They say that first impressions last and Ian Neary, owner of Designer Plaster, makes it his business to ensure executive homes and workplaces produce a statement when people walk in.
His hand-made bespoke walls and ceilings are more sophisticated than traditional plaster board linings, and his work has taken him into the homes of Sir John Key, Douglas Pharmaceuticals as well as Sky City Auckland Casino’s prestigious high roller room.
Specifically designed curved ceiling panels in the lift and foyer areas of the casino are just one of the many special projects he has worked on over the years. Just recently Ian completed high-calibre floor to ceiling linings for the upper level of the large Sylvia Park business centre in Auckland. As well as installing premium fibrous plaster walls and ceilings, 20% of his business is “old world decorative charm,” including fireplace surrounds and entrance corbels.
“The majority of our designs are listed online, however we do have additional designs available. We can also recreate existing designs you may have.” Flush mounted wall niches can also be created to display people’s most prized possessions. There is no doubt Ian’s work is labour intensive, and over the years he has learned how to both manufacture the product and then personally install it onsite, with his business now starting to receive a strong following nationally.
He is proud of how far he has come and what he has achieved in more than 40 years – raising the bar within the industry, and setting the standard for the executive market. The Gib Code standard for the industry using standard plasterboard was set at Level 4 but Ian’s craftsmanship with his hand-made superior fibrous products puts it right up at Level 6. “I have followed the family and I love what I do – the creativity, the artwork, the beauty and the quality of the finish when I have done.”
The family factory was originally based in Onehunga, but when the building industry collapsed in the 1990s it was closed, and Ian continued to contract on his own. “There was too much risk to open a factory again.” But then word got around about his craftsmanship, he began to stamp his mark in the industry, and seven years ago opened his Panmure factory – never looking back.
“Our wall and ceiling linings offer the optimum decorative finish.”