Home > Video Channel > Wall Stenciling and Decorative Striping

Wall Stenciling and Decorative Striping

Bob talks with artist Margo Datz about decorative striping and stenciling in the Victorian Cottage master bedroom. She uses a template to insure the lines are the same distance from the ceiling along the wall. Margo provides a tip when using painter�s tape. She seals the tape to the wall with adhesive matt medium to prevent the paint from bleeding under the tape. She shows Bob how to add a stencil pattern to the painted wall trim.
Get Adobe Flash Player to see this content.

Chapters from this episode

Clip Transcript For:

Wall Stenciling and Decorative Striping

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" How do you get these lines so straight all the way across the room?"

" Well, Bob, I carefully measure my lines and I use a little template to help me keep my lines in order so that no matter where I check along the wall, they're in the same place."

" I suppose that."

" And then."

" That really works for those lines. You've got a nice new ceiling that's perfectly flat."

" That's right. But if you have one of these wonderful old sagging ceilings, this is isn't really the right design for a ceiling like that."

" Yeah. A straight line up against the sagging ceiling would just accentuate the sag."

" That's right."

" Okay."

" Then I use painter's tape and I tape in my pencil line."

" Now how is that different from masking tape?"

" Well, it gives a cleaner edge. Masking tape can tend to pull off wall paint that's existing on the wall, and it tends to bleed less when you're painting along the edge. There tends to be less of an underbleed. But to make really sure that I don't have an underbleed, I seal after I've taped along my pencil line, and I've, you know, rubbed it in place really well and make sure there's no gap. I seal it with an art product that you can find at any arts or crafts store. It's a matte medium. Basically, it's just a clear, milky liquid."

" That I apply and."

" Is that actually sealed to the space within the paint on the wall?"

" I seal. That's right. So that you don't get that underbleed and you get a good clean tape. You get the clean line so that when you lift that tape, it's just straight as an arrow."

" Excellent."

" Now I've already sealed these 2 upper lines. Our next step is to apply the paint for the striping itself."

" And you're using a brown color that again is picked up from this cottage furniture."

" Right. And once again, the kind of paint I'm using is acrylic paint."

" It can be found in any arts or crafts store and it's important to know that you cannot apply this paint to an oil-painted wall, but most walls are painted with latex anyway."

" And I use a sponge brush and I just kind of dab it in here."

" You don't really pull the like when you paint it with a brush."

" No."

" You dab."

" I dab."

" Yeah."

" It's more like the old way of stenciling. It gives more of a traditional look to it, but with more precision. And I mixed all my paint and a meat, found some meat packing. I saved them from."

" [unk]."

" Right."

" Just right from the supermarket."

" They're wonderful. They're disposable. You're recycling and they're lightweight."

" Very clever."

" So we dab this in, getting right up to the tape line, but because it's sealed, we won't have that underbleed."

" Beautifully crisp. Now how long do you usually wait before you take the tape off?"

" About a half an hour. It depends on the humidity."

" Oh, yeah. That's so nice."

" Yeah. It's a really clean nice line."

" Now are you using a stencil to do this kind of a detail here, this fluffy flowery thing that?"

" No, I'm not. I chose my design, which I drew from a design on the headboard and I transcribed it onto contact paper."

" So this is where the artist comes in you."

" Right. I drew my design."

" From a piece that was on the contact paper and then I cut it out with kitchen scissors."

" And you peel the back and the thing you'll have to do before you set it on the wall, is you have to remove some of the stickiness, and I do this with the assistance of Bob by sticking it onto his shirt. There's a little bit of nap on t-shirts and sweatshirts, and that just takes that little extra stickiness off so that you don't pull any paint off of your wall."

" That's a great tip."

" Yeah."

" And then you just put it."

" And then I."

" Right in place."

" Place it right in place."

" Along my line that I've marked at and measured."

" Tap it into place and you've got. Nope. Actually, we need to feel it now."

" Oh, that's right."

" I feel this and then, I follow up with the dark paint."

" And then I'm noticing over here, you've added a little gold highlight."

" That's the final touch."

" Yeah."

" I take enamel, gold enamel, and I pour off most of the liquid that's on the top, leaving that dense, creamy paint at the bottom."

" And using an artist brush, I just do this final highlighting touches to give it a really special finish."

" Margo, it's beautiful. Thanks a lot."

" Thanks."

 [-]


More Videos »Related Videos

Wall Stenciling
Wall Stenciling

Decorator Leslie Curtis joins Bob in the project house's parlor to discuss the room's wall treatments. In lieu of wallpaper, stencils are used to add a decorative touch to the interior walls�a decorating solution borrowed directly from early 19th century America. Artist Ken Forcier is on location to demonstrate the stenciling process, showing how the stencil patterns are laid out and applied to the wall before paint is brushed on. Bob takes a turn at the brush, applying paint to one of the laser-cut Mylar stencils supplied by MB Historic D�cor.

Wall Stenciling Continued
Wall Stenciling Continued

Work continues on the parlor's wall stencils. Bob and Ken Forcier are applying the second "layer" of the stencil�an ochre hue to complement the first shade of blue. To aid in the vertical alignment of the stencil patterns, Vila crafts a makeshift plumb bob using a washer tied to the end of a thread and secures it to the wall with painter's tape. Another tip: Adding a small dog ear to a corner of the stencil makes it easier to peel the stencil from the wall after the paint has been applied.

Shaker-Style Mural Painting
Shaker-Style Mural Painting

Bob checks in with artist Polly Forcier from MB Historic Decor to get an update on some of the home's decorative painting. Forcier is working on a Colonial-style mural inspired by the work of Rufus Porter, an itinerant painter from the 19th century. Forcier has chosen the dining area just outside the sunroom as the location for her mural. The natural sunlight pouring through the windows serves as a reference point for the highlights in her mural. She uses charcoal to outline the mural's design and then begins painting. For the details, such as the scene's houses and trees, Forcier uses a series of nine stencil overlays. To apply the paint, Polly uses a special stenciling brush employing a rotating stroke rather than stippling the paint on.

Shaker-Style Mural Painting and Early 19th Century Stenciling
Shaker-Style Mural Painting and Early 19th Century Stenciling

In the sunroom, Bob appraises Polly Forcier's traditional Shaker-style landscape wall mural, giving it high marks for the Colonial-themed home. A final look at the walls in the parlor reveals more intricate stencil work. Artisan Ken Forcier has completed the application of a reproduction stencil pattern that was originally found in an early 19th-century Vermont farmhouse.

Related Products & Services Showrooms

Portable Home Heating
Portable Home Heating

The EdenPURE Infrared Portable Heater can cut your heating bills and save you money. With over 1,000,000 EdenPURE heaters sold EdenPURE is #1 in both savings and reliability. Remember not all heaters are the same. There are many imitators on the market but only one EdenPURE.

Repair, remodel and restore with the new Multi-Max
Repair, remodel and restore with the new Multi-Max

Getting a Dremel® Multi-Max Oscillating Power Tool is almost like getting 5 tools in one. With it you can cut, grind, remove grout, scrape and sand. Powerful and heavy-duty, the Multi-Max is just the tool to help you tackle a wide variety of do-it-yourself projects.

More Content »More Content

New Emphasis on Healthy Housing
New Emphasis on Healthy Housing

Sustainable materials, non-wasteful practices and energy efficiency are hallmarks of eco-friendly housing efforts. Now, one organization and a federal program are looking more directly at how these efforts can make homes healthier for their occupants.

Winterizing on a Budget
Winterizing on a Budget

you and your family stay comfortable the entire season while protecting your investment. The good news is that it doesn t have to be expensive. There are a surprising number of easy things you can do at minimal cost that can maximize energy savings this winter. BobVila.

Updating Interior Brick and Stone
Updating Interior Brick and Stone

BEFORE. This washed-out fireplace has no pizazz. Faux painting and a refinished mantle subtly enhances the bricks, offering more depth and character. Photo courtesy of Brick Transformers.

Stone and Brick Veneer
Stone and Brick Veneer

Oklahoma City-based kitchen designer Karen Black-Sigler appreciates the texture that stone and brick veneer can bring to a room. She s incorporated both into her own kitchen. Photo courtesy of A Karen Black Company.

Browse Topics

Click on a letter to browse content by topic alphabetically.



About  | FAQ  | Contact  | Sitemap  | Privacy Policy  | Terms of Use  | Help

© BobVila.com 2009