Dude, stencils are no joke. But I did it! I bit the bullet and ordered the stencil that John and I have been pining after for the past month (mentioned here a few weeks back). We loved the idea of adding some subtle tone on tone detailing above the chair rail in our office (we didn’t want anything with too much contrast since it’ll compete with the dark teal built-ins and the fun curtains in the nearby dining room). So we settled on a softer gray tone with a tiny pop of color (leftover grellow paint from the adjoining kitchen). At 54 honking dollars it was hardly a drop in the bucket, but let me tell you, this stencil is hardcore. First of all, it’s made of super durable plastic, so I don’t have to worry that it will rip or crease while I’m taping it, untaping it, and bending it manhandling it to get into the corner crevices (I’m pretty sure I would have trashed a thinner stencil after one wall, just because it’s kind of a more rigorous application process than I expected). And let’s just talk about how big it is. It’s over two feet tall and almost two feet wide, so it helps to make things go faster since you don’t have to reposition it every three seconds like you would with something smaller.
And yes, this is quite an evil face I’m making. No idea why. I remember saying something like “make sure I don’t look naked” when John snapped this, but had no idea I was giving off such an I’m-the-female-Hannibal-Lecter vibe.
Another way that I’m rationalizing my purchase is that we only spent $6.30 on cabinets for the built-ins and $27 to build a 13 foot counter, so maybe it’s time we splurged in the office. Haha. I also figure any type of wallpaper (even the cheap stuff at Lowe’s and Home Depot) would be way more than $54 for the entire room above the chair rail, so there ya go.
I’ve actually never done a giant repeating stencil like this on a wall (we did stencil the floor of our first house’s sunroom) so here’s where I’ll get to the keeping it real part: stenciling is haaard. I’m not gonna lie, my arms were cramping after about an hour and it took four and a half solid hours (from 8pm to twelve thirty in the morning) just to almost finish one wall (out of the four that I want to do). But in the spirit of sharing things real-time as we go, I couldn’t wait to share the in-progress madness. Here’s a close up:
And here’s one side of the wall that I almost completed (I still have to do those last 6″ above the chair rail). Oh but ignore the weird dark and light vertical shadows on the wall (couldn’t wait for the lighting to be better – too impatient and excited to share, haha).
As for my method, here’s a little breakdown of what seemed to work for me:
1. I prepped the room by clearing it and tossing a drop cloth over the desk so we wouldn’t get paint splatters on it.
2. I used Martha Stewart Craft Stencil Adhesive Spray from Michael’s (purchased with a 40% coupon of course) to spray the back of the stencil before taping it up on the wall with painters tape. This helped the middle parts of the stencil stay close to the wall and not bend out for a nice crisp line. I probably repositioned the stencil two or three times before re-spraying it (when I noticed it holding less firmly to the wall I just took it down and sprayed it and taped it back up for the next application). Oh and you’ll want to use a large piece of cardboard or drop cloth to spray the back of your stencil so you don’t get stick stuff all over the floor).
3. As for where to start, John held the stencil up in the top middle of the wall so we could center the pattern and work out from there in all directions.
4. I also used delicate surface frog tape for holding the stencil up at the top, bottom, and sides (we already had it on hand and I didn’t want to tear off fresh paint as I moved it around the room so it seemed to do the trick).
5. I used small foam craft brushes (also from Michael’s). They were basically dowels with flat foam tips.
6. As for how I loaded my little foam brushes, I just dipped them in the paint (more details on the paint colors later) and dabbed the brush around the lip of the plate to remove excess before tapping it against the wall to apply the stencil.
7. I always tapped the wall at a right angle with a not-to-gloppy foam brush for a nice clean edge (so the paint wouldn’t slip or drip behind the stencil and smear around).
8. If I feared that a little bit of paint somehow got behind the stencil, before repositioning it on the wall for the next application I would lay it on my drop cloth on the floor (face down) and wipe the back with a dry folded paper towel to remove the excess paint. Then I would respray my stencil adhesive and stick it back on the wall for the next application.
9. The way that the stencil is applied means that there are repeats. So you position it right over the last 3″ that you previously stenciled and work your way across the wall that way. I didn’t wait for the paint to dry before moving the stencil (that would have probably taken five million hours), so I just took my time applying the paint so nothing got behind the stencil and then matched up the stencil carefully for the repeat and continued on. Since there was no wet paint on the back of the stencil, it was fine to be pressed against the 3″ of wall that was already done, and it didn’t look any different than the non-overlapped part. I wonder if the application of paint was so thin that it was drying really quickly so it didn’t make a difference…
10. The corners were the hardest part. To get the stencil to lay flat against the wall in the corner so you can cram your brush into the small little stencil openings was sort of impossible to get perfect. But I did learn that this stencil is extreeeeemely forgiving (probably because it’s a more organic pattern than a regularly spaced geometric one, which would probably make any inconsistencies a lot more obvious). So when I didn’t quite get deep into all the corners, once it dried it was somehow not obvious at all (a stenciling miracle?). Of course I’m not exactly a corner expert because I’ve only attempted one of them, so as I go around the rest of the room maybe I’ll have more tips.
After about three hours I was here on the first wall:
And after 4.5 hours I had one wall almost all done (sorry for the terrible picture, I was sort of losing it at this point).
So although I wasn’t completely done with that wall, I decided that 12:31 am meant it was time to put the foam brush down and throw in the towel for the night. And do some finger stretching (I seriously had cramped up hand-claws).
Oh and as for the colors, here you go:
- Walls: Moonshine by Benjamin Moore (color matched to Olympic No-VOC paint in a satin finish)
- Main stencil color: I just asked the paint guys to give me a half-tint of the wall color (also color matched to Olympic no-VOC paint in a satin finish). This means they just add half as much tint to the white base as the original formula calls for, so you end up with a half-as-intense tone-on-tone effect.
- Grellow stencil flower accent color: Leftover wall paint from the kitchen, which is Sesame by Benjamin Moore (color matched to Olympic no-VOC paint in semi-gloss). You actually can’t tell the difference in finish unless the light hits it just right from the side and the grellow sort of looks iridescent, which is actually awesome. Yay for happy accidents.
I also made a video to hopefully help demonstrate the foam brush prepping and actual stenciling part of the process (including a quick demo on corner stenciling):
So that’s where I am with the stencil. One wall-above-the-chair-rail almost done, three more to go. I’m planning to tackle another 4+ hours tonight and hopefully can fit in one more session this week (my goal is to be done by Thursday or Friday, soreness permitting). It’s definitely one of those projects that you just need to force yourself to complete as fast as possible – because as soon as you start all you want is to get to the point where you can let out a huge sigh and say “so glad that’s over!”
But so far I have to admit that it’s totally worth the trouble. We’re loving the effect (it’s sort of like subtle modern wallpaper, not too in your face but not too tame and unnoticeable either). It’s sort of the perfect amount of “ooh, look at that” without being too competey and chaotic with the adjoined dining room. And John and I both have said the following sentence about ten times so far: “the pop of color totally makes the entire thing.” So might I recommend a splash of grellow (or any color you love actually) to take something that’s gray on gray to the next (still-kinda-subtle) level?
Ok, now I have to hear from you guys. Have you ever stenciled something, be it an accent wall, piece of furniture, or entire room? Do you have any secrets you’d like to share? How long did it take? Is four and a half hours for the top half of one 13 foot wall (with a big ol’ window in the middle) about right? I might just be moving at a turtle-like pace. Haha. Just too nervous about getting paint all down the back of my stencil if I go any faster. Anyway, hopefully I’ll be back with finished pictures (and maybe a bulging right bicept from dabbing away) by Thursday or Friday. Until then, picture me standing on a chair at 11pm wearing my inside out painting clothes and listening to shows on Hulu (I tried radio, but somehow hearing Community and Parks & Rec play in the background kept my spirits up a little more).
Psst- I’m over on BabyCenter chatting about my favorite kids clothing store and how I save money when it comes to shopping for Clara’s clothes & shoes. Did I mention that I snagged 47 cent shoes on my latest mission? Excited doesn’t even begin to describe it. Check it out here.
Catharine @ Your Modern Couple says
Wow Sherry! I can’t believe how great this is turning out! When you first showed the stencil you were thinking of using I was nervous because it looked so intense! [Granted, it’s proving to be intense] It looks SO good though, well worth the effort fo sho! I can’t wait to see the finished product!
I’ve been wanting to stencil my dining room and entry but I’m moving in 7 months so I don’t think it will be worth the effort haha, but I’ll definitely do it in my new place, and follow your tips. This really does look fantastic!
Barbie says
Beautiful job with the stencil. On a much smaller scale, I stenciled a suitcase with a paper stencil purchased in Laos. Now I can easily find my suitcase on the turnstile and I’m reminded of a wonderful trip.
Netty says
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!! Good luck with the next 3 walls. It’s SO AWESOME!!
Megan says
Oh wow!! I love it!!
Seriously, I think this might be my favourite thing you have ever done!!
Luann says
:like:
Mollie says
I LOVE this! It looks great! I just got my stencil in the mail and am going to start my project soon. Thanks for posting the video, it gives me a good idea of how to get started. Keep up the great work! Love your blog
leah says
That looks amazing! I do have one question… Are your walls textured at all? I attempted to do a similar stencil in our master bath a few months back and the paint bled terribly under the stencil becuase the walls are textured. I was so frustrated! I would love to attempt it again but I am afraid after that experience. If you had any tips to share if your walls are textured you could be my hero! It looks awesome.
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, our walls are smooth. Anyone have any textured wall tips for Leah?
xo,
s
elle C. says
It’s a huge mess, but you’d have to put a skim coat on and sand it down a bit. Otherwise, even if you follow the lines of your stencil perfectly and nothing bleeds through, the effect of your stencil will looked rippled in some places from the texture.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Elle C!
xo,
s
Ange says
Holy Cow! That is awesome! No wonder you were so excited to share the in-progress. That is one of the prettiest things I’ve seen. I would not be up for the effort, but totally worth it. I can’t wait to see it all back together. I love how all your colours are coming together with only a small palette but you are using them in such different ways. Totally worth the splurge on the stencil!
Briel K. says
Ooh, I love it! I love the colors you are using in that room.
Ami says
Wow that looks BEAUTIFUL! I am not a big fan of grey but that just plain rocks. Really gorgeous.
Anniekins says
Looks awesome! This timing is hilarious – I stenciled the back of my weird built-ins in my apartment last night with a “Morrocan” pattern. It’s a repeating print, so it got a little challenging matching up the print, and it was a pretty small space, so there was a lot of muttering, readjusting, and a little bit of swearing. Your stencil job puts mine to shame, but I’m still pretty proud of mine! Love the pop of grellow!
Trude says
Wow that stencil is just gorgeous! I’m obsessed with tone-on-tone everything right now, it’s a great way to dip your toes into patterns without getting freaked out. ;) My mom was the queen of stencil borders when I was growing up, their living room, dining room, one bath and the master bedroom all have them! It can really make a cool effect. And I remember helping her, and it definitely takes a while! But just think of it this way – at least you won’t have to worry about pulling down wallpaper if you hate it, you can just paint over it!
Delia says
It looks amazing! I feel inspired!
AJ says
That wall is gorgeous, I love it!!
MelissaG says
Beautiful! I love it and it will be so worth it when you’re done! I would love to try this some day!
michelle says
that looks totally cool.
i have been trying to find a color that i want to paint in my kitchen and was wondering if they could do a half-tint sort of thing. glad to know i’m not the only one thinking it. and now i know the proper term…thank you. the color that i love for my kitchen is just a bit too dark. we’ll see what happens.
um, also, your steps 5 and 6 are basically the same thing. i’m sure someone already pointed it out, but usually you are all over correcting those thing.
~m
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! You’re actually the first one to tip me off! All fixed!
xo,
s
Lynea says
LOVE IT! It reminds me of the dining room walls at makingitlovely.com
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, I love that room!
xo,
s
Sara says
When I was in college, my roommates and I stenciled an accent wall in one of the bedrooms. I don’t remember the exact colors, but it was a light blue base with the same blue in metallic finish. We actually just used a roller to apply the paint, and it looked great when we were finished. We had just taken a scene painting class, and that was one of the techniques we used in class.
I love the gray-on-gray with a pop of yellow. When my fiancee and I buy a house and can paint the walls, I’m totally stealing that idea!
eileen marie says
WOW. I lurve it! It looks almost like peacock feathers. I have slowed my commenting after reading your blogiversary posts, but I HAD to compliment!!
Thanks for the 1/2 tint tip -I see painting in our future if we get the house we have our eye on. Also, whenever I am doing a project or have just messed one up due to rushing, I think of the infinite patience you both have!
And that is a mighty evil face, Sherry! ;)
Monica T says
Hi guys this is my first time actually commenting on anything. But I read your blog every day, usually more than once!! Love it and love this idea!! I have a silly question, I noticed you were wearing your ring while painting, do you always? I always have to make a conscious effort to remove my ring before painting is involved, maybe I’m just sloppy though :)
You guys really inspire me, I’m redoing our master bedroom right now in all black and white and get great ideas from you.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes I’m a crazy person. Those things never come off. John and I sleep in them and swim in them and paint in them. Haha. Probably very poor ring care, but we’re just weird and sentimental about always having them on. I don’t think John’s has left his finger in four years and mine only came off when I got to swollen/prego and I was such a sad girl without it!
xo,
s
NK says
Wow. It’s a work of art. Great job. I think the wall is better looking with the stenciling than any wall paper could be.
Amber says
I’m sorry this took so long, because this is one of the most awesome things I’ve ever seen done with paint! I absolutely love it!!
Cami P says
Oh my gosh I love it! The wall looks so great!
Jim says
Great work here! You guys are brilliant!
Tamsyn says
Wow, it looks amazing. I wouldn’t have thought to add the pop of colour, but it totally makes the space! I’m getting ready to stencil the pantry. I wasn’t prepared for how much of a big job it is.
Crystal says
I LOVE how that is looking! That stencil is amazing and the pop of color makes it!! I love stencils…it’s weird I know… I’m ready for a good stencil project! =)
Nicole says
It looks spectacular! I can’t wait to see the whole room. I need to do a huge damask style stencil in my next house.
Erin says
i DIE! this is amaze-balls!!!
r8chel says
Wow – that looks great! The idea of stenciling always makes me think of something cutesy/country from the early 90s, but this looks so contemporary!
danielle gray says
what a beautiful room the office has become! i LOVE the stencil as well as the pop of color, you guys nailed it, yet again!
Penny says
It’s so pretty! I wonder if you’re stenciling at this very moment. If I were your neighbor I’d be bringing you a big plate of cookies and 2 ibuprofen right about now! Good luck! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you may or may not be able to see me through the window on a chair right now…
xo,
s
Beth C says
It looks gorgeous! And perfect timing for me, too–I’m planning to stencil a wall in my dining room, so your video tutorial will be a big help!
elle C. says
Wow, you’re practically a road runner when it comes to stenciling compared to me! I picked a very unforgiving geometric, inter-lacing circles stencil for our entryway, and getting the preliminary coats on took FOR-EV-ER. I’m still not finished, and I started in April. I’ve been able to avoid finishing because it looks done upon first glance or just walking through the room, but taking a closer look reveals all the globs and misaligned circles. I love the overall look, and I’ve learned a few tricks for any future stenciling, but by golly, it’s a lot of work!
http://memoirsofawannabegypsy.com/2011/06/before-almost-after-entryway-how-this-room-fought-to-get-noticed/
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow that looks amaaaazing! Well worth the effort!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Hi Sherry! I love reading your blog and with this new stencil project, just had to comment. I just moved into my first apartment and stenciled the walls. I did a large accent wall in the living room in light blue which took about 8 hrs. I then used the same stencil in purple my bedroom above the bed to create a “headboard”, which took about 3 hours. It sounds like you are being much more careful then I was though; I just used a paint roller. Your stencil looks fantastic and I love the idea of using two different colors!
Dawn says
Fantastic! It looked like a whole lot of work – uh, I mean, a lesson in patience, but you did it and did it well!
Kate says
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!
Some blissful day when I actually own my own home, I am definitely going to steal this idea. Even the color combo is just perfect!
Beth says
Gorgeous! I love the understated tonality and the little flecks of yellow. This might be my favorite project yet.
P.S. I have two recommendations for home-improvement-project listening: Radiolab and This American Life. Hours of delightful, informative programming… all available online, free-of-charge. Here are the links:
Radiolab: http://www.radiolab.org/archive/
This American Life: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the recommendations! We’ll have to check them out!
xo,
s
Rose says
LOVE LOVE you guys first of all! It’s been awhile since I commented. I’ve been dying to try this stenciling myself. Regrettabley my walls are textured :( So it’s a total PITA to do anytype of lines/patterns. I was considering free-hand painting some stuff. I’ll let you know how that goes! LOL :) Can’t wait to see the rest. You guys are so inspiring.
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!! We’d love to hear how it goes!
xo,
s
Katie S. says
Thanks for the video! I was hoping you would include a demo. But the part I am most confused about is moving and positioning the stencil.
Great job! It looks fantastic!
YoungHouseLove says
That part’s pretty easy! Just pull it off the wall and place it on the next part. Every stencil is different about how the “repeat” works, but on ours there are little leaves that are lined up over other leaves so you can continue everything from that point on. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Liz says
that’s gorgeous–i LOVE it! possibly my favorite thing in your current house to date!
i have stenciled a couple of times, but i was a teenager in my parents’ house and the pressure to be perfect just wasn’t there. that said, i think things turned out well. it’s not too fast. :)
Ann Marie says
Love, love, love love love. Love? Love. :-)
Kari says
The stencil is looking great! Just curious, was the fabric on the “dastardly rocking chair” the inspiration for this room?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, too funny! I never thought about it, but maybe it subconsciously came into play!
xo,
s
Julia Bernal says
That is flippin’ amazing! It looks so great you did a great job. In the words of Tyra Banks….you look fierce! In that picture of you holding the stencil. Go on with your bad self girlfriend! hehe. Hope all is well. Take care.
Make and Do Girl says
Wow! That is seriously awesome. I love the colors you used. I definitely can relate to the “wow, that took way longer than I thought” experience. Happens with almost every project I tackle. But you are going to enjoy the heck of of that wall when it’s all said and done.
Tarnya Cook says
Hi Sherry
Sorry if you have answered this question previously but just wanted to know if it was safe to spray with adhesive and put on the walls as my house is brand new and all newly painted obviously, so just wanted to check to see if it left it sticky or worse chipped?
It looks awesome by the way I absolutely love that design.
Tarnya xx
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s a really mild tackiness that stays on the stencil (the walls don’t feel sticky at all when you remove it- sort of like how you could put a sticker on the wall and take it off and the sticker would be left sticky but not the wall).
xo,
s
Pamela says
That looks AMAZING! Oddly, though, I was more excited to see Clara wtith Snuggle Puppy in the background. It’s a huge hit around here :)
Laci Waner says
This is AMAZING!! ..the claw-hands are totally freaky, though!
Laura says
woah, excellent work Sherry! it is beautiful!! :D
Hillary says
It looks AWESOME!!!
Michelle says
Wow! I love how that turned out!