Artesano Plaster

Ryan is a true artist. Our fireplace plaster work was more than we even imagined. Incredibly beautiful! Matched our floor perfectly. Professional, caring and talented.

Ryan from Artesano Plaster is truly an artist and master of his craft. We know that any project we entrust to him will yield amazing results with his incredible, high level attention to detail. He is a definitely a perfectionist and sets the bar high! Moreover, he is such a pleasant and fun person to work with. We're lucky to showcase Ryan's work in on our own homes. The gorgeous, waterproof Tadelakt shower that he completed is holding up beautifully, years later - and with minimal maintenance!

We highly recommend Ryan’s work for many reasons. Our outdoor and indoor walls are so beautiful. Every morning, as I opened my eyes, I enjoy letting my eyes wander around the different shapes, structures, and textures present in the plaster. Our walls are made of healthy materials that efficiently ground our house. The moroccan plaster, called tadelakt, still surprises me as it is so easy to clean and such a pleasure to touch. Ryan is a very talented and creative artist. All we had to do was trust him and go on the journey with him and his team. There is a mutual respect between Ryan and his team. They work hard, but maintain an atmosphere of good humor, fun, and great work. Ryan had a particular way to engaging with us in the work and in inviting us to express our creativity. He invited us to share his passion, but also left us room to let our creativity soar. Our son had a wonderful time working with Ryan and his team. We are very grateful our son had the chance to be inspired by such a wonderful team of artisans. Christel, Alex, and Anyll (11 years old)

Ryan and Artesano are awesome. Masters of a skill are a rare breed this day, much less masters who are just so great to work with. A home is a sacred place, a sanctuary, and to have such a thoughtful and intentional group working in your home on such a timeless trade is, in many ways, honorable. There's not a day that goes by that we don't enjoy the work that Artesano did. You can feel the work. Aside from the end product which is beautiful, we really appreciated the approach to work. They would ride their bikes to the job site (once everything was set up of course), enjoy brown bagged lunches on the front porch, and listen to great mellow music or NPR stories. It was like having family / friends around. Artesano, for us, was a polar experience to most of the general cosntruction trades and we would recommend them for a lifetime.

If the saying is true; he who knows HOW will always have a job and he who knows WHY will always be his boss, then Ryan qualifies as a CEO. Ryan's understanding of why a particular plaster works better on a molecular level leaves me feeling confident in his work. As a building professional myself and former director of the Colorado Straw Builders Association I can attest to Ryan's professionalism as well as the artistry and quality of Ryan and the Artesano crew's work. I have known Ryan for over 15 years and have witnessed his work with many plasters; earthen, lime, tadelakt and gypsum as well as both earth and lime paints. I would absolutely recommend Ryan to anyone needing a professionally done, quality plaster work. He's a good guy who is easy to work with too.

Ryan created the fresco surface for our sculptural wall at the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, Colorado. His finished wall is an absolute work of art. It is the subject of great praise by a continual stream of our visitors. As the sculptor and designer of this installation, I could not be happier with the end product that Ryan Chivers created for us. He was a treat to work with from beginning to end.

We are an architectural and design/build company out of Boulder, Colorado (www.fuentesdesign.com). We have worked with Ryan at Artesano Plaster since 2004. We have designed many houses with earth, lime and tadelakt plasters and have relied on the expertise and craftsmanship of Artesano to execute beautiful natural finishes where few if any other local contractors could. My wife and I hired Artesano for our own home as well, and are very pleased with the beautiful white marble and lime plaster on our walls and in our Tadelakt showers. While the plaster may not be as durable in some places and drywall and paint, its repairable, beautiful, ecological and healthy to live with. The feeling of Artesano's natural plaster work and the quality of light on the walls is unmatched.

Every wall of my house has the artistry of Artesano Plaster and virtually every day, the beauty and depth of the walls warms and elevates me. When I designed my house, I had hoped to use Tadelak in the shower but didn't know where I would find someone who knew the technique until I met Ryan Chivers. The softness and warmth of that Tadelak shower has delighted me almost daily for 4 years. In addition, the attention to detail (and color matching) and skill of application throughout the house receive compliments from visitors all the time. Traditional plaster just has a feel to it that is different, warmer, and deeper than other treatments and Artesano Traditional Plaster does an exceptional job.

Artesano Traditional Plaster is by far the best fine wall finish craftsman I have ever work with. If you are looking to incorporate beautiful traditional plasters such as tadelakt in your master bath or a chic lime finish throughout the living room, Artesano has you covered. Their understanding of fine finishes and application techniques is second to none. Founder and artisan, Ryan Chivers is truly talented and a wealth of knowledge. It is no surprise he has been touring the world teaching his craft. He is one of the best at what he does and I am thankful to have worked with him and even more grateful to call him my friend.