Third Generation Craftsmen

Decorative Solutions & Plaster Restoration

Three generations of craftsmanship. Venetian plaster, stucco restoration, precision painting, and decorative finishes. Serving Oahu, Hawaii and the greater Chicago, Illinois area.

Third Generation Craftsmen

3RD GENERATION Decorative Solutions & Plaster Restoration

Keeping a dying art alive — one wall at a time.

Keeping a dying art alive

One wall at a time.

  • Venetian Plaster
  • Stucco & EIFS
  • Interior & Exterior Painting
  • Plaster & Water Damage Restoration
  • Window Film & Frosting

ServingOahu, Hawaii
Chicago, Illinois

Since 1948

Trust, kept for three generations. A grandfather’s trowel, a father’s standard, a son’s promise — the same hands-on craft, carried forward one wall at a time.

1948Founded in Dixon, Illinois
3Generations of plasterers
20+Years of hands-on experience

Plaster restoration

Resurrecting a dying art.

An ornate restored plaster ceiling medallion and crown moldingA plaster ceiling and cove mid-restoration, saved rather than torn outOur third-generation plasterer with hawk and trowel, plastering a ceiling by handA smooth hand-troweled plaster wall curving around a corner in warm light
An ornate restored plaster ceiling medallion and crown molding

01 · A vanishing trade

Plaster is becoming a rare art.

Fewer craftsmen learn the trade each year, and too many historic walls are torn out and replaced with drywall simply because no one left knows how to save them.

A plaster ceiling and cove mid-restoration, saved rather than torn out

02 · Restored, not replaced

We save what others tear out.

Cracks, sagging ceilings, broken keys and lost ornament can almost always be repaired — preserving the strength, character and history built into the room.

Our third-generation plasterer with hawk and trowel, plastering a ceiling by hand

03 · The old way

By hand. Layer by layer.

Lime and gypsum, hawk and trowel, scratch coat to finish coat — the same methods handed down in our family since 1948.

A smooth hand-troweled plaster wall curving around a corner in warm light

04 · Invisible repairs

The repair simply disappears.

Texture, profile and sheen are matched so precisely that the only thing you notice is a wall that looks the way it was always meant to.

Explore plaster restoration
Real footage · custom artisan Venetian plaster

Watch the craft · Custom Venetian plaster

Hand. Hawk. Trowel.

This customer wanted a finish no catalog sells, so we created our own version of artisan Venetian plaster from marble dust and gauging plaster. It took a lot of elbow grease and patience: every pass laid on from the hawk, then hard-troweled to a beautiful shine.

  • Our own artisan Venetian plaster
  • Marble dust and gauging plaster
  • Hard-troweled to a beautiful shine
About Venetian plaster

Before & after · Stucco soffit restoration

A Frank Lloyd Wright soffit, made whole again.

Historic residence · Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie home · Oak Park, Illinois

A long section of stucco soffit on this Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie home in Oak Park had failed, leaving the original wood lath exposed beneath the dentil trim. We tore out the damaged stucco, re-wired the ceiling with new metal lath and re-stuccoed it, then blended and feathered the new work into the original and painted it to match the rest of the wraparound soffit.

OutcomeThe repair now reads as part of the original roofline.

Before: a long section of stucco soffit fallen away beneath the dentil trim, exposing the old wood lath Before
After: the same soffit run re-stuccoed and painted, smooth and continuous beneath the dentil trim After
The soffit run beneath the dentil trim

Don’t settle for less

Drywall is a convenience.
Plaster is an inheritance.

Some walls are built to be replaced. Ours are built to be handed down. Before original plaster is torn out, let a third-generation plasterer show you what it can become again.

A hand-troweled plaster wall curving softly around a corner
Plaster Drywall
Surface A dense, hard, hand-finished mineral surface. A gypsum core faced with paper.
Quiet Solid mass that softens sound between rooms. Thin panels that let more sound pass through.
Fire Non-combustible mineral layers with notable fire resistance. A fire-resistant core behind a paper face.
Character Curves, coves, ornament and hand-troweled depth. Flat sheets and taped seams.
Moisture No paper facing for mold to feed on; lime is naturally alkaline. Paper facing that can feed mold once wet.
Lifespan Repairable again and again — original plaster still stands in homes over a century old. Dents and seams are often replaced rather than repaired.
The science of plaster

Services

Every surface, mastered.

Plaster restoration for historic homes and new construction, and a full range of high-end finishes for homes and businesses — every one carried out with union-trained care.

Painting · Interior & exterior

Only the best.
Sherwin-Williams, exclusively.

Every painting project is finished with Sherwin-Williams coatings — chosen for their hide, durability and washability. No contractor-grade shortcuts, ever.

Explore our paints

Emerald®

Sherwin-Williams’ paint and primer in one with advanced stain blocking and exceptional washability.

Duration®

Self-priming exterior protection with PermaLast® technology against cracking, peeling and blistering.

ProMar® 200

The professional zero-VOC interior line with excellent hide and outstanding touch-up.

Father and son, second and third generations of the family plastering business, on a plastering job in Morrison, Illinois, 2014
Father and son on the job · Morrison, Illinois, 2014Photo: Alex T. Paschal, Sauk Valley Media

Our legacy

Handed down, never watered down.

Brainerd Plastering was founded in Dixon, Illinois in 1948, passed from father to son in 1985, and in 2014 the local paper reported the trade being handed to the third generation.

“I have a reputation, and now he has a reputation, which I will guard.”— Chuck Brainerd, second generation, Sauk Valley Media, 2014

Beyond the trowel

A craftsman who also knows the claim.

Union-trained in the plastering trade, our third-generation craftsman has also worked as a property claims adjuster for State Farm. He earned his property adjuster license with a 98% score on the first attempt.

When water, storms or time damage your walls, you work with a restorer who knows how property damage is inspected, measured and documented. You get clear photos, an itemized scope and a repair that honors the original plaster.

Water-damage repair
98%Property adjuster licensing exam, passed on the first attempt
State FarmFormer property claims adjuster
UnionTrained in the plastering trade
3rdGeneration of plasterers

We provide documentation and repair estimates to support your claim. We do not act as a public adjuster or negotiate claims on a homeowner’s behalf.

Where we work

From Oahu to Chicagoland.

Hawaii

Oahu

Plaster, stucco, painting, decks, window film and decorative finishes for island homes and businesses.

Illinois

Chicago & surrounding areas

Now scheduling throughout Oak Park · Forest Park · River Forest · North Riverside · Berwyn · Uptown · Lakeview · Edgewater · Andersonville · Downtown Chicago · Greater Chicagoland.

Free estimates · Residential & commercial

Let’s restore something worth keeping.

Call or text and you’ll speak with the craftsman himself — not a call center.

Chicago · 815-677-7201Oahu · 808-476-0949