Our History

Words by Alec England:

Over 10 years ago I was given my first trowel while working for my father, Heith England of Sustain Interiors. It was a square, flexible japanese-style trowel commonly used for clay plaster application. Over the following years I worked and learned day in and day out, familiarizing myself with the systems and techniques required for clay plaster application. I was hungry for this knowledge in a way I hadn’t felt since I started learning to play the guitar at the age of nine. After that introduction to clay, I quickly learned the ins-and-outs of lime plaster while training under Ryan Chivers of Earthaus (formerly Limestrong). I remember the amazement I felt upon learning that certain types of lime plaster can be burnished to a reflective polish without the use of actual polishes. Literally just multiple passes with a trowel while it dries on the wall and boom you’ve got a shine rivaling marble. Incredible. While continuing my work with both clay and lime, I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop with Croft Elsaesser of American Clay. My knowledge of clay plasters expanded exponentially. New compression techniques. Effective repair and patching. How to ensure pigment won’t burst or streak during application. The whole shebang. Not long after that I was introduced to the molecular properties of lime (the “lime cycle”) while training under Jeremy Mistretta of New Age Artisans. This expanded my skillset to more complex lime-based finishes such as tadelakt. The simple yet complex process of waterproofing this ancient craft got me invigorated again in these ancient practices. Soon after I relocated to New York with my gal and our 2 dogs and old cat, and here we are. Velvet Interiors. There’s much more to this story, but you’ll have to give me a call or drop me a line and I’ll continue to tell you all about it.