Spring is here and it's time for a fresh batch of amazing customer stencil projects! We host a quarterly Before & After Stencil Contest and it's always thrill to open the submission emails and see what's inside. We hope you find them as amazing and inspirational as we do!
Amelie Art Deco Stencil by Lulu Hoeller @charmingdarkness
Lulu wanted to create the romantic gothic bedroom of her dreams in historic home and it looks like she nailed the brief thanks to our Amelie Art Deco stencil and a range of our luscious Royal Stencil Crème metallic stencil paints. She simply didn’t have the budget for all the high end wallpapers she saw and loved the challenge of taking on a stencil project and the ability to use the exact colors of her choice.
She chose Smoked Oyster, Antique Gold, Aged Nickel and Shimmer Pink stenciled over a dark black base on her walls.
She said, “The stencil paints were a dream to use once I got the hang of them and reflect the light in a dark, luminous, romantic way.”
Lulu’s Stencil Tips: Take your time and budget more time than you think you will need for your stencil project, but don’t doubt your instincts on color! Buy the good paint-I tried some cheaper ones at first and was really disappointed but the Royal Stencil Cremes were fantastic and luxurious. You won’t need huge amounts, even for an entire room. Once you take down the first stencil after painting you will be obsessed!
Elsebet Trellis Stencil by Taylor Sullivan @taylorkeakealani
Taylor’s dining room was in need of some drama and she wanted to create a “wallpaper-esaque” pattern without the expense-so stenciling it was the perfect and more economical choice.
She used our Antique Gold Metallic Stencil Crème paint and loved the phenomenal coverage it offers. She also incorporated Valspar Nightfall and Mariana Trench.
She said, “Happy is an understatement! Our dining room has become the focal point of our home and I cannot wait for all the family gatherings to come.”
Taylor’s top stencil tip: Lightly coating and offloading your stencil brush is key.
Hospitality Pineapple by Joan Houser @layersofpaint
Joan found our Hospitality Pineapple wall stencil was perfect for recreating the look of coastal wallpaper.
She said, “I used your big 2” stencil brush and 100% achieved the look I was going for in just a couple of hours with some White Chalk Paint. In the past I’ve used a foam roller for my stencil projects. This was the first time using a stencil brush, and I’ll never go back to the roller method. I had minimal paint bleed through and my end result was exceptional with very little touch-up required!”
Ophelia Art Nouveau Wall Stencil by Tracy Evans
Tracy was ready for a change in her master bedroom, and wanted to go from light to moody in her cottage style home. The ability to choose her own color palette was a big incentive to choose a wall stencil for her makeover.
She used stencil brushes to add some depth with shading to her stenciling which takes it to another artistic level. All paints were Sherwin Williams. The base color is Garden Gate and the stencil colors are Svelte Sage allover with Fired Brick and Baguette as accents-plus a custom pink she created.
Tracy’s Stencil Tips: What I found worked best for me was to use my "Pelican" cut pot by Wooster for the stenciling. It has a "ramp" that I would just brush a little paint on, and roll my foam roller through it to off-load rather than use a paper towel. The key is definitely patience as far as not getting too much paint on the roller! I found it easier to tape off areas on my stencil that I didn't want to hit when adding the colored areas rather than worry about hitting areas I didn't want to hit.
Renaissance Tile Set Stencils by Renee Denise
Renee has recently remodeled another bathroom in her home with new tile and wanted to skip the expense and consuming time and mess of demolition for this second bathroom. Fortunately she found the exact look she wanted for her stenciled tile in this Tile Painting Blog Post and Video. You can follow it too!
She said, “I love having this much more fun and personalized bathroom. I stenciled my tile floors and also ended up painting and stenciling the trash can so it would match and added a little surprise when the medicine cabinet is opened by putting a subtle but beautiful stencil on the inside of the cabinet door.”
Renee’s Stencil Tips: I had a roll of paper and did practice stencils for all 18 of the main squares so I could know ahead of time how to lay out the floor. This was very helpful. I had a fair amount of touching up to do. It is indeed best to keep the brush pretty dry and go over it more than once if needed rather than having too much on the brush. I was surprised how nice the final result and feeling of the floor is. Covering with matte Minwax Polyurethane has worked very well so far.
You’re a Star Tile Stencil by Samantha Reynolds
Samantha has seen many stick-on tile options but wanted something more permanent and cost-effective for her renovation. She found that stenciling her tiles was the perfect option.
She used Valspar Concrete Paint in white and tan followed by a Polyaspartic top coat that is hard as nails and she won’t have to worry about any paint scratching off.
She said, “I was so nervous once I started painting the tile but now this is my favorite room in our house.”
We have a helpful How to Stencil Tile post here if you want more insights and information into stenciling your own tiles.
Feathered Damask Stencil by Tracy Evans
Tracy’s spare bedroom was cute but she felt something was missing. The found the perfect stencil and color combo in keeping with her cottage theme-our Nadia stencil in a soft gray (Repose gray from Sherwin Williams0 and off-white!
She said, “ I love the subtle, flowing nature of this stencil, which could be used for many different interior design styles. It turned out perfectly and looks like wallpaper. It’s also a very forgiving stencil as far as aligning the stencil repeats.
Tracy’s stencil tips: Use a satin/eggshell finish paint for your stenciling, rather than a flat paint/primer combo, as it’s easier to clean off the stencil.
Nadia Wall Stencil by Sofia Cuddeback
Sofia wanted to remodel her daughters “derelict” bathroom and found stenciling to be a “super fun and easy project!”
She said, “the bathroom looks beautiful, happy and fresh. Everyone says they want to just stay in there!
She stenciled with Decoart acrylic paints in Lush Green and Deep Ochre over Valspar Antique White in and eggshell finish.
