The clay plastering story of a surfer couple from Vilnius

Thank you to our client for sharing her clay plastering story and the beautiful transformation of her home!
We invite everyone to share their own story and receive a €150 gift voucher for any of our training modules.
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Clay Plastering: Construction Work, Art, or a Relationship Test?

About us and our project

We’re a surfer and traveler couple from Vilnius who, shortly after meeting while surfing the Baltic waves, decided to dive straight into the adventure of clay plastering.
Not long ago, I bought a seaside holiday home, and since our relationship developed quickly, my boyfriend eagerly joined in and helped with all aspects of setting up the cottage.

As lovers of waves and sunsets, we wanted to create a home that carried the spirit of the ocean shore — a place where we could simply be, enjoy slowness, and draw inspiration from nature.

In our 50 m² cottage, we decided to plaster not only the walls but also the hidden doors ourselves.
Since the interior is entirely monochromatic, we chose a smooth, single-color finish without any elaborate effects — just a gentle play of textures.
What mattered most to us was using natural materials, close to nature, with their own authentic character.

This wasn’t my first clay plastering project — I had already plastered my house in Druskininkai and helped my mother with her countryside home, back when the tools and techniques we have now didn’t even exist.
For my boyfriend, though, this was a completely new experience — and as we all know, renovation doesn’t always bring couples closer! We had plenty of challenges, not only with the plaster but also with our newly formed relationship.

Why we chose clay plaster

For our seaside home, the criteria were clear: no plastic, no synthetic materials — everything, from the inspiration and colors to the materials themselves, had to come from nature.

Having lived with natural clay walls for many years, I didn’t even consider another option.
I’m completely in love with the natural warmth, comfort, and beauty of clay from the first touch.
Beyond its aesthetics and health benefits, what I love most is the ability to be part of the creation process of our own home.

The experience: challenges and fun moments

We started nervously — I worried about my boyfriend’s artistic side (I wasn’t sure he had one), and he worried about my perfectionism.
Armed with buckets, trowels, spatulas, and advice from Mr. Clay founder Raimonda, we began.
We hadn’t watched any videos beforehand, but the consultation turned out to be invaluable — since my last plastering project, many helpful tricks had been developed, like the two-layer finishing technique!

The first strokes brought a wave of nostalgia — I quickly remembered how it’s done, and I was thrilled to see how naturally my boyfriend got along with the clay. That immediately set a positive tone.

Clay plastering is a creative process that requires both patience and endurance.
At first, it feels clumsy — the clay slides, tools misbehave, and you’re racing against time before it dries. Then comes another layer, another smoothing… tick-tock, tick-tock…

Working together made all the difference! There was laughter, exhaustion, maybe even a tear or two — and even fire (our drill, definitely not meant for mixing clay, caught fire ?).

Someone once said clay plastering is like meditation. I’d say it’s more like yoga — it tests your physical stamina but clears your mind and teaches you to breathe through discomfort.

The hardest part? Time pressure. We only had a few weekends to finish.
We worked in an unfinished space — no water, no bathroom, no rest area.
In the evenings, we’d sneak into a nearby fancy hotel, covered in clay from head to toe, trying not to be seen ?

Later we joked that with all the travel, food, and lodging costs, we might have spent as much as hiring professionals. But still — every time someone compliments our walls, I proudly say, we did it ourselves!
Would we do it again? Absolutely.

The result

One of the most satisfying moments is peeling off the masking tape and seeing the finished surface.
All the struggles instantly fade, and you realize clay is very forgiving — every imperfection and shadow adds character.
The finished walls remind us that beauty lies not in perfection, but in authenticity.

We love how alive the clay feels — the walls seem to change with the light: soft in the morning, deeper in the evening.
Guests always ask what the walls are made of, and even the contractors who came later couldn’t believe we did it ourselves.

So, our main advice to others — don’t be afraid.
Clay is forgiving, and the result is always worth the effort.

For us, Mr. Clay plaster became more than just a wall finish — it was a journey of creativity, partnership, and connection, after which we feel ready for any project life throws our way.