Elves of Lothlorien - JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
“...We put the thought of all that we love into all that we make.”
ROCKCOTE Clay Plaster Décor by Recommended Render. Photography: Ross Eason.
Cover image: ROCKCOTE Marrakesh bathroom by artisan Shannon Whitehill. Photography: Ross Eason.
04We Believe
05 Naturally Beautiful Buildings
06 Finish Types
07Undulations
08-09Decorative Finishes Range
10Otsumigaki
11Clay Plaster Décor
12Marrakesh
13Venetian Plaster
14-15Decorative Finishes Case Study:
Etsu Izakaya
16-17Natural Renders Range
18Earthen Render Medium
19Earthen Render Coarse
20Lime Plaster Basecote
22-23Natural Renders Case Study:
Hotel Hotel, Canberra
24-25Natural Paints Range
26Clay Paint
27Lime Wash
28-29Natural Paints Case Study: Natural Designer Homes
Contents
“We believe......we should live and work in tune with nature, in buildings built in accordance with her laws,
emulating her designs, harnessing her natural energy flows and respecting her limits.
...buildings should celebrate life over sterility, restraint over extravagance, beauty over tawdriness.
...finishes should not poison the air with fumes nor the soul with artificiality.
...in crafting spaces that delight when entered, embody serenity when occupied and create regret upon departure.
...We believe that people thrive whenliving close to nature.”
4 Natural Materials
Naturally Beautiful BuildingsThe ROCKCOTE Natural Materials range draws inspiration from nature to provide beautiful natural interior and exterior finishes that don’t compromise your health or the environment.
With the increasing awareness of eco-building techniques alongside the desire to make our homes healthier, the benefits of using traditional natural renders and paints are being rediscovered.
By working with natural clay materials, natural lime and renewables like straw, hemp, bamboo, wheat and even volcanic ash, we are reviving ancient skills and building practices to create unique, appealing, natural aesthetics.
The natural breathable plasters and paints can be used on a wide variety of wall surfaces, including traditional and eco-build materials like cob, straw bale and stone, as well as modern plasterboard and concrete surfaces, with stunning results.
Clay Plaster Décor with Straw, Noosa Pengari Steiner School, Queensland
ROCKCOTE 5
FINISH TYPESBelow is a guide to the finishes available with ROCKCOTE Natural Materials. Refer to the product pages for the finishes that can be achieved with each product.
GLASS:A reflective, highly polished finish, also described as a mirror finish. A slightly iridescent mother-of-pearl look can also be achieved with some products.
Products: Venetian Plaster, Otsumigaki, Marrakesh.
LUSTRE:A slight sheen or glow that reflects a soft light at different angles.
Products: Otsumigaki, Marrakesh.
SMOOTH:In the middle – more open than “Lustre” and more closed and smoother to touch than “Rustic”. Finish may feature variations in areas that are more open or more closed.
Products: Clay Plaster Décor, Lime Plaster Basecote, Marrakesh, Otsumigaki and Earthen Render Medium.
RUSTIC:A tactility of finish – feel and see the character of each grain.
Products: Earthen Render Medium and Coarse, Lime Pl.aster Basecote, Clay Plaster Decor and Otsumigaki.
EARTHEN:A rough, heavily textured finish with a very open, coarse grain.
Products: Earthen Render Coarse.
6 Natural Materials
UNDULATIONSThe artisans who work with natural materials are able to create a variety of undulating finishes depending on the type of space you desire and the material used. There are three levels of undulation:
LEVEL FINISH:Flat, consistent and level finish.
Products: Marrakesh, Venetian Plaster, Otsumigaki, Clay Plaster Décor.
LIGHTLY UNDULATING:Slightly wavy with 1-3 mm variations.
Products: Marrakesh, Otsumigaki, Clay Plaster Décor, Earthen Render Medium, Lime Plaster Basecote.
HEAVILY UNDULATING:Appearance of visible waves and undulations so that the surface has high points and low points of 3mm & above.
Products: Earthen Render Medium & Coarse, Lime Plaster Basecote, Clay Plaster Décor.
FINISH TYPES AND UNDULATIONS IN ACTIONUsing the finish types and undulations explained above, here is how to describe two very different looks.
POLISHED CONCRETE LOOKDESCRIPTION: smooth, seamless, highly polished look.
FINISH TYPE: Lustre or glass; glass if looking for super high polished look.
UNDULATION: Level Finish.
ROCKCOTE PRODUCTS USED: Marrakesh, Venetian Plaster, Otsumigaki.
TUSCAN LOOKDESCRIPTION: Uneven roughly finished, rustic, wall reminiscent of an old farm house or bakery.
FINISH TYPE: Rustic or Earthen.
UNDULATION: Lightly or heavily undulating.
ROCKCOTE PRODUCTS USED: Earthen Render Coarse or Earthen Render Medium, Clay Plaster Décor.
ROCKCOTE 7
DECORATIVE FINISHES RANGEROCKCOTE’s Decorative Finishes range creates limitless
possibilities for natural aesthetics - from a traditional
organic, clay plaster look right up to the most modern
polished plaster finishes.
All products are completely natural, free of dangerous
chemicals and produce no odours or residual off-
gassing. They have low embodied energy (energy
necessary for the entire product life-cycle) and are fully
recyclable which means they can be returned to the
earth after use.
Clay and lime finishes can also be positive for
psychological well-being. They are inherently sensuous,
meaning they enliven the senses and bring us back into
contact with the natural world.
8 Natural Materials
Venetian Plaster ceiling by Artisan Mark Kennedy, Gold Coast Queensland.
Photography: Ross Eason. ROCKCOTE 9
Otsumigaki
ROCKCOTE Otsumigaki is an extremely versatile product that allows the skilled artisan to achieve a wide range of stunning decorative effects for interiors.
A polished earthen lime finish, Otsumigaki can be used in interior high traffic areas such as entrances, stairwells and halls where a durable finish is desired.
The beauty of Otsumigaki lies in its ability to create textural depth in a smooth, flat surface. Create a dreamy feature wall in its natural colour mixed with oxides and lightly polished to give warmth, depth and lustre. Otsumigaki has a subtle elegance that gives walls life yet allows the surrounding elements in the space to speak for themselves.
“Buildings that celebrate life over sterility, restraint over extravagance, beauty over tawdriness.”
Otsumigaki Information: Use: Interior
Film Build: 1-2mm
Colour: Soft white. Can be tinted with coloured oxides
Finishes: Rustic, Smooth and Lustre
Undulations: Level, Lightly Undulating, Heavily Undulating
10 Natural Materials
Clay Plaster Décor
ROCKCOTE Clay Plaster Décor is a truly beautiful fine finishing clay plaster with built-in marble dust that glistens in the presence of ambient light.
An earthen-look plaster with a smooth finish, Clay Plaster Décor adds a textural warmth to the interior of any building - from a traditional straw bale home to the most elegant modern building.
Dry, clean, chopped wheat straw, hemp hurd, rice husks, quartz chips, marble chips and shells can be added to create beautiful and unique effects.
Clay Plaster Décor Information: Use: Interior
Film Build: 2-4mm
Colour: Soft white. Can be tinted with coloured oxides
Finishes: Rustic or Smooth
Undulations: Level, Lightly Undulating, Heavily Undulating
ROCKCOTE 11
Marrakesh
Create a traditional Tadelakt or Moroccan plaster finish with ROCKCOTE Marrakesh. Can also be finished to a traditional flat lime plaster; or for a contemporary look can be used to achieve a glass face marble plaster.
Create a seamless bathroom where the smooth curve of one element flows into another, evoking a sense of ease and continuity not felt in a standard bathroom.
Marrakesh allows the artisan to create an individual work of art on any wall or room within the home. Many different styles of finish can be achieved by using different trowels, floats, sponges and finishing techniques.
Marrakesh Information: Use: Interior and exterior
Film Build: 2-3mm as a finish coat
Colour: Can be tinted to a wide range of colours with oxides
Finishes: Rustic, Smooth, Lustre or Glass
Undulations: Level, Lightly Undulating, Heavily Undulating
Marrakesh bathroom, Springbrook, Queensland by Recommended Render
12 Natural Materials
Venetian Plaster
ROCKCOTE Venetian Plaster produces a reflective, highly polished plaster finish, also described as a
mirror finish. Create a stunning smooth surface with the illusion of depth and texture for interior, exterior,
bathrooms, feature walls, columns and ceilings.
Venetian Plaster is ideal for crafting the polished cement render or polished concrete render industrial look
made popular by urban cafes and restaurants and now featuring in distinctive architecturally designed
homes and makeovers. Venetian Plaster is especially useful for columns and walls where the appearance
and feel of marble is sought and can achieve the light-reflective, lustrous properties of marble without
the weight.
Venetian Plaster Information:Use: Interior and exterior
Film Build: 0.5-2mm
Colour: Soft white. Can be tinted to a wide range of colours with oxides
Finishes: Glass
Undulations: Smooth
Venetian Plaster feature wall in Bundaberg, Queensland by artisan Ray Hall
ROCKCOTE 13
“Loud, bustly and a little bit chaotic” is how
Mitchell McCluskey, co-owner of the Etsu Izakaya
restaurant at Mermaid Beach describes the
new venue.
Inspired by traditional Japanese izakaya bars where
men gathered after work to sit around, talk, eat
and drink sake, the Gold Coast’s newest dining
venue has certainly captured the same intensity of a
frenetic Japanese eating place.
Mitchell McCluskey and his wife Nerissa are already
well known on the Gold Coast for their café,
Commune. For this venture, they wanted something
a little different – a restaurant where the decor
played a big part in the overall experience, and
where people were brought together by
communal eating.
“Izakaya venues are big in New York and becoming
more popular in Sydney. Before we launched we
researched the style of the Sydney spaces and
drew on our experience of snowboarding in Japan
every year,” Mitchell said.
A key aspect of the transformation from a fish
and chip shop to the Gold Coast’s most unusual
Japanese restaurant was the bar which was always
going to be the most dominant feature, taking up
half the width of the space.
Decorative Finishes Case Study
“We wanted texture, cracks and different colours throughout and the Marrakesh has delivered exactly the look we sought.” - Mitchell McCluskey, Etsu Izakaya
ETSU IZAKAYAThe chaos of Japanese dining
14 Natural Materials
PROJECT DETAILS:
- 11 metre long ROCKCOTE Marrakesh bar
- Tinted with black oxides for a concrete colour
- Finished with ROCKCOTE Carnauba Wax to
give a semi-polished look and protect the surface
Artisan: Michael Symington, ilfe
Photography: Ross Eason
“We wanted the biggest bar in the world where
people could sit, drink, snack and chat as well as
talk to staff behind the bar. So the first thing was
to figure out the bar area and the rest literally took
shape around that.”
“We just love concrete spaces and bars. They look
interesting – big, solid and unyielding. We wanted
texture, cracks and different colours throughout
and the Marrakesh has delivered exactly the look
we sought.”
The remainder of the interiors are finished in
concrete, veneer and recycled timber. A tree sourced
from council forms the centerpiece of the main dining
area. Murals of a bonsai tree and Japanese street art
painted by a local artist adorn the walls.
Outside, the restaurant stands out from its
neighbours with recycled timber and old barn
doors. At night, a red lantern is hung outside to
indicate that Etsu Izakaya is open for business.
According to Mitchell, people walking past are
intrigued by the light and the music coming from
inside, peeking in to have a look.
Guests are welcomed to the venue from a
geometric nook that is also finished in ROCKCOTE
Marrakesh, its horizontal lines carrying the eye to
the large bar and slightly chaotic scene beyond.
ROCKCOTE 15
NATURAL RENDERSROCKCOTE’s Natural Renders are authentic earthen
renders made from clay and lime, compatible with
modern and traditional construction methods.
Our Natural Renders impart a textural warmth, honesty
and authenticity, naturally.
ROCKCOTE Natural Renders contain no cement and are
free of dangerous chemicals. The natural composition
also means that they can play an active role in improving
internal air quality. Their thirst for moisture means they
regulate humidity creating a clean, fresh, wholesome
indoor environment.
Natural Renders are very forgiving, easy to apply and
can be used for entire walls, feature walls or creative
projects such as fireplace surrounds.
16 Natural Materials
ROCKCOTE Earthen Render Coarse fireplace surround, Springbrook,
Queensland by Recommended Render. Photography: Ross Eason. ROCKCOTE 17
Earthen Render Medium
ROCKCOTE Earthen Render Medium is formulated to create a natural earth plaster finish over modern substrates. The medium formulation is produced without the coarse aggregates in Earthen Render Coarse, making it more suitable for use in conventional buildings where a smoother textured look is desired.
ROCKCOTE Earthen Render is the ideal choice for architects seeking a natural clay render for use in commercial developments. High durability and ease of maintenance make it a perfect product for hotels (such as the Hotel Hotel Canberra), cinema and theatre foyers, and day spas.
Its tactility, warmth and earthy tones add a stunning natural aesthetic that brings a sense of relaxation and ease to any space. In modern homes, Earthen Render Medium can be used to create unique seamless fireplace surrounds and textured feature walls.
Earthen Render Medium Information:Use: Interior
Film Build: 4-8mm
Colour: Earthy loam. Can be tinted to a range of earthy colours
Finishes: Earthen or Rustic
Undulations: Level, Lightly Undulating, Heavily Undulating
Earthen Render Medium walls, Hotel Hotel Canberra by artisan Paul Geach
18 Natural Materials
Earthen Render Coarse
ROCKCOTE Earthen Render Coarse is a hard, durable render developed for straw bale buildings and other natural substrates.
Our most heavily textured natural material, Earthen Render Coarse is a true earthen render that is applied in thick coats to deliver an authentic rustic, natural clay finish. Designed as a base coat render that can be overcoated with Lime Wash, Otsumigaki, Clay Plaster Décor, Venetian Plaster or Marrakesh.
Earthen Render Coarse is also ideal as a final finishing coat for straw bale projects as a nice, even 3-4mm finishing coat, offering consistency of product, ease of application and a more even finished coat.
Earthen Render Coarse Information:Use: Interior base coat render or as a finishing coat for straw bale projects
Film Build: 6-10mm
Colour: Earthy loam. Can be tinted to a range of earthy colours
Finishes: Earthen or Rustic
Undulations: Level, Lightly Undulating, Heavily Undulating
Earthen Render Coarse with straw, Earthen Home, Eumundi Queensland
ROCKCOTE 19
Lime Plaster Basecote
Lime Plaster Basecote is designed as a base coat but like most ROCKCOTE natural materials, has a multitude of finishes and uses. Being a true lime render, ROCKCOTE Lime Plaster Basecote is perfect as an undercoat for ROCKCOTE Marrakesh, Lime Wash and Venetian Plaster.
ROCKCOTE Lime Plaster Basecote can be used both interior and exterior including wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries due to its breathability and mould resistance.
It will comply with regulations on the refurbishment and repair of heritage listed and architecturally sensitive buildings due to its traditional lime and sand formulation (contains no cement like some similar products). Suitable for entire buildings where a textured lime finish is required as well as for facades and fine decorative work.
Lime Plaster Basecote Information:Use: Interior and exterior
Film Build: 2-4mm
Colour: Designed as a base coat but can be tinted with oxides
Finishes: Earthen or Rustic
Undulations: Level, Lightly Undulating, Heavily Undulating
20 Natural Materials
ROCKCOTE Earthen Render Coarse by artisan Bob Cameron. Photography: Ross Eason. ROCKCOTE 21
When curator Don Cameron observes guests
entering the carefully created rooms of Canberra’s
Hotel Hotel, he senses they struggle to find the
vocabulary to explain exactly what they see.
Every surface and object in each of the hotel’s 68
rooms was consciously designed, sourced and
created to celebrate natural materials.
“The starting point was a shack – to create
something that belonged to this quintessentially
Australian vernacular. I explored what that
could mean and how to translate the intent…”
Don said.
“Comfortability, relatability, always a work in
progress. A place for introspection. A textural
experience. A certain quality of dappled light. A
sense of items being brought from somewhere else
– collected, assembled and given new meaning.”
These are the key elements that Don sought to
inspire each room of this unique hotel that takes up
three floors of the Nishi Building in the NewActon
cultural precinct.
“Texture was the biggest challenge and one that
would make the most sense in conveying the
essence of the theme – raw, rustified luxury. Finding
the materials to speak that language was key.”
Hotel Hotel, Canberra
“I wanted an unadorned approach to the materials in the rooms –
presented and celebrated in their most natural state.”
Natural Render Case Study
22 Natural Materials
PROJECT DETAILS:
- Three storey hotel with 68 rooms
- Walls: Earthen Render Medium. The render was mixed
with milled hemp for added texture then pigmented to a
dusty, grey tone
- Lightly undulating, earthen finish
- Guest Room Interiors: Don Cameron
Artisan: Paul Geach, Cr8ive Surfaces
Photography: Ross Honeysett
In keeping with the environmental commitment
of the entire precinct, Don knew natural materials
would play a big part in crafting the interiors.
Wool carpets, linen curtains, mild steel, aniline
leather and vintage furniture all feature in the rooms.
Don said using ROCKCOTE Earthen Render on the
walls gave the entire scene potency and brought
together the collective honesty of all the elements.
“I was looking for a render that had a raw, textural
quality that was rough and didn’t conceal the
natural ingredients.”
Don observes the responses of guests entering
the rooms... “many people aren’t used to seeing
so many natural materials in their raw state in such
proximity. The dividend of such an approach gives
the rooms honesty and relatability.”
ROCKCOTE 23
NATURAL PAINTSROCKCOTE Natural Paints are premium quality
environmentally friendly paints for health conscious
people who are concerned about environmental
pollution and indoor air quality.
Unique lime and clay-based formulations contain zero
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), have no lingering
paint fumes and are free of synthetic chemicals. They
provide a natural alternative to other chemical-based
paints on the market.
Unlike most modern low to zero VOC paints which are
made from synthetic materials, ROCKCOTE natural
paints are a true natural product.
Natural paints can be used on almost every substrate
that modern paints can be used on: walls, ceilings,
woodwork, brick and block.
24 Natural Materials
ROCKCOTE Clay Paint, Natural Designer Home, Queensland. ROCKCOTE 25
Clay Paint
ROCKCOTE Clay Paint has outstanding opacity that can support a full range of colours from its natural Grecian white to the brightest colours you can imagine.
The stunning flat finish provides the added benefit of hiding plasterboard defects in the open plan modern home style. It evokes a softer, subtler mood effect than low sheen finishes that can reflect light in unnatural ways.
Being vapour permeable and breathable, Clay Paint allows air to pass through, assisting in natural regulation of moisture from the surface and therefore will not support the growth of mould, mildew or fungi.
Clay Paint Information: Use: Interior only, not suitable for bathrooms or wet areas
Colour: Can be tinted with coloured oxides
Finish: Flat
Clay Paint, Natural Designer Homes, Casuarina
26 Natural Materials
“Finishes should not
poison the air with
fumes, nor the soul
with artificiality.”
Lime Wash Information:Use: Interior and Exterior
Colour: Soft white, Can be tinted with oxides
Finishes: Flat
Lime Wash
ROCKCOTE Lime Wash provides a breathable decorative finish that penetrates into the underlying substrate, delivering a long-lasting, robust coating.
Lime Wash has been for centuries on the exterior of all types of buildings. Recreate the aged patina look reminiscent of a traditional Greek seaside building, or the heritage character of a Sydney terrace home. It is perfect for historic buildings, refurbishments or commercial developments, particularly where Council requires new construction to maintain a heritage aesthetic. Additionally, Lime Wash can be an effective and innovative method to finish more modern surfaces such as a kitchen, courtyard or outdoor living area.
A versatile product, different looks can be achieved by a skilled artisan including cross-hatching, a scalloped shell look, burnishing or a standard rolled finish.
ROCKCOTE 27
When award-winning builder, Mick Corcoran
planned his own family home, he set out to create
a beautiful architecturally designed home that was
healthy to live in and a fine example of sustainable
living.
Mick works collaboratively with Natural Designer
Homes, a company that leads the way in
environmentally aware building. The collaboration
has won a myriad of Housing Industry Association
and Master Builders Awards since 2009 including
several Greensmart Energy Efficiency Home of the
Year Awards.
This two-storey home at Casuarina on the NSW
North Coast was thoughtfully designed to blend
with the coastal environment using sustainable
building materials integrated with a functional, low
maintenance design.
Strategies were implemented for energy and
water management, indoor air quality, the careful
selection of materials, landscaping, stormwater
management, and minimal wastage to ensure the
project met its brief.
The home has been designed to take advantage
of natural lighting and passive solar heating
throughout the year, as well as the prevailing breeze
paths for ventilation.
Cedar, and coreten steel were selected as the core
building materials. The coreten is designed to rust
and protect itself and has a low carbon content.
The selection and use of building products that
promote and support a healthy indoor home
environment were a key consideration. Every
material that has gone into the home has been
scrutinised for VOCs and the best alternative
selected to improve the air quality.
Casuarina
Natural Paints Case Study
28 Natural Materials
ROCKCOTE Clay Paint was selected for the
interior of the home (including all walls, ceilings and
skirtings) for its zero VOC content and ability to act
as a filter to improve the indoor air quality.
“We wanted something that looked fabulous,
was a hundred percent natural, odour-free, and
wouldn’t harbour mould in what is a fairly humid
environment,” Mick said.
“The natural white colour looks stunning, and has
helped create an amazing indoor environment that
we know does not compromise our health.”
The ROCKCOTE Clay Paint was used over
plasterboard walls with a preparatory coat
of ROCKCOTE EcoStyle Sealer/Undercoat.
Two coats of Clay Paint were applied with a roller,
and the product was watered down slightly for the
cutting in coats.
The completed home has certainly caught the
attention of the industry, recently taking out the 2013
Housing Industry Association Gold Coast, Northern
Rivers Housing and Bathroom Awards Greensmart
Energy Efficient House of the Year. It also won the
2013 Master Builders Excellence in Building Awards
Best Environmental Management Award.
Earlier in 2013 the home was awarded Master
Builders Northern NSW Excellence in Building
Awards Best Sustainable Energy Project.
PROJECT DETAILS: - 340m² approximately
- 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
- Double storey with all living areas on the ground floor
- Timber Frame
- Cedar, coreten and steel exterior
Two coats of ROCKCOTE Armour over cedar
- Internal finishes: ROCKCOTE Clay Paint, natural colour
on walls, ceilings and skirtings
Photography: Bray Kay
ROCKCOTE 29
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
- Native American Proverb
Phone: 1300 736 668Email: [email protected]
18 Machinery Road Yandina QLD 4561
www.rockcote.com.auwww.thenaturalartisan.com© ROCKCOTE V6
Printed on 100% recycled, process chlorine-free paper with environmentally friendly Electro ink.
30 Natural Materials
ROCKCOTE Marrakesh bar, Etsu Izakaya, Mermaid Beach Queensland
by artisan Michael Symington. Photography: Ross Eason. ROCKCOTE 31
“To help people create naturally beautiful buildings that don’t cost the earth.”