Unearthed
Natural clay and lime plasters, decorative finishes, and hands-on natural building workshops in East Sussex.
About
Unearthed is a natural building and decorative finishes company based in Lewes and Piddinghoe, East Sussex. Founded in 2023 by Julz Baker, the company specialises in handcrafted clay and lime plasters, applying both materials to create breathable, healthy finishes for homes and interiors with a strong biophilic design ethos. Alongside contracted plastering and finishing work, Unearthed runs a regular programme of natural building workshops and CPD courses from its workshop base at Deans Farm in Piddinghoe.
The Unearthed crew brings together plasterers, designers, and natural building specialists working across clay and lime, including resident plasterers, an architectural designer, and decorative-finish specialists, supported by a network of visiting master craftspeople from the wider natural building community. The team's work has featured at high-profile settings including the Chelsea Flower Show 2025, where Unearthed's clay and lime finishes appeared in a show garden.
Beyond plastering and rendering, Unearthed offers natural building consultancy and runs hands-on workshops covering clay plaster basecoats and finish coats, decorative and sculptural techniques, and natural building methods such as cob construction. These are aimed at homeowners, renovators, professional tradespeople, and anyone working on eco-build projects — including straw bale, cob, timber-frame, and heritage builds.
What they offer
- Clay plaster application — basecoat and decorative finish coats for interiors
- Lime plaster and render — Venetian and smooth lime finishes
- Decorative and sculptural finishes — textured, pigmented, biophilic plasterwork
- Natural building consultancy — for self-builders and renovation projects
- CPD courses and workshops — clay plastering, lime plastering, and cob building
Notable projects
- Chelsea Flower Show 2025, London — clay and lime finishes for a show garden designed by Maximillian Parker Smith
- Clay Plaster Workshop live builds, Piddinghoe, East Sussex — combined teaching workshops with real client plasterwork
- Cob Oven & Bench workshop, Wilderlands Field, East Sussex — community-built wood-fired cob pizza oven and seating
Project photos
Photo: Unearthed
Photo: Unearthed
Photo: Unearthed
Photo: Unearthed
Photo: Benjamin Pryor, Chelsea Flower Show 2025
Julz Baker, founder of Unearthed