Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Stewart.
Amy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Our Story
A Family Trade. An Artist’s Eye. A Craft Refined Over Generations.
The story of Exquisite Plaster & Design began long before it had a name.
At just 12 years old, I started working alongside my dad in the contracting field. I grew up learning how homes were built, painted, repaired, and transformed—not from a textbook, but by being there and doing the work. Those early years gave me a deep respect for craftsmanship and taught me something that still guides our work today: the details matter.
As a young woman, I found myself drawn to the artistic side of the trade. While working on my first homes, I began designing spaces and experimenting with decorative finishes. I loved the idea that walls didn’t simply have to be painted—they could have movement, depth, texture and character.
In 2000, my brother, who owned a large painting company, encouraged me to turn that passion into a business specializing in faux finishes and Venetian plaster. I began working alongside and under other contractors, developing my skills and building a reputation for specialty decorative finishes.
Having knowledge obtained by hands on experience. I decided it was time that I studied for and obtained my Oregon General Contractor’s license in 2005.
Then, in 2007, I made a decision that would forever shape the direction of my work.
I traveled to Italy and spent a month immersed in intensive training in authentic Venetian plaster techniques and Old World mural work. Studying these centuries-old methods changed the way I looked at walls, materials and craftsmanship. I came home with a much deeper appreciation for authentic lime plaster and the artistry involved in creating surfaces by hand.
Over the years, the business continued to evolve.
What once included traditional painting gradually became more specialized, and during the past five years we made the decision to step away from conventional painting altogether. Today, Exquisite Plaster & Design is devoted exclusively to specialty zero voc and architectural finishes, including authentic Venetian plaster, Italian lime plaster, Tadelakt, microcement, limewash and custom decorative finishes.
Not only are our finishes beautiful and long lasting( last for decades) they are healthy for the home.
Every surface is created by hand. Layers are troweled, burnished and refined to create something that cannot be duplicated by a roller or pulled from a box. The subtle imperfections, movement and variation are exactly what give these finishes their beauty.
Today, Exquisite Plaster & Design is primarily a mother-and-daughter team. My daughter Rebecca works alongside me and has become an integral part of the company, with a small team of additional craftspeople supporting us as projects require.
Our work occupies a very specialized niche, and because of that, our projects take us throughout Oregon and beyond. We are regularly commissioned to travel for unique projects in other states and have even traveled as far as Mexico to create custom finishes for our clients.
We collaborate with homeowners, interior designers, builders and architects who are looking for something beyond ordinary walls—something with history, depth and soul.
After more than two decades in business and a lifetime connected to the trades, I still love that no two projects are ever quite the same.
What began as a 12-year-old girl working alongside her dad has grown into a business centered around preserving Old World craftsmanship while bringing it into beautifully designed modern spaces.
Exquisite Plaster & Design
Old World Craftsmanship. Modern Luxury.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Over the years, one of my biggest ongoing challenges has been marketing\. I have always been deeply immersed in the craft itself—the artistry, the application, and the transformation of spaces\. That is where I feel most at home\. Sharing the work, promoting it, and putting myself forward in a marketing sense has never come as naturally\. It’s something I’ve had to grow into over time, and it remains an area I continue to work on as the business evolves
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What We Do & What Sets Us Apart
At Exquisite Plaster & Design, we specialize in creating hand-applied architectural finishes that bring depth, movement, texture and a sense of permanence to a space. Our work includes authentic Venetian plaster, Italian lime plaster, Tadelakt, microcement, limewash and custom decorative finishes.
But what we do is about much more than the material itself.
We approach every project as craftspeople and artists. These finishes are created entirely by hand—often through multiple layers and many hours of troweling, refining, burnishing and detailing. There is an artistry to knowing when to add movement, when to pull back, and how to allow the natural character of the material to become part of the design.
I believe one of the things that sets us apart is the depth of experience behind our work. I have spent most of my life in the trades, beginning alongside my father when I was 12 years old. I have continued studying and refining my craft throughout my career, including intensive training in Italy in traditional Venetian plaster and Old World techniques. Today, that knowledge is being passed on to my daughter Rebecca, who works alongside me.
There is something very meaningful to me about that.
At this point in my career, one of my greatest goals is to share the knowledge I have spent decades acquiring and leave a legacy of craftsmanship behind. I don’t want these skills and techniques to end with me. I want to teach them, preserve them and pass them forward to the next generation.
What I am most proud of, however, is the work we leave behind.
Every home we work in carries a little piece of us. Whether we are creating a single plaster fireplace or transforming an entire home, we approach it with the same level of care. Our personal signature is not a name written somewhere on the wall—it is the excellence and pride in workmanship that we leave behind.
We care deeply about what something looks like when we finish, how it performs, and how it will be experienced years from now. We don’t want our work to simply photograph beautifully. We want it to feel beautiful when you walk into the room and run your hand across the surface.
We also aren’t interested in making every project look the same. Part of our work is listening—to the homeowner, the designer, the architecture and the materials themselves—and creating a finish that belongs specifically in that space.
I think that is ultimately what sets Exquisite Plaster & Design apart: a lifetime of experience, a commitment to authentic craftsmanship, and a genuine desire to leave every space better than we found it.
For us, this isn’t simply a finish applied to a wall.
It’s a craft we’re preserving, a legacy we’re passing on, and a piece of ourselves we’re leaving behind.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve never had one traditional mentor who guided me throughout my career. Instead, I made a conscious decision very early on to invest heavily in my own education and seek out the very best training I could find.
Over the years, I have invested an incredible amount of time and money into continuing education, traveling across the country and internationally to learn from highly skilled craftspeople and manufacturers. If there was a technique, material or finish I believed could elevate my work, I was willing to travel to learn it properly.
That commitment continues today. Last year, we traveled to California for specialized training in Italian plaster systems. This year, my daughter Rebecca and I traveled to Utah for advanced microcement training and certification, becoming the only certified installers in Oregon for that particular professional microcement system.
I believe strongly that you should never reach a point in your career where you think you have nothing left to learn. Materials evolve, techniques evolve, and there is always another craftsman or woman who knows something you don’t.
Interestingly, after spending so many years seeking out education myself, I’ve reached a point where teaching and mentoring others has become one of the most meaningful parts of my career.
I recently opened my own studio where, in addition to meeting with clients and developing custom samples, I offer private and small-group training courses. Sharing the knowledge I’ve spent decades acquiring has become a true passion of mine.
I may not have had one mentor, but I have had many teachers—and I feel a responsibility now to pass that knowledge forward.
For me, continuing education and teaching are really two sides of the same philosophy: never stop learning, and never be afraid to share what you’ve learned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.exquisiteplasterdesign.com
- Instagram: exquisite _plasteranddesign
- Facebook: Exquisite Plaster & Design
