Houzz TV: How to Stencil a Wall
Use paint and a stencil to add a pattern to any room in your home
Brenna Malmberg
19 July 2017
In this episode of Houzz TV, watch as decorative artist and paint expert Shauna Gallagher demonstrates how to transform a wall with the help of a stencil.
Watch: How to Stencil a Wall
One of the best things about stencilling your walls is that you can do it yourself, picking any pattern and colour you like.
One of the best things about stencilling your walls is that you can do it yourself, picking any pattern and colour you like.
1. Pick a stencil
You can use any stencil on the wall, but the simpler it is, the easier it will be to use, especially if you are just learning, Gallagher says. She chose a Casablanca Trellis Moroccan stencil to demonstrate the steps on a sample board.
2. Add adhesive
Spray a coat of adhesive on one side of your stencil. Be sure to use an adhesive that is labeled as re-positionable, not a permanent photo-mounting product.
3. Apply stencil to wall
Stick the stencil to the wall and then flatten it out with a piece of cloth, such as cheesecloth or an old T-shirt. Avoid using a cloth that could snag on the stencil and pull it up. This also keeps any extra adhesive off your hands while you are working. As you go along, you may need to add more adhesive to the stencil.
You can use any stencil on the wall, but the simpler it is, the easier it will be to use, especially if you are just learning, Gallagher says. She chose a Casablanca Trellis Moroccan stencil to demonstrate the steps on a sample board.
2. Add adhesive
Spray a coat of adhesive on one side of your stencil. Be sure to use an adhesive that is labeled as re-positionable, not a permanent photo-mounting product.
3. Apply stencil to wall
Stick the stencil to the wall and then flatten it out with a piece of cloth, such as cheesecloth or an old T-shirt. Avoid using a cloth that could snag on the stencil and pull it up. This also keeps any extra adhesive off your hands while you are working. As you go along, you may need to add more adhesive to the stencil.
4. Brush on paint
Use a stencil brush to apply your paint. Gallagher’s brush is about 2 inches in diameter.
Dab on your paint until you cover the entire area. Don’t overload your brush; otherwise, the paint will get goopy and seep underneath the stencil.
Use a stencil brush to apply your paint. Gallagher’s brush is about 2 inches in diameter.
Dab on your paint until you cover the entire area. Don’t overload your brush; otherwise, the paint will get goopy and seep underneath the stencil.
5. Repeat the design
Move the stencil so that you can continue the pattern. To ensure that your pattern continues seamlessly, match up registration points, or elements in the design that match up. On this stencil, Gallagher uses the small horizontal bars as a guide. Once things are lined up, press the stencil against the wall and continue painting.
Tip: If you have thicker paint, you may need to wait for it to dry before painting the next section.
Move the stencil so that you can continue the pattern. To ensure that your pattern continues seamlessly, match up registration points, or elements in the design that match up. On this stencil, Gallagher uses the small horizontal bars as a guide. Once things are lined up, press the stencil against the wall and continue painting.
Tip: If you have thicker paint, you may need to wait for it to dry before painting the next section.
6. Continue stencilling
Keep painting and moving the stencil until you cover your wall.
The edges and corners of walls can be tricky spots. Gallagher recommends taping off any adjacent walls that you don’t want to get paint on and applying tape to the stencil to hold it in place.
Another trick is to buy two stencils. This allows you to cut the second stencil to the size you need to finish up any place where a whole stencil doesn’t fit.
Keep painting and moving the stencil until you cover your wall.
The edges and corners of walls can be tricky spots. Gallagher recommends taping off any adjacent walls that you don’t want to get paint on and applying tape to the stencil to hold it in place.
Another trick is to buy two stencils. This allows you to cut the second stencil to the size you need to finish up any place where a whole stencil doesn’t fit.
If you are looking for a place to add a stencil in your home, Gallagher recommends a wall of the bedroom, but the stencils also lend themselves to a dining room or a bathroom — they can go virtually anywhere.
Watch: How to Stencil a Wall
Read more:
16 Stunning Walls That Say Look at Me
Amazing Alternatives to Wall Paint
Tell us:
What methods have you used to design your walls? Tell us in the Comments below.
Watch: How to Stencil a Wall
Read more:
16 Stunning Walls That Say Look at Me
Amazing Alternatives to Wall Paint
Tell us:
What methods have you used to design your walls? Tell us in the Comments below.
What are you working on?
Related Stories
Houzz Tours
Houzz TV: Love of Nature Finds Expression Through Vastu in This Flat
Take a tour of a 4-BHK Mumbai home, carefully planned around the homeowner's love for the five elements
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz TV: This Amazing Lake House Is A Couple's Dream Come True
Step inside a dream home in Texas, where architecture celebrating gorgeous views has a striking beauty of its own
Full Story
Working with professionals
Peek Inside an Interior Designer’s Stylish Home
In this video, Emma Merry takes viewers through her utility room, hallway, home office and son’s bedroom
Full Story
Houzz TV
Houzz TV: Step Inside an Industrial-Chic Forever Home
See how a former commercial space becomes an art-filled dream home for 2
Full Story
Houzz Around the World
This Musician’s Tiny House is the Most Amazing Home You'll Ever See
Electric violinist Asha Mevlana built her Arkansas home as a place to live, practice and perform for neighbours
Full Story
Houzz Around the World
Houzz TV: The Most Amazing Barn Conversion You will Ever See
A family of four converts an 80-year-old barn into a warm, cozy home with a one-of-a-kind exposed interior roof frame
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz TV: A 860-Sq-Ft Flat Transforms Into a Glamorous Dream Home
In the latest episode of Houzz TV, we revisit a Mumbai flat customised to the T for its discerning homeowner
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz TV: Tour Frank Lloyd Wright's Jaw-Dropping Hollyhock House
UNESCO has named eight works designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, including Hollyhock House, to its World Heritage List
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz TV: This Tiny Loft Can Do Unbelievable Things
Looking for more floor space, a San Francisco couple hires architects to design a unit that includes beds, storage and workspace
Full Story
Houzz TV
My Houzz: Kate Upton Gives Her Sister a Surprise Renovation
Watch the model put a smile on her sister’s face with a fresh update to her Florida home
Full Story
I found wallpaper for a dining room that was soooo out of my price range, but I had to have it. To do my 11x12 ft dining room, $1800 for paper alone. I bought one roll for $260, sent a piece to a custom stencil company for $165, and spent a lot of money on stencil paint/supplies.... around $500 total (as opposed to $1800 plus installation cost!) The base color was an eggshell with a slight shine, the stenciling is flat. When looked at on an angle, it looks slightly like silk with the contrast. The adjoining kitchen was painted in the base coat color but in semigloss. The green is the other side, adjoining room- living room. The white speaks for itself- 7" base molding, trim and crown. The floors were refinished to match the kitchen cabinets. Final product....
Fun to see stenciling making a bit of a come back. I used to have rabbits running along my cabin baseboards. I loved those rabbits but after 10 years they started to feel dated. Perhaps I can make them scoot along again.
What adhesive is the best to use? I want to use a stencil pattern in my kitchen. So I need to seal it?