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How To Stencil A Wall

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.

Stencil1

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:

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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).

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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…

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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.

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After about three hours I was here on the first wall:

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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).

Stencil 1 Wall

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).

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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?

Stencil 1 Wall

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.

Comments

  1. Rachel H. says

    So so pretty! I love it! Is there a reason that you use Olympic No Voc instead of the Benjamin Moore Natura series? Is the Olympic cheaper? Better quality? I’m curious because I’m also interested in using no voc paint. My husband and I just purchased some Natura by Benjamin Moore for a piece of furniture we’re painting. Now I’m wondering if Olympic is better?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, way cheaper. I think by around $25 a gallon (and with all the painting we do it really adds up). Some paint that says no-VOC actually isn’t after they add the colorants (those tints can have VOCs) but Olympic Premium No-VOC truly is free of VOCs, even in the added colorants, which we love. And at around $22 a gallon it’s not too much of a budget breaker.

      xo,
      s

  5. Haley says

    The stenciling looks amazing!!! I love the “grellow” effect as well…definitely adds a touch o’ somethin’ and gives a sweet and funky appeal to the wall!

    Reply

  7. Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says

    Holy moly. That’s exactly what I wanted to do in our dining room (but have given up on because of the wall texturing)! It looks great! Subtle, but fun. And I’m loving the grellow.

    When we remodel our bathroom(next fall?!), I’m definitely going for at tone-on-tone stencil in there!

    Reply

  8. Stephanie says

    Hmmm… stencils, you say? I think that may be the perfect compromise for my wallpaper-phobia! And yours turned out great!!! Now I know exactly what I’ll do should I ever feel the need to put some pattern on my walls. :-)

    Reply

  10. Rachael says

    That looks so incredible!! I have wanted to go gray paint for so long and I was so worried it will just look dull. Now I am so inspired!!! It looks amazing!

    Reply

  11. Allison says

    That looks great! One question though, how textured are your walls? They appear pretty smooth in the photos. I have icky stucco, texture-y walls which I would like to stencil but I fear that either a) The stencil won’t go over the bumps very well, making the edges messy, or b) even if the stencil sticks well, straight lines over bumps will create the appearance of messiness. Great job!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We don’t have textured walls (flat walls are pretty common in ranchers here in VA). Not sure how a stencil would work on highly textured walls- anyone attempted that?

      xo,
      s

    • Missy G. says

      I’m in the same boat. Literally every room in my house, except for the bathroom, has textured walls. I’m always so jealous when I see stencils because I love the effect, but I just know that it would never work in my house. Boo.

  12. Erin says

    I am exhausted reading this post. But, your hard work has paid off. It looks fantastic.

    I think there should be a reward for finishing the rest of the room – besides the fact that your room will look freaking fabulous. Anything you have been wanting for your house, yourself or your family?

    Reply

  13. Emma says

    I almost plotzed when I saw this. It looks amazing! Is it creepy if I do the exact same thing (colours and all) in my dining room?

    Reply

  14. leatitia says

    It looks fantastic Sherry! Wow, it really fancied up the room. Builded in desk, amazing stencil art. It’s going to be a beautiful room.

    Reply

  16. Ashley says

    Love it! Can you pretty please update us with a pic from the far side of the dining room to get a feel for the whole composition? Pretty please. I simply don’t think I can wait for the fully finished product! ;)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I took some of those but the light was so bad they were hard to see (all shadowy and weird at 12:30 in the morning). But I hope to have more pics for you soon as I go (and hopefully finish) in a few days!

      xo,
      s

    • Ashley says

      Ooookay. I guess I’ll have to settle for that ol’ “squint real hard and try to imagine it” technique you always recommend. ;)
      It really does look awesome so far and reminds me of the heart pattern background of your blog! Coincidence?!

  18. Lisa says

    Love, love, love it!!! I don’t think I have the painting stamina myself to go the distance – will have to live vicariously though you. Looks awesome! :-)

    Reply

  19. hyzen says

    Gorgeous–definitely worth the effort! And you guys are right–the pop of grellow really makes it! Otherwise I think it had the potential to look a little plain jane cutesy, but the grey+yellow skyrockets it to undeniable chicness (what? that’s totally a word). It looks like Amy Butler fabric now, or something. Thanks for the tip on the half tint paint from the store, too–I was looking at the effect and contemplating pouring white paint into the base color before you mentioned your method, which is a little more scientific in case the first batch isn’t all you need.

    Reply

  20. Sarah Morgan says

    Sherry, this is absolutely stunning. I can’t imagine the patience and sore muscles this requires! The how-to is really helpful, too. And I didn’t even realize stencils came that big and gorgeous. I just went over there to check them out!

    I’m curious about where you chose to stop stenciling vertically. On the top it looks like the pattern goes right up next to the moulding, but on the bottom it gives the moulding more space. Or is it not done down there yet?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yeah, still need to fill in that area above the chair rail (just couldn’t keep at it, too tired, haha). When I’m done I want the pattern to be right above the rail all the way to the crown molding.

      xo,
      s

  21. Nicole says

    Sherry,

    It looks fantastic! I absolutely love it. More power to you for having a goal to get it done this week. We know you can do it!

    Reply

  23. MJB says

    I was a little skeptical of the stencil idea, but I like how subtle it looks and I even like the pop of grellow. Next time you do the project update, take photos from the other rooms, especially the teal bookshelf side. I’m curious.

    I am too messy/impatient to handle stenciling. I’ll have to admire from afar.

    Reply

  24. Bethany S says

    We DID do something similar in our kitchen! I had one wall that I wanted some visual interest, but nothing too obnoxious because we had already painted the kitchen a dark teal… similar to the color of your guest bedroom. So anywho, we had used a flat paint on that one wall, and using a projector instead of a stencil, we projected an image of a swirly pattern (that we found on Google Image) using a high gloss version of the same exact dark teal! We LOOOOVE how it turned out! The perfect amount of drama!

    here’s the link so you can see the finished product!
    http://www.sawdustandembryos.com/search/label/Kitchen

    Reply

  25. Stesse says

    It looks lovely. Very modern and mature. It even makes me re-think stencils – and I grew up with a newly stenciled room every time we moved. In about 3rd grade it was Cabbage Patch Kids, maybe a hundred of them in all colors, stenciled around the top part of the wall of my room. I have NO idea how my mom did it… but I loved it. (And she stenciled trucks in my brother’s room that time too!)

    Reply

  27. Momlady says

    Excellent choice Sherry! Looks great and cost-wise totally worth the time investment.
    My stencil project was probably a 9 on the weirdness scale. Not for the stencil its self but for where I put it. Once upon a time I had an old house with miss matched cabinets ( I think the old guy that put this kitchen in just picked them up where ever he could find them for free..and didn’t bother to make them look cohesive). I painted them all white and it looked great..except for the inside. Tried white..it read a depressing battleship grey..yuck. Got a crazy idea that as long as I was the only one looking at them anyway..why not have some fun with it. So, I painted the inside an intense gold-y yellow and stenciled a floral border in red and green. I did the border on the back of the cupboard at different heights depending on the shelf. I know it sounds weird but really did work. Kind of a “fiesta in the cupboard” look..it was great. lol

    Reply

  28. Kerstin says

    The wall stencil looks great! I like that you used two colors. The grellow looks a bit golden and shiny on the pictures – also in reality? I would like to have a bit of glamour in my office.

    I stenciled t-Shirts, fabric shoes and my plain white shoe cabinet! I used the stencils from the book Stencil 101 by Ed Roth. For the shoe cabinet I used the high-heel you can see on the cover.

    http://www.amazon.de/Stencil-101-Step—Step-Instructions/dp/0811864723/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317133003&sr=8-1

    The best thing is, that stenceling t-shirts or tote bags is really easy and super fast. Maybe you could try a cute t-shirt for Clara after you have recovered from the office stenciling.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Since it’s a semi-gloss finish (we used it in the kitchen) it has some subtle sheen at certain angles (and it’s definitely a golden greeny yellow). Love it! And as for your shoe cabinet with the high heel stencil- amazing!

      xo,
      s

  29. Jordan@the2seasons says

    It looks great your hard work is paying off with the stenciling. I never knew about the spray adhesive while stenciling so thanks for the tip. Now I just need to workout my hands and fingers for a couple months till I am ready to tackle a project like this.

    Reply

  30. Britney R. says

    I recently did a similar project–just above the chair rail in my dining room. Only I’m super cheap so I actually made my own stencil (yes, it was falling apart by the end after shoving it in those corners, but it worked). We loved the look! And even though mine is a lot simpler, it took me a loooong time, because I didn’t have any overlap and was ocd about making sure it was straight up and down. You seem like you’re making good time, actually! And it looks stunning. I love the yellow pop in the middle.

    http://blakeandbrit.blogspot.com/2011/09/before-after-dining-room-is-finally.html

    The pictures don’t really do it justice (I’m no photographer), but you get the idea.

    Reply

  31. Victoria says

    Love, love LOVE this! I totally want your office. My little 8×10 home office seems like a prison cell compared to your beautiful one. I think it’s time to start tackling the mess in there so I can redecorate it! Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply

  39. April says

    LOVE IT! Looks great. I’ve been contemplating on doing this same pattern has an accent wall in my bedroom behind the bed. The wall behind the bed is situated in a little nook with two white nightstands next to it, a soft white fluffy rung underneath and this bedspread (http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=20914073&color=030&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=A_DEC_BEDDING)
    I’ve done a flower stencil as a top border in a little girls room years ago. I made the stencil and its definitely A LOT of work. You have to turn yourself into a pretzel! But I bet your super proud of that room, awesome job!

    Reply

  40. Senora H-B says

    Wow, it’s so gorgeous! I can’t wait to have a house so that I can stencil the walls (or, you know, paint them…). You guys are seriously so inspiring. In fact, I picked up my first dumpster piece of furniture yesterday. I had to hide it so I don’t obsess about what to do with it….

    Reply

  41. becky says

    Oh. My. This is one-hundred-percent AMAZING. I just want to hug that wall. Without messing up the paint. It kind of reminds me of Amy Butler fabric. Luuuurve. You guys rock.

    Reply

  44. Liz says

    My big brother actually stenciled a border of teddy bears right under my ceiling in my bedroom growing up (there’s about an 11 year age difference). Some were riding in wagons and I recall some hearts in there too. The walls were mauve, the bears were dark gray and the wagons and hearts were burgundy (it was the 80s). I remember he used these crayon-like things instead of paint. I guess it was less messy, but it didn’t change the fun of repositioning the stencil over and over again.

    Reply

  45. Amber Lee D. says

    I just did a large stencil in my sons rooms..http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/allover-stencil-birch-forest.html?category_id=12
    and yes…you are right…stencils are no joke. It was hard work…I used a foam roller as I was only doing one colour. So your project is a bit harder with having two colours and using those little dabbers things…But it LOOKS AWESOME. You must be so pleased. I love my son’s room and he does too so really that is all that matters in the end.

    Reply

  46. Mariah says

    Great post and very timely for me! About two weeks ago I bought one of the Royal Design Studio stencils through your site…and thank you for the discount code, by the way! :) I was just looking at it this weekend (its the Large Linked In Allover design) and feeling pretty intimidated by the sheer size of it, the size of my wall, how was I going to not let the paint bleed around the edges, what brush should I use, could I use wall paint, etc, etc…
    so I took some great tips away from today’s post, especially the brushes you used and the spray adhesive. I think I will tackle my living room wall this weekend!

    Reply

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