Phil Diers has been sculpting, making molds and castings for over thirty-five years. Since 1985, the area of architectural ornamentation, moldmaking and sculpture has been his focus, working in plaster, concrete, resin-stone, and bronze. His specialties include sculpted figures of humans and animals, custom fireplace mantels, friezes, gargoyles, decorative mirror frames and cartouches. He has also designed and sculpted fountains. Working from a photograph or a drawing, he can create any design by sculpting it to exact specifications. Phil has also responded to the needs of clients who wish to replace missing areas of existing vintage embossed wallcovering (i.e. Lincrusta and Anaglypta), using his own unique lincrusta matching process. Notable projects include a nine foot across frieze for the Ames Building in Mountain View, California, reproduction of large ionic capitals for a mansion in San Francisco and sculpting a pair of owls to embellish the exterior of a Palo Alto theater.
While still available for select projects, in February of 2025 Phil was unanimously elected to our Hall of Fame.
“Apollo” — A body cast sculpture that was created for the 1985 San Francisco Decorator Showcase.
Phil Diers detailing Mary’s veil on the Madonna della Guardia sculpture, which he restored after it was severely damaged in a fire.
This circa 1941 plaster Madonna della Guardia was severely fire damaged in 2006 at a San Francisco Catholic church. Phil Diers recreated the hands and heads that were missing as well as cleanup and repair the fire-damaged plaster, using photos the church provided. The statue was fully restored in 2008.
This circa 1941 plaster Madonna della Guardia was severely fire damaged in 2006 at a San Francisco Catholic church. Phil Diers recreated the hands and heads that were missing as well as cleanup and repair the fire-damaged plaster, using photos the church provided. The statue was fully restored in 2008.
This plaster Gothic mantel is based on a 1742 etching by Batty Langley in his book Gothic Architecture. Phil Diers made metal screeds of the profiles and drew the moldings in plaster. The dragons were hand modeled.
Phil Diers’ Hayes Street parlor with hand sculpted mantel with life mask faces and drawn plaster mirror frame. The mantel was inspired by the 1946 French film La Belle et la Bête by Jean Cocteau. The veined Black concrete firebox surround was hand crafted from Buddy Rhodes Studio
French Style Mantel in plaster made by Phil Diers. The molding profiles were created from drawings based on a photograph he found in House and Garden Magazine. The drawings were transferred to sheet metal screeds which were used to draw straight and curved plaster moldings. The cartouche in the middle and the acanthus leaves on the knees were first modeled in clay.
