Tadelakt is considered a high-end design finish. Tadelakt may sound like a no-brainer, but is this plastering technique the right choice for your home? Here are the essentials you should know before calling your local tadelakt professional. Designers love tadelakt’s versatility as you can incorporate this high-end look into virtually any architectural and design style. What makes tadelakt so appealing? It’s eco-friendly, long-lasting, and water-repellant. Photo courtesy of New Age Artisans Tadelakt for your home The plaster technique that originated in Morocco has recently found its way into celebrity spaces as well, such as Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul’s Idaho retreat and celebrity chef Rachel Khoo’s London studio bathroom. Architectural Digest has featured the plaster technique as a minimalist designer’s dream and green building technique. The tadelakt hashtag has garnered more than 30,000 Instagram posts and continues to grow. Recently, tadelakt has seen steady growth in interior design circles around the globe. “True tadelakt must be a pure lime-based finish that uses olive oil soap to seal and finish it,” he notes. In contrast, any craftsperson who follows the essential steps and process of tadelakt without these elements can label the end result as tadelakt - just not Moroccan tadelakt.Ĭhivers warns that some manufacturers call their plaster products tadelakt when the products are essentially just sealed cement plasters. The latter must use lime from Marrakesh, a smooth river stone to compress the material, and soap made from black olives. He separates tadelakt as a plastering process and Moroccan tadelakt into two distinct categories. But Mistretta has a different philosophy. Some purists believe that to be considered tadelakt, the plaster must originate from Marrakesh. Both its unique history and distinct process differentiate tadelakt from other types of lime-based plaster. Tadelakt is a craft that was handed down over generations, from artisan to apprentice, through oral tradition rather than the written word. An alchemy of olive oil and cured lime gives the plaster its water-resistant attribute. Mistretta stresses that tadelakt isn’t a product, but a technique, a multi-coat plastering process that uses lime and aggregate materials such as sand. The name derives from the Arabic word dlek, which means “to rub in,” a nod to the smooth river stones used to rub and polish the plaster. Tadelakt is a plaster technique that dates back thousands of years, originating in northern Morocco. Photo courtesy of New Age Artisans Tadelakt’s rise to fame “He had three or four years of a head start on me with the formula,” recalls Mistretta, who has been practicing the tadelakt craft for over 15 years himself. Chivers had traveled to Marrakesh and started experimenting with an American version of the lime. Mistretta credits Chivers for adapting the tadelakt method to the United States. interior design, we interviewed Mistretta and Chivers, two of the top U.S.-based tadelakt artisans. To learn about the Moroccan plaster technique and how it’s trending in U.S. Despite its reputation as a high-end (and high-budget!) technique, tadelakt has begun to garner attention from homeowners of all budgets seeking a modern yet timeless aesthetic. The plaster’s seamless surface makes tadelakt easy to clean and maintain, particularly in showers. “It’s not waterproof per se, but it is very, very, very repellant,” says Jeremy Mistretta, tadelakt craftsperson and founder of Montana-based plaster company New Age Artisans. In addition to its visual appeal, the Moroccan plaster process is eco-friendly and touts both resilient and hydrophobic properties. “Authentic tadelakt has a handmade allure and elegance,” he adds. Its appeal stems from its organic, earthy feel and old-world warmth. Not shiny and reflective, tadelakt has a silky finish. “Tadelakt is almost always very smooth,” notes Ryan Chivers, founder of Limestrong, a Utah-based plaster manufacturer. If you aren’t a fan of rough grout lines in your bathroom, the tadelakt plaster technique could be the answer for your shower walls and backsplashes.
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