Decorating Tip: Stenciling

You want to add some interest and architectural detail to a room without the long-term commitment and complicated labor of adding molding. The solution is stenciling. Your local craft store will offer you a huge selection of stencils which, with a little creativity, can be applied to many different surfaces.


You can stencil a border along a chair rail or crown molding. You can stencil a pattern onto a wall in lieu of expensive and hard-to-remove wallpaper. You can even stencil your floor or ceilings.

All you’ll need is some clean artist’s brushes, the stencil of your choice, some painters tape to hold the stencil in place, and paint in a color that works with you room. If you don't find a pre-made stencil you like, you can even make your own. You shouldn’t feel constrained. I have even had good results using metallic paint—silver and gold, to add a little interest to a room. The best part about stenciling is that if you don’t like it or get bored with it, all you have to do is paint it over.