Today begins a new weekly series on Stencil Stars™ where we showcase our customer’s use of our mylar wall stencils and Modello™ masking stencils on walls, ceilings, floors, and more. Each week we will feature a different decorative artist (or decorative studio!) whose work with our stencils excites and inspires us, with the hope that YOU will be inspired too! Look forward to interesting pattern combos and color palettes, pro painting tips and ideas, and even the stories behind the stenciling. I’ll be co-writing this series with a BIG assist from my friend Regina Garay of Fauxology and SociaComm fame. Regina is officially helping us with our creative outreach to artists and bloggers and is a great asset and ambassador!

Our inagural Stencil Stars are…. paint buds and business partners Brooke Johnson and Jann Krone of Artisan Studio Design

Brooke Johnson and Jann Krone

A Bit about Artisan Studio Design

A true passion for beautiful spaces led Texas-based Brooke  and Jann out of *yawn* jobs in the corporate world into a creative one where both could fulfill their dreams and passion. They met at a seminar and became fast friends, then business partners, finding that by combining their respective talents they are able to offer their clients a much more comprehensive portfolio to choose from. Each has been extensively trained by Texturline of Canada, Safra from Italy, Faux Effects products, Modello Designs Stencils and Tattoowall, to name a few.  Their passion, dreams and creativity can be seen in private residences, commercial buildings, corporate offices, design showcase events and numerous parade/dream homes. Collectively they have won various awards and have been interviewed both for radio, newspaper, magazines and books.  Today we have a chance to delve into the details of their work and get some insights on their creative process.

The stunning, dramatic black & white bath above is created by using Modello Transitional Border Stencil 110

Brooke and Jann are accomplished using traditional stencils, like those we sell through Royal Design Studio. Most of the work featured here, however, focuses on their use of Modello Decorative Masking Stencils. These are one-time-use, adhesive backed vinyl stencils that allow for easy custom design and intricate, large-scale patterns. They have become the “go-to tool” for professional decorative finishers when pattern becomes a priority. Masking stencils offer many advantages. One of which is that the pattern can be worked using either the positive or negative image. We have capitalized on this by creating a collection of Transitional Border patterns, that allow you to “transition” from one color to another with the help of the pattern itself. Here are three prime examples of these in use by Artisan Studio Design.

An alternate use of this same Modello™ stencil pattern where Brooke and Jann provided perfect measurements so that our custom design department could fit the pattern to a tee by manipulating the design elements slightly so that each corner is beautifully finished.

A different Transitional border stencil, 113, was used to create a two-tone stencil effect in a bathroom higher up on the wall.

The beautiful groin ceiling above was done with a Royal Design Studio custom stencil to Artisan Studio Design’s specifications. It really enhances and accentuates the area while balancing out the color scheme.

Now, some questions for Artisan Design Studio…..

What draws you to Stenciling?

The ability to create without limitations.  Using traditional mylar stencils and Modello custom masking stencils allow us the ability to enhance ANY surface.  We have used them on concrete floors, walls, furniture, niches, cabinets, crown moldings, ceilings and mirrors.  Our mediums have included paint, plaster, glass beads and concrete. The impact even using a small stencil image can make the difference between a nice finish and an extraordinary finish.

A patio floor is transformed from blah to wow! using a well-designed pattern and warm colors.

How do you determine which pattern will work for your project?

We love this question!  One of our requirements in designing for any client is that we must visit the space where we will be creating a design.  We feel the areas that we create should evoke a feeling of well-being and reflect our client’s personality and wishes.   To achieve that goal we spend time with our clients, asking questions, reviewing the architecture and discussing the purpose of the space so we have a clear picture of what needs to be accomplished.  To do that, you have to come to know your client well.   Every client is different, so we approach every project with an open mind taking into account the clients requests and desires.

In getting to know our client, we have found that certain personalities such as accountants, architects, doctors and professional athletes tend to go for a more of a grid format, whether they realize it or not.  Professions that aren’t as structured tend to prefer a looser, more free-flowing pattern such as more random placement and more eclectic.  It is the ability to read people and their spaces that has given us an advantage in picking patterns and how they are laid out and the client isn’t any wiser.  They just like the fact that it “works” and is perfect for them.

Jann and Brooke at work on a very large ceiling stencil project that required some serious custom designing to fit the “boat” shaped recessed area.  The end result (below) showcases the finished customized Modello Chateau Carpet Panel — which translates beautifully to ceilings as well as floors!

Please share your top stenciling tips with us.

When working on a light or white background, we use the low-tack gray Modello™ masking material.  This is especially useful when you are hand-painting your design.   When using Modello™ stencil patterns or mylar stencils, you can never measure too many times, especially on groin vaults.  We have found that there is NO such thing as a perfectly straight or square room and no two sides are ever exactly the same measurement.  Measure, measure and measure again.

We had a situation in a powder bath that had an arched wall that separated the sink from the toilet area. The pattern the designer requested was a trellis pattern.  The challenge for us was to have the pattern on the forward wall of the arch MATCH the pattern on the back wall when you walked in, so there was no break in the visual effect.  This was a prime example of measuring the area and matching it to the size of the stencil we needed.

Another tip is to always buy more then one stencil or purchase a small stencil that matches the production size stencil.   We have found these extra stencils come in handy especially if you have to cut them up to make your design work.   Last, we always have a large pad of newsprint when we are stenciling.   It is an inexpensive pad from any hobby store that we can quickly wipe down, clean our stencils on and throw away the used paper.   The newsprint also comes in handy when we need to spray adhesive on the stencils.  We always keep a spray bottle of Simple Green with us to wipe down the stencils, too.

Architectural elements such as inset niches and ceilings can become wonderful focal points. This ceiling features Modello Ornamental Center 128.

We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the work of our first Stencil Stars! We’re so happy that Brooke and Jann have found the perfect partnership in each other and incorporating pattern into their many projects. We have SO MANY fabulously talented customers, you can rest assured that we have many more posts on the way. Special note: You can see a preview of each week’s Stencil Star each Saturday on our Royal Design Studio/Modello Designs Facebook Page. You can find more of Brooke and Jann’s work on their website, Artisan Design Studio and their Facebook page.

I pin. You pin. We all pin for a stencil win! I know that many of you are already BIG Pinterest fans (like me!), as well as Royal Design Studio stencil fans. SO…..we are so pleased to announce our first Pinterest pinning contest, Stencil Amour. This is your chance to pin all those stencils you’ve been coveting in one place and possibly WIN a $250 Shopping Spree.

We’ve set up the contest rules  and commenting to enter on our new Stencil Ideas Blog on our stencil website. Go to the post there to see the easy rules for entry and start pinning your fav Royal Design Studio stencils to your own Royal Design Stencils Love  Pinterest board. Then, keep your fingers crossed that you will be the lucky winner of a super $250 stencil shopping spree. Don’t forget to enter the contest by commenting on the post on Royal Design Studio. Good luck to all you pin-happy people!!

It seems like everyone is painting and stenciling furniture these days. And why not? Furniture makes a great little canvas for stencil patterns and you can accent details like table tops, drawer fronts, door panels SO easily and quickly with stencils. The availability and popularity of the the amazing Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ is inspiring people all over the country to scour thrift stores and flea markets for furniture pieces that can be transformed in a day with some creativity and a can of paint!

One of my friends who has caught the furniture painting bug bad good, is Debbie Hayes of Faux Design Studio. Debbie is a long-time decorative artist who has the MOST amazing studio in a converted fabric mill in Greensboro, NC. There she paints endlessly (it seems!), sells her one-of-a-kind furniture pieces and also teaches others how to do the same. Debbie has such an artful approach to using Chalk Paint™ and stencil patterns we were inspired to create this lovely graphic to showcase her work.

You can find all the details about the Royal Design Studio stencils and Chalk Paint colors Debbie used in this Fabulous Furniture Stencil post on our website. I hope it inspires YOU!

Some time ago, I offered a Sneak Peek at a new Virtual Workshop I was working on with Katrina Johnson of SkimStone: Mastering Modello Patterns and SkimStone Surfaces. I had hoped to have this new online workshop ready this past Fall, but obviously THAT didn’t happen.

Well, happy to say we are in the final stages of getting that ready to launch. In case you are wondering, Virtual Workshops is an idea I came up with a few years ago when the crappy economy started preventing people from having the time and money to travel to my San Diego studio for classes. These workshops are web-based, and featured extensive, detailed, pre-recorded video lessons, printed materials, and a one-time live webinar for review and Q&A. We are currently revamping our Virtual Workshop website, so that our previous VW’s Patterned Mirror and Glass, Foilin Around, and Stencil Impressions will be available again SOON! First things first, though-introducing Mastering Modello Patterns and SkimStone Surfaces.

Katrina and I have create a free intro series of SkimStone 5 how-to videos to introduce you to the basics of using SkimStone and Modello masking stencils. This video is Part 1. Please visit our How-to Videos page on Paint and Create to see the rest! These will give you a good foundation on how to use SkimStone, but if they leave you wanting MORE, and we hope that they do, we invite you to sign up for our Virtual Workshop mailing list for the possibility to win a FREE PASS to this upcoming Virtual Workshop and also to receive a special discount code to use when the full workshop becomes available mid-April. We will be giving away workshop passes to 5 lucky winners. Sign up to win at the bottom of this page.

We’ve created a gallery of lovely SkimStone and Modello pattern applications to inspire you. Have a look and hope you’re a winner!

I have a rather large book case wall unit in my living room.  It’s…OK. Just OK. It’s functional. It’s “there”. I often look at it and think a) needs dusting AGAIN!, b) I need to give some of those books to Goodwill, and c) It would be so cool to paint it, stencil the back, and rid it of some clutter while upping it’s “cool” quotient.

I have a very simple but VERY gorgeous furniture stencil project by blogger Sarah Gunn to share, which is a perfect illustration of my thought process. It was recently featured on the Canadian blog Yummy Mummy Club.

Bookcase Before: nice, functional, stores stuff adequately but no great shakes.

Bookcase After: it’s like someone blew a breath of fresh air into the room! Sarah used one of my fav stencil patterns from Royal Design Studio-the Small Eastern Lattice. The green color is so, so pretty with the blue walls and it makes the white and silver accessories just pop. Instead of blending into the background, this simple furniture piece now has “presence”.

Stenciling on the back of a bookcase or wall unit is actually pretty easy as you can generally just pop that thin piece of wood off the back, paint it, and then reinstall it with finishing nails of a staple gun. How about you? Do you have a similar stencil project calling your name?

PS  Sarah also shared some stenciling tips on a recent airing of City Line, a fun morning show out of Canada.  AND, besides writing for the Yummy Mummy Club and TV appearances, Sarah also has her own business, Polka Dot Grove, which offers adorable custom canvas art for children’s rooms!

Growing up, we always had Family Circle magazines around the house. In fact, my Mom still has a subscription. Now, I’ll admit, it is no longer a “must read” magazine for me the way that Elle Decor, Veranda, and House Beautiful are, but this month’s issue is one I HAD to pick up!

You see, there is a lovely little furniture stencil project in there written by the talented (and welcome NEW discovery for me) Suzonne Sterling of the wonderful Urban Comfort blog.

Suzonne used our Small Eastern Lattice stencil on a metal coffee table. Because this particular stencil requires you to paint in the negative spaces around the trellis pattern, Suzonne basecoated the table in a gold metallic paint first. She then did the stenciling in the brown color, so that the actual trellis pattern shines through. Suzonne posted about this project on her own blog here and you can find more detailed instructions also on the Family Circle website.

You will probably want to set aside some time to peruse Urban Comfort. It’s full of inspiring DIY ideas. I particularly liked this idea of creating a Winter Butterfly Garden and think this would be so, so pretty on a mantle of as a dining table centerpiece!

She also recently did a wonderful post on the upcoming Annie Sloan U.S. tour. As a stockist for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I gotta love that one too!!

Recently, I was asked by House Beautiful to participate in a blogger’s feature on inspiring green spaces from the pages of House Beautiful magazine. The assignment:  Share how a “green” space has inspired you in your designs, work, or blog posts.

Well, there is SO much to be inspired by in the pages of House Beautiful and on their website, but I chose the image above that I had blogged about before here. I have to say I was VERY  flattered to be asked and now even more so that the feature is up and I see the other bloggers that were included. There is quite a nice collection of images and insights from the bloggers who chose them…

Holly Becker,  who blogs at the Gr8 blog decor8 picked this powder room with a fresh graphic floral wallpaper. Its amazing how a pattern like this can visually expand a small room, isn’t it?

Maria Killam, a color expert and blogger at mariakillam.com, chose this lovely living room that  ran on the cover of the October 2010 issue. I can see why! I love the mix of ethnic prints and modern art. Plus, the light in this room amazing….

Matt Armendariz, food photographer and blogger at mattbites.com, chose this gorgeous kitchen with a green gingham ceiling. He says, “If I had my dream come true, it’d be this kitchen, featuring the happiest of bright greens in shades of pea and emerald.”

I too love gingham ceilings. I once worked with avery daring  designer who upholstered her very large beamed ceiling with a tiny green gingham. It was amazing! She also had me stencil gingham on cabinets, doorways, and furniture….among other things. You can see some examples here.

Are you craving more green? You can see all 10 House Beautiful “green” pics here.

One of my favorite stores to drop in for color and current trend inspiration is Pier One. And I’ll also admit to an occasional purchase or two.

So exciting then when blogging friend Beth Hunter from Home Stories A to Z pointed out that our Casablanca Trellis wall stencil was used in one of the room beauty shots in their latest catalog! Beth spotted it right away because she had used the same design on her stenciled curtain project. You can see it there on the yellow/green accent wall. Nice choice!

And then a few more pages in I spied our Chain Link modern wall stencil used in yet another shot. The tone-on-tone gold treatment is one of my long time favorite classic  colorways to use with stencils and I love how fresh and updated it looks with the brighter blue and green! Pier One-you rock!  I am now an even BIGger fan! You can see the catalog online here.

Cecelia Paredes is a performance artist who paints her body in a way that she becomes an indivisible extension of her subject matter: in this case natural forms represented in organic wallpaper patterns.

The result is a body of work that speaks for itself. Enjoy!

I have something to share with you.

This something has me feeling excited, stressed, creative, anxious, thrilled.

This something keeps me focused, overwhelmed, engaged, up at night.

This something can’t happen soon enough. This something seems like a project without end.

This something is something that I hope will thrill you. This something is something that I hope doesn’t kill me.

Website (and blog!) redesigns. Coming soon. Fingers crossed.