Cottage Style Stenciled Wall

It's my super simple how-to,  including my tried and true tips and tricks.

And the dramatic transformation.


Almost a year ago, my husband finally decided to tackle my long awaited hall bathroom renovation.

I believe it was the Saturday before Easter when he got out his tools and began ripping tile off the wall.

And while it made for an interesting Easter Sunday, especially with all the unexpected bumps in the road, it was about time.

*This post is sponsored by Stencil Revolution. All opinions are my very own.

I’d been living with the same tired and faded red paint for over a decade. I loved the color, but I was ready for change.

Unfortunately, when the room was done, I was slightly disappointed.

I was excited about the light, bright, fresh feel it had, but it was missing the decorating drama I craved.

I'd been so used to those crimson walls, that without that dark hue to provide contrast, my decorating vibe was completely off.

For months, that room vexed me.

No matter what I added ~ pictures, towels, flowers, shower curtains ~ it was bland, boring and just plain blah.

Funny, I was so sure I wanted an all white bathroom, until I got one. Always the way, right?

What the room needed was some kick, so I put my thinking cap on.

I considered wallpaper for about 30 seconds, until I remembered the agonizing days of steaming and scraping in our old house. No thank you.

Plus, that wasn't a great solution for a girl who likes to change up the decor on a regular basis.

It was also tricky to properly hang and not ideal for a steamy bathroom. So with wallpaper out, I tried to think about a way to add some pattern and pizazz to the room.

That’s when the wall stencil lightbulb went off in my head. Over the years, I've done a lot of stenciling, adding accents to my old cottage and my new cottage, as well.

Signs, pillows, plates, trays, and while I'd never stenciled an entire wall before, I was confident I could do it.

Believe it or not, at almost the exact same time, Stencil Revolution asked me if I'd like to try out their new wall stencils. Are you kidding me?

Had they been reading my mind? Of course, I said yes!

How To Stencil A Wall

My stencil arrived the first weekend we were quarantined, so I was happy to have a project to do and even happier when it turned out so well. 

For an even more detailed DIY visit Hometalk and check out my post. 

Step 1: Choose A Stencil

I poked around their website for a bit, looking for something rather nondescript. I knew I wanted pattern, but not a lot of it.

There were so many to choose from, but when I came across this lovely, Ribbon Stencil the search stopped. It had the look I wanted, delicate and charming, just right for a cottage style bathroom.

However. Since I'm a visual sort of gal, sometimes it's hard for me to commit to things until I actually see them in place.

So here's my little trick for envisioning a new stencil on a wall.

Take a screenshot of the pattern you like, enlarge it, then print it out and tack it up where you're planning to put it.

Naturally, it won't be to scale, since wall stencils are very large, but you'll get the idea.

Step 2: Buy A Roller 

From my experience, I have found that blue painter's tape and a 6" high density foam roller are absolute essentials when it comes to stenciling. This is especially important when you have a wall to cover.

I first used a roller years ago, when I stenciled pillows. Since then, that's all I use.

A 6" roller is large enough to cover a broader area, small enough to allow you to move slowly for control and dense enough to give you a smooth, even finish. Perfect.

Your paint of choice

Step 3: Choose A Place To Start

Ok, so other than a buying that roller, the most important part of this process was choosing a starting point.

It makes it much easier to map out the wall and ensure a cohesive look.

I chose the most visible area. Luckily, it was also the spot where the shower tile met the wall near the ceiling. Even in an old house, I knew this would be the squarest spot of the room.

It was the ideal place to begin adding my pattern to the wall.

You see, if the first stencil block was off, the entire wall would be crooked. And there was no way that would fly with this detail oriented decor perfectionist.

I just needed to tuck it firmly into place, anchor it with tape and start rolling.

Two quick tips here, if you don't have an obviously square spot in your room, I suggest you use a level to set your first stencil. Also, tape your stencil down really well, no bumps, lumps or buckling allowed.

That will prevent paint from seeping underneath the cut outs.

Step 4: Roll

Now, I was ready to roll. Literally.

I dipped my roller into the paint, getting enough on the foam so it would evenly cover the wall, without dripping or bleeding underneath the stencil itself.

That is key, since you don’t want excess paint to get on the wall when you move it. I used the same satin paint we had leftover from my vanity makeover, for continuity in the room.

Plus, I knew I liked it...and since we were stuck in quarantine, I wasn't leaving for any other paint.

When I was sure I had good coverage, I lifted the stencil away from the wall and moved it to another area.

I waited a few moments for the initial paint pattern to dry, then placed the stencil over a previously painted area, with a bit of an overlap to ensure proper positioning, taped it down again and rolled.

Step 5: Move And Trim

I repeated this process, until the entire wall was covered.

I did need to trim my stencil slightly at the very end, to make it fit into the last few tight spots around the edges, and above the shower tile, but overall, the majority of the wall was covered by the full sheet.

Now I can confidently say that my bathroom renovation is complete. Six months after the last tile was laid and the shower curtain was ironed and hung up, I finally have the bathroom of my decorating dreams.

That one stenciled accent wall has filled the entire space with the subtle, aged, cottage style coziness and relaxed elegance I craved.

Done!


Ok...well, sort of. I don't think my shower curtain goes anymore and my daughter suggested a pink one for spring. Which I think would be absolutely darling.

So I'm on the hunt. Update! I found a gorgeous shower curtain. 

Of course, that also means I'll need to change the artwork in the frame and I'll probably {definitely} need new towels.

However since it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere anytime soon, what I have will have to do. And I'm ok with that.

All in all, this project took me about an hour to complete. Crazy right?

An hour to totally transform my blah and uninspiring bathroom wall into a charming showstopper.

Well. One year and an hour if we're being really honest.

But totally worth the wait.

Easy, inexpensive and absolutely fabulous.

I love it when things work out that way.

What wall would you stencil?

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