Extra, Extra! Newspapers Fall in Love with Royal Design Studios!

Extra, Extra! Recently, the head of Royal Design Studio Stencils, Melanie Royals, was interviewed on the subject of How Stencils Add Fresh Style to Any Decor by Home & Design writer Mary Beth Breckenridge and the results have gone VIRAL!  Many newspapers picked up the story, including the Charlotte Observer, West Hawaii Today, the Seattle Times and MORE! It seems like Royal Design Studio Stencils are the bigger, bolder and most fashionably fresh stencil option for DIY fashionistas and interior designers alike!  We wanted to cull a few of the great images and ideas shared on some of the newspapers to inspire you!

Stenciling on pillows is such a fantastic and fun idea. The stencil patterns add such a great pop of color to the fabric and you pick the design to match your decor.  The Moroccan Key Stencil from the Allover Moroccan Stencil Collection works perfectly in blues here. The small sized was used for scale but it is also available in large for walls, floors and ceilings.

A wallpaper pattern look without the headaches of installation, maintenance and removal makes using allover stencils a refreshing alternative.  The black and white combination with the Endless Circles Lattice Moroccan Stencil is striking and perfect for the contemporary interior design. The best part? With stencils, you not only get the allover pattern design you love, you can always use YOUR favorite color combination. Easy peasy!

Adding style to your home with stencils isn't just limited to walls and furniture. You can also incorporate the patterns onto ceilings, drapes, flooring and even doors!  The Interlacing Leaves Allover Stencil adds juuuust the right amount of color and design to an a-doorable surface. Isn't it just gorgeous on the door inset?! The design is part of the Allover Pattern Stencil Collection. Each stencil in the allover collections come with an easy stencil registration system which allow you to repeat these stencils across your wall perfectly every time. Gotta love that!

Motif Stenciling is an excellent way to get creative with a stencil by using random placement, layered patterns and several colorations. The whimsical Floral Stamp Stencil from the Bari J Stencil Collection works perfectly in the medium size on this bedroom feature accent wall.  Each stencil comes with pattern layout suggestions and is available in small and large, too. Such a Win-Win!

We hope you've enjoyed some of these fab stencil ideas for your home -- it's always so much fun to hear from you on your stencil adventures! In fact, e-mails keep pouring in to Royal Design Studio from stencil artists all over the country who have seen the stenciling feature in their local newspapers!  One Stencilista said, "It was such a thrill to see your stencils (and you) featured so prominently in this great article! Thank you for making the world a more beautiful place, and for the hours of joy and inspiration that your stencils, [sister stencil line] Modello® Designs, books and virtual workshops have given me!" Awwww! Can't get a better recommendation than that! 

See what other publications are smitten with Royal Design Studio Stencils!

• Studios Magazine visited Royal Design Studio for a trip to the delicious stencil version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory!
  

• What can we say? Royal Design Studio slam-dunked a three-peat with DIY Magazine!

• Both Pottery Barn Teen and Pier One thought it was the hippest to use our stencils for their catalogs!
  

• Martha Stewart Weddings even said "I Do!" to Royal Design Studio Stencils!

Oh, we have so much more Show-stopping Stencil press to share with you coming up! Have a stencil-rific day!

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Stenciled Mirror on the Wall...

Stencils are a fabulous way to add a fun decorative element to mirror glass, especially if it's older or one used for purely decorative purposes. A stenciled mirror or a stenciled glass piece can also hide the mars and nicks of the piece easily.  Many times, changing a frame can prove cost-prohibitive and this is an excellent option for keeping that frame and adding interest to the mirror instead. You can use just one color or various as well as metallics and frosting.  Isn't that cool?  And here's the best part: You can easily find so many great mirrors in flea markets, antique shops and yard sales at budget-friendly prices. We've spied some very pretty mirrors to share and inspire YOU to say "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, I think I'll Stencil you after all...".

Dana from Shabby Chic Addiction decided she was going to have her mirror in the garden -- that means the exterior, the outside, the place where it will face the weather!!! But she knew you could never go wrong Chalk Paint® decorative paint and the Serenity Damask Wall Stencil from Royal Design Studio.  She chose Provence Chalk Paint® and Pure White Chalk Paint® to stencil in the design, which is from the Allover Damask Stencil Collection. Be sure to read about her stenciled mirror project on her blog. We think it's a lovely idea to have a patterned mirror in the garden!

Nan from Sea Rose Cottage decided to go with a glam and gilded stenciled effect for her mirror! The Springtime in Paris Letter Stencil is perfect to create that beautiful, faded French feel most of us love so much.  The stencil itself is a lovely French Poem and is part of the Letter & Typography Stencil Collection. For the gilded effect, the Royal Stencil Creme Paints are easy to stencil with, easy to clean and durable. Plus, they look fantastic on mirror or glass with that special metallic shimmer. Just clean gently with regular window cleaner and a soft cloth (No scraping!)

As you can see, Michele from Hello Lovely used the same stencil but with regular house paint instead! It truly showcases how versatile a stencil can be -- in fact, she used the same pattern to stencil a bath wall in her stenciled mirror post!  Michele shares that it took her all of 10 minutes to transform this mirror. Now that's a perfect evening or weekend DIY project!

This stenciling project can be done on any mirror and glass surface including mirror insets, glass tabletops, old windows and also glass dishes. You can have fun girlfriends dreaming up creative ways to turn "trash into treasures". Stenciled glass and mirrors make fantastic  one-of-a-kind house warming and birthday gifts -- for yourself or a friend, too!  Have fun diving into the looking glass!

Inspiration and ideas abound -- but whose the fairest of them all? Take a look and let us know!

• Take a look at a beautiful stenciled mirror art piece with the Queen's Crown Stencil by artist Debbie Hayes!

• Our sister company, Modello® Designs, has a beautiful gallery of stenciled glass and mirrors!
  

• Want to try your hand at antiquing mirrors? Take the affordable How to Antique Mirror virtual workshop and you'll soon be a pro!

• Our How to Antique Mirror Pinboard has excellent projects combining stenciling and patinated mirrors!
  

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Whoa Baby! Sweet Nursery Stenciling

  

Whoa, Baby! There are so many fun ways to incorporate stencils and pattern into a nursery that tie in with any color scheme, whether it be pink, blue or gender-neutral colors such as yellow or green.  A story or favorite piece of artwork might spark the idea for a beautiful theme and/or color scheme -- and stencils are a fantastic way to help add interest to the chosen design.  Stenciling is very versatile and you can incorporate the pattern on a feature wall, furniture piece, pillows, floor rugs and even the lampshades in a nursery. Royal Design Studio has a Children's & Nursery Stencil Collection but Kathryn of Do It On a Dime decided upon the Circling Allover Stencil from our Allover Modern Stencils Collection. It's an effervescent and contemporary design -- perfect for baby Carson!

  

Kathryn is currently expecting and so her husband Charlie pitched in to help, too!  She says the stenciling process was so easy that "even if you stink at painting like I do, you can totally stencil" -- just what we've been saying! Charlie enjoyed this DIY stenciling project and they thought the end result was cute, whimsical and created a great design statement. We think it's fantastic, too!  As to the time it took them to stencil the feature wall?  TWO hours! Time for that Happy Stencil Dance!

 

The super adorable Kathryn created a video stencil tutorial for her YouTube channel to showcase her entire process. The video is full of good stenciling tips for when you tackle your DIY stenciling project! She included the stencil supplies you will need and visuals on everything from prepwork to lining up the stencil to rolling the color in. Oh -- and there's a $50 Stencil Shopping Spree Giveaway, too! Be sure to click into her video to watch the how-to AND enter to win!  The deadline is March 31, 2013.

Did you know that studies show that adding color and pattern reflects as a calmer and happier nursery environment for a baby?  It's also a more relaxing and joyful space for both Mom and Dad to be in as well.  Have fun creating the best space for your baby with stencils, color and decor you picked out with love!  Many thanks to Kathryn for sharing hers!

No need to wait nine months for special nursery & kids rooms ideas - check out MORE below!

• Project Nursery shared a glam, pink stenciled nursery with our Ribbon Damask Stencil!

• Our Endless Circles Lattice helped pull together a simple, sophisticated nursery for Cozy Cottage Cute!

• Have an older child? Here's a clever "board and batten" stencil wall treatment to update a nursery for boyhood.

• Our pin-spiring Stenciled & Painted Kids' Room pinboard will surely get your creative juices flowing!

Have a Stencil-rific day!

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Stencils at the Statthaus!

Royal Design Studio recently ran their Royal Stencils LOVE Photo Contest and received many incredible stenciled project submissions of walls, furniture, ceilings, staircases and more! Stencils are a gorgeous way to transform residences and both commercial and hospitality locations - and it was one of those latter entries that caught our eye.  Kristin Reuther-Mercurio owns the Statt Hotel (Statthaus) in Cologne, Germany and she entered many projects where she used stencil patterns on different surfaces to design the hotel's guest rooms and exterior! We had to learn more and so we chatted with Kristin about her hotel, the design inspiration and her fab DIY stenciling!

"I studied architecture and later bought the house as a ruin, renovated and furnished it - that was 11 years ago," Kristin explains. "Since then I have been renting all eight apartments for long or short-term. My guests are here for a few days on holiday or for visiting friends and family but also for some weeks or months for work or other reasons. I like the idea of hearing so many different life stories and hosting so many different people I would else never have met."

 

 

She further adds, "I also like that my guests can - in a different city or country – have their own space and feel at home, not like in a hotel. The building is in the very central, yet in a quiet street. From here one can explore the city on foot."  As her guests arrive at the Statt for the home-away-from-home experience, a colorful Intricate Zelij Moroccan Stencil design greets them and sets a happy, relaxed tone as soon as they enter hotel.

We asked Kristin how she came about choosing stencils from Royal Design Studio for her design plan. "I grew up with a Turkish stepfather and thus always felt very close to the Oriental lifestyle and decorations. When I went to Morocco I fell in love with their tiles, however, those tiles were so expensive and hard to mount. An artist friend of mine pointed out Royal Design Studio Moroccan Stencil Collection – and I fell in love immediately."  In a guest room's bedroom and kitchen, you can spy both the Small and Large Eight Pointed Stars Moroccan Stencil from the Allover Moroccan Stencil Collection.

Kristin shared her design dilemma. "For years people tried to talk me into tiling the kitchen walls (more practical!) but as the apartments are not so big and the kitchens are open to the living areas I did not want to do it. That way the whole apartment would have felt like a kitchen."  She decided stenciling was the perfect design solution! By only stenciling certain areas of the kitchen, she was able to keep the design light, easy and not as structured as tile would have made it. The Intricate Zelij Moroccan Stencil used on the exterior pulls double duty and adds a fun, pretty touch to one of the guest room kitchens, too.

 

Perks of using stenciling techniques include that stencils can be reused time and again and are also versatile enough to use on multiple surfaces.  The Small Endless Moorish Circles Moroccan Stencil is used on three stenciled surfaces: a kitchen backsplash, the bath floor AND the fabric shower curtain! These additions of pattern make such an exciting alternative to just having a plain surface, right?

Kristin wanted her guests to feel relaxed during their stay -- and also find something new when they returned. "I enjoy changing the apartments from time to time and adding new decorations. While I'm stenciling, I can focus and relax and take a break from office work," she says. One fun bit of info -- the local name of the hotel, Statthaus, is wordplay in German. If the “City or Town-House” is spelled with double t it means “instead of” so instead of being in a hotel you feel like you are in your own home. It's wonderful to know that stenciling has become a pleasurable activity for Kristin and also one that allows her creativity to always find a new "home", too. Many thanks to Kristin for sharing her beautiful stencil projects at the Statt Hotel!  Be sure to book your reservations!

Want to see more hospitality projects around the world with Royal Design Studio Stencils? 

• Contemporary Columns with our Modello® Designs masking stencils make a Toronto coffee bar extra HOT!

• See the beautiful stenciled commercial projects of Shanghai-based artist David Hsueh!

• Featured in many shelter magazines AND a best-selling book, the stenciled surfaces at Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh define global chic!

• The Lesic Dimitri Palace in Croatia has gorgeous tone-on-tone stenciled surfaces with Modello® Designs vinyl stencils!
  

 

 

 

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Raven + Lily: Design with a Purpose

The very best design enhances our lives by uplifting our spirits, inspiring us with beauty, and provides balance and order to our lives. Raven + Lily, a socially responsible company that dedicates itself to empowering women around the globe through design partnerships and sustainable economic opportunities, not only provides this to us through their products but is uplifting, enhancing, and providing balance and order to the lives of the women who make them. 

 

Their gorgeous collections feature handmade, eco-friendly jewelry and accessories from North India, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Los Angeles-and proceeds from the sales are returned to fund education, healthcare, and micro-loans to the communities they come from.

I personally own these amazing earrings and necklace, made in Ethiopia from recycled vintage coins and bullet casings. Read more about Raven and Lily's mission here, and you can imagine why I feel so good about wearing them.

 

This past year, they photographed their latest designs for their Spring/Summer Collection at none other than Peacock Pavilions-the site of our annual Peacock Painter’s Stencil Retreats-and many of our stenciling projects there can be seen in the backgrounds in this lovely LookBook. The allover stencils painted in black and white that you see on the stairs and door were inspired by classic zellij tile patterns, and were created for our first and second stencil retreats. All of these little lovelies are available in our Moroccan stencil pattern collection. You can see more of these stairs, as well as other ideas, in this blog post about using stencils on stair risers. The petite stencil patterns are such a fun addition to not only stair risers, but furniture, fabric, placemats, and stenciled accessories as well. Bonus! They also make a GREAT backdrop for fashion shoots! Collage background pattern: Arabesque Moroccan Stencil

 

The stenciled Moroccan dining tent that we created on our 3rd stencil retreat to Peacock Pavilions was used in another photo shoot. This tent, which we stenciled with designs drawn from Fez embroidery patterns is a super romantic dinner venue at night, but it's also a dreamy place to while away an afternoon with the soft filtered light and afternoon breeze blowing in. The Moroccan stencils used here are Moroccan Lace Stencil, Moroccan Star Border Stencil, Fez Blanket Moroccan Stencil, and Fez Fringe Border Stencil.

 

Far and away, the Peacock Pavilions stencil retreat project where we stenciled an Art Deco Mural inspired by the artist Armand Albert Rateau is the one that elicits gasps (of pleasure, of course!) It is super elegant, dare I say sexy, and offers heavy drama with stenciling in gold Stencil Cremes on a graphite colored wall. Due to the large scale, this particular stencil project was done with a one-time-use vinyl stencil from our sister pattern company, Modello® Designs. We have made these patterns available for YOU, in case you want to recreate this gorgeous look for yourself, and used a combination of DecPan219 and 220.

We just LOVE that some of our stencil projects in Morocco are showing up in fashion shoots and fashion magazines worldwide, thanks to the amazing talents and network of design associations of author and international interior design blog star Maryam Montague of My Marrakesh.

As I get ready to leave a month from now for our next Peacock Painters Stencil Retreat and project, I am already looking ahead to the NEXT trip which will take place in May 2014. This current retreat sold out in 2 weeks, so if you are interested in participating in our Moroccan stencil magic next year, please let me know!

RAVEN +_LILY TEAM credits: PHOTOGRAPHY: Kate Rentz, MODELS: Fatima Zahra and Kate Rentz, STYLIST: Lori Fox, ASSISTANT STYLIST: Candice DePrang Boehm

 

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Stenciling with Global Style!

Stencils and patterns have always been a design staple and are now touted as being even bigger, bolder and fashionably refreshing! The news has traveled globally as publications in Europe find themselves touting the virtues of using stencil designs in interior decoraring. Recently, Spanish magazine On Madrid decided to feature the contemporary take on Moroccan design that Mexican blogger and creative DIYer Rocio Jimenez of Casa Haus created with one of the Moroccan stencil patterns from  Royal Design Studio.

Rocio had a large expanse of wall that needed personality and pattern with a neutral color scheme. Her living room and dining room occupied the same space and she needed to make each one inviting in its own way.  She chose the Moroccan Geometry Stencil from the Allover Moroccan Stencil Collection to feature on her 18' foot dominant wall. She felt it was the one design element that would pull the dual area together and used a wonderful light, soft gray paint through the stencil to create a subtle, yet powerful impact.

On Madrid is the magazine related to El Pais, Spain's largest newspaper.  They contacted Rocio and had her write an allover stenciling tutorial for their subscribers. She also shared her stenciling a feature wall tutorial for her bilingual blog readers as well as showcasing her Before & After stencil process. What a beautiful result!

Rocio shares that at first, she could not decide on a Royal Design Studio stencil pattern as she had too many she loved! She knew that when choosing a stencil pattern, one must always take into consideration the size of the pattern for the planned surface, the overall design scheme and of course, how much you truly enjoy the style of the stencil pattern. Rocio loves geometric patterns and had a desire to bring a contemporary, Moroccan influence to her home's design. She now says "I love it every time I see it. I love the way it looks and the pattern is absolutely beautiful."  We agree, Rocio!  

We also love how a design inspired by Morocco, stenciled for a project in Mexico and featured in a Spanish magazine absolutely encompasses how stencils define global style!  

MORE Haute Stencil Style Ideas just for YOU!

• From Damasks to Florals to Modern and Ethnic - our Allover Stencil Patterns give the fab wallpaper you want and in the precise colors you love!

• Got your fave stencil and are ready to go? Check out our tutorial on How to Stencil with Allover Pattern Stencils!

• You can stencil most any surface! Our How to Stencil section of our website shows you all the tips & tricks!

• Visit the Royal Design Studio Facebook fan page and Pinterest boards for daily stencil, design and pattern inspiration!

• Take your allover or motif stenciling project one step further by layering colors on the stencil patterns!

Have a Stencil-rific day! Adios!

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Stencil Ideas for a Laundry Room You'll Love

  

Laundry Rooms are an ideal space to add stencil patterns and color to make them more inviting, vibrant and fun -- or serene and classic as well! They are almost a "forgotten" space and yet most of us spend quite a bit of time there. In some houses, the laundry room is also the first area you enter in your home via the garage. To have an uplifting design greet you the moment you walked in is far better than the usual descriptions of "boring" and "dreary". To that end, we've rounded up a few stencil design ideas for you to help decorate the perfect laundry room. 

Kelly from View Along the Way transformed her laundry room with paints, stenciling and a few great design elements.  She used the Peacock Fancy Stencil from our Furniture Stencils Collection and the Patina Green Royal Stencil Creme to add shimmer and pattern to her feature wall.  She shared all the lessons she learned on her wall stenciling adventures and it's quite the amazing Before & After! Oh - and a little bird told us that this pretty as a peacock laundry room would be featured in an upcoming Better Homes & Gardens magazine. We'll keep you posted!

The Cherry Blossoms Stencil looks fantastic against a yellow background in this space created by artists from Royal Design Studio.  The versatile stencil pattern was used as individual motifs but it could easily be stenciled to create larger branched areas. The design is from the Japenese Stencils Collection which features patterns inspired by kimonos, lacquer boxes, and ornamental floor screens.  What a perfect way to bring out your inner geisha!

Chelsy from B Couture Photography chose the Endless Moorish Circles Moroccan Stencil from our Allover Moroccan Stencils Collection to add a globally-inspired pattern in a neutral, understated way.  She wanted to keep things simple and decided to match the white doors and base in the room. It’s subtle, modern and dramatic at the same time!  She shared more on her stenciled laundry room post on her blog.

There are many options for stenciling a wall: an allover design meant to evoke wallpaper patterns, motifs placed randomly over a wall to create a wonderful, loose pattern or a singular stencil placed perfectly to enhance the overall design, as seen here. Jennifer Wight & Jules Driscoll of My Sister & I used an Architectural Border Masking Stencil (AchBor103) from our sister stencil  company, Modello® Designs, to add an enlarged pattern vertically on the laundry room's prominent wall. Modello® Designs are one-time-use, adhesive-backed vinyl stencil patterns that are custom-sized and cut to order. We think the work of both Jennifer and Jules showcases a wonderful way to add interest to the space as well as incorporating the color scheme! 

Who says you are limited to just the wall for laundry room stencil projects?  Erin from How to Nest for Less was inspired to stencil her washer and dryer as opposed to her walls and created a pair of stenciled laundry room lovelies.  She used our Donatella Damask Stencil and Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan to achiever her beautiful, durable results. What a fab, creative idea and way to freshen up an old washer/dryer!

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A Dee-lightful Stenciled Floorcloth!

Stenciling a floor is a fantastic design option when looking to transform a space with color and pattern.  But what about when you need something to treat a floor quickly and temporarily?  A long-time customer of Royal Design Studio stencils, Dee Cunningham of Deelite Design, found herself with just this design dilemma. She didn't want to paint the design directly onto the floor itself because it was in really rough shape and wouldn't be durable without a good amount of prepwork.  She also liked the option of taking the project with her if she moved -- she didn't want to leave all her hard work behind! And finally, she knew her new studio space had been known to flood. She found herself with a fantastic solution that was transportable AND durable: a Stenciled Floorcloth!

Stenciled floorcloths (sometimes referred to as oil cloths or floor canvases) have quite a bit of history to them and many artists use various methods to achieve their desired results.  Dee was looking for something that was easy to create. She was excited when fellow artist Lynne Rutter advised that she had a linoleum rug in her basement that had made it through a flood and when she chanced upon a stenciled vinyl floorcloth tutorial by Melanie Royals, she decided to go for it!

At a home center, she had them cut a 9' x 12' piece out of thick vinyl material. She primed and painted the back side with XIM and then Off-White SetCoat. The whole room was going to be dictated by the stenciled floorcloth and so she turned to a favorite store, Anthropologie, for inspiration on rug and color composition.  All the stencils she used were from Royal Design Studio and included the Uzbek Suzani Stencil for the center, the Nova Trellis Stencil for the wider side panels, the Scallops Allover Stencil for the shorter wide panels and the Eight Pointed Stars Moroccan Stencil for the top & bottom end pieces.

She drew out composition sketches with the patterns and kept in mind that "it's only paint".  She explains, "I was more interested in the color interactions within each area and let the stencils dictate how I worked them out. I re-did the end sections at least three times and the center once before I was happy with it. I used leftover paints from other projects to mix my own colors, referencing images I had saved where the color palette spoke to me."  Once she was happy with the patterns and color scheme, she let the floorcloth dry thoroughly and applied two coats of her preferred topcoat, Varathane polyurethane. 

 

Doesn't she look happy with her results? We love them, too! Many thanks to Dee for sharing her floorcloth stencil project and process with us -- be sure to check out her fab blog for more Dee-lightful painting projects!  Don't forget to also click into Melanie's How to Stencil a Floorcloth tutorial as she gives step-by-step instructions and visuals for creating your own. Of course, feel free to pin these pics and follow Royal Design Studio on Facebook and Twitter for more stencil love!

MORE stencil inspiration coming your way -- we love sharing ideas!

• Janet Metzger from The Empty Nest shows how to create a stenciled floorcloth with the Indian Floral Wall Stencil!
  

• Using Chalk Paint® decorative paint to create a gorgeous and classic stenciled floorcloth!

• What about a blah rug? Stellar Junk shows you her Stenciled Rug Redo and Vintage Revivals shows off her Stenciled Rug Makeover!
  

• Check out our Four on the Floor post for stenciling ideas for various floor surfaces!

• You can never go wrong with peeking into both the Stenciled & Painted Floors and Stenciled Concrete boards on Pinterest!

Have an inspired day filled with Stencil-bilities!

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