Classic Style 2019 Trend Toward Natural Materials starts with one of my favorite blogs Segreto Style entitled Onyx, Geodes, Marble-Trend Alert.   According to Leslie Sinclair,  the owner and creative force , “Emulating stone has always been in our toolkit as we marbleized these columns about 20 years ago!! Now that request is coming back and we are seeing the real trompe l’oeil effects in all types of design.”

Check out her blog to see the fabulous finishes created by Segreto.  This Texas company is an expert in beautiful Venetian Plaster finishes which use marble dust.

This table was painted for designer Linda Eyles and fabricated by the Joseph Company.

Embracing a timeless style is key if you want your interiors to last. Who wants to redo their décor every few years as tastes change, especially if they’ll circle back around into favor in a few more years? Sustainable materials tend to top the list of timeless styles since they’ve been around nearly as long as the concept of interior design itself.  In the world of interiors, “natural” is a broad term that encompasses any resource that is harvested from the earth for use.  Building materials that have been harvested from the earth are extremely durable. Cork, which is made from the bark of cork trees, is incredibly springy. (Picture the way a wine cork retains its shape after being released from the bottle.) and unlikely to dent no matter what gets dropped on it.

Limestone Cork Wall Tile from AMCORK

Ebony Cork Flooring

Cork Tile Flooring

Granite is the hardest and densest natural stone, which helps maintain its luster and resist staining for longer than comparable materials.

For a classic look, marble and natural stone regardless of how  they are used in your design are a timeless and classic addition to any room and fabulous for exterior applications.

Travertine

Marble

Originally posted July 2016 on Traditional Building Magazine Online

Gypsum is a naturally occurring stone, a metallic salt of calcium. It commonly forms as an evaporite from the dissolution of limestone by exposure to sulphuric acid from volcanic activity. Under certain conditions, continual cycles of dissolution and evaporation will agglomerate into a “primary” deposit of gypsum.

Mineral gypsum so formed is interspersed among other minerals. Primary deposit gypsums are characterized by a loose crystalline structure and high solubility in water. Over geologic time gypsum from primary deposits is often carried away in solution, forming a “secondary” deposit of a much purer gypsum. These secondary deposits or “massifs” can be tens of feet thick, forming extended beds. Massifs are the primary source exploited as raw material for gypsum plaster.

Gypsum is an abundant mineral and takes forms including alabaster—a material used in decoration and construction as far back as ancient Egypt.  Alabaster is a finely granular variety of gypsum, often white and translucent, used for ornamental objects or work, such as lamp bases, figurines, etc.

1st Dibs Pair of Italian Neoclassical Alabaster  Table Lamps  $1,622.61

Alabaster Urns

In the 19th century it was discovered that gypsum baked under increased atmospheric pressure in a barometric chamber would result in dense plasters, having less water demand. These “gypsum cements” require less water to mix and manifest a distinct crystallization pattern that produces dense, hard sets very useful in casting work.  A wonderful natural material used for decorative plaster ornamentation.

There are several characteristics that are inherent to all gypsum plasters. Notable among them is that gypsum plaster is self-binding. Aggregates may be added as an inexpensive filler or for decorative effect; however, unlike clay or lime they are not necessary for the plaster to hold together. A closely related quality is that gypsum plasters do not shrink as they set. As gypsum plaster incorporates most of the added water into its crystalline matrix it actually expands slightly as is sets. Plaster of Paris and the gypsum cements in particular are fast setting materials that permit work to be conducted expeditiously. Gypsum plasters have excellent adhesion to most any solid, fibrous or lath substrate and provide a permeable, breathable coating. Furthermore, the combination of these unique characteristics of self-binding and rapidity of set result in gypsum being the perfect binder for molding and ornamental applications. Both Plaster of Paris and gypsum “cements” can be mixed to a light cream consistency, capturing the finest of details.  Plaster is also fireproof which made it a perfect material for homes that were lit by candlelight and later gaslight.

Another Texas treasure and resource for custom ornamental plaster and moldings is CASCI Plaster in Dallas.  Casci Ornamental Plaster was founded in 1930 in South Dallas by Italian immigrant plaster maker Giovanni Primo Casci.  Mr. Casci founded the family owned business on a passion for sculpting beautiful ornamental pieces that are timeless in detail and integrity. Ownership of the company recently shifted to two young Dallas-native design enthusiasts; Mark Marynick and Porter Fuqua, who have taken the responsibility of carrying on Mr. Casci’s traditions of excellence and attention to classic architecture. In the constantly evolving plaster industry, growing in moulding capabilities and material applications is critical to maintaining the highest level of artistry and portfolio of plaster products on the market.

Please read all about Casci and the new owners in Luxe Interior Design Article here.

Mark Marynick has  a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.  He has a passion for art, commerce, people, architecture and manufacturing that aligned with the Casci owners.  So by early 2017, he and Fuqua found themselves in the plaster business.  And, in February of 2019 Mark Marynick purchased the iconic Chicago based Decorators Supply Company who also manufactures cast ornamental plaster.  They were founded in 1890 and their mouldings adorned the buildings and halls showcased in the Columbian Exhibition of 1893.  These buildings, embellished with ornamental plaster, became known as the “White City”.  In 1971 there was the Great Chicago Fire  that began on October 8, 1871, and burned until early October 10, devastating an expansive swath of the city of Chicago.

The World’s Fair of 1893 attracted a wealth of world class artists, sculptors, carvers and craftsmen to Chicago. Decorators Supply drew from this rich talent pool of German, Italian and Polish artisans who over the following four decades would create the artistic legacy seen today in their product offerings.

On an architectural trip to visit Decorators Supply and Chicago’s amazing architecture we toured some historic homes and the docent pointed out that marble was used extensively and plaster ornamentation because of the fear of fire after the Great Chicago Fire.  Plaster medallions were used above chandeliers in French chateaus to prevent the candles in the chandeliers from burning the ceiling.  The diameter of the medallion exceeded the diameter of the chandelier to protect the ceiling above.

Decorators Supply has been a sponsor of Classical Addiction and over the years we have used the blog to educate those interested in creating classical interiors on how to design and install their incredible library of composition ornamentation.  Here are some blogs showcasing the amazing collection of composition ornamentation and how to use it to create today’s classical masterpieces.

Classic Style Wall Decoration

Large all Decor – Introducing Large Wall Ornamentation Products

2018 -Classical Wallpaper and More