOCs), plaster is an excellent choice for green builders and projects. Plaster is also highly compatible with older homes, where it melds well with older styles and absorbs and slowly releases heat, keeping homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
“Animals lay on it to cool off and they lay on it to get warm,” England says. “It really goes with everything.”
