Plaster, gilding, murals and restoration, applied by hand.
A decorative arts studio in Seattle. Founded by Cathy Conner in 1998.
Plaster troweled on in coats and burnished until it holds light like stone. Gold leaf laid one sheet at a time. A panel painted branch by branch over weeks.
Work that cannot be hurried, cannot be repeated, and takes most of a career to learn. Our artisans trained in France, and have been honing their craft for decades.
The tools have not changed in centuries.
What We Do
Plaster
Venetian polished smooth, Marmorino with more tooth, raked surfaces and metallic glazes. Lime and mineral based, mixed here, troweled on by hand.
Decorative Painting
Glazing, woodgraining, faux marble, trompe l'oeil and chinoiserie. Built up in layers with a brush, mostly in place and on scaffold.
Murals
Chinoiserie, landscape and site-specific work, painted for one room and no other. Some go straight onto plaster, some onto panel in the studio and are installed.
Furniture
Furniture, built-ins, cabinetry, folding screens and ceramics. Painted, glazed, gilded or plastered to match the surfaces around them.
Gilding
Gold, silver and aluminum leaf on ceilings, mouldings and furniture. Laid one sheet at a time, then left bright or antiqued back.
Restoration
Old plaster, historic cement, damaged decorative paint, knocked gilding. We keep the recipe for every finish we install, so a wall can be matched years later.