Concrete and cement floors can be SO drab and these plain, bare floors can be greatly enhanced by spicing them up with color and stencil patterns! The variations in color options and stencil designs from Royal Design Studio makes it easy to see how stenciling techniques can be applied to your own space. In fact, that's how our friends Dana and Brooks Tucker of Bella Tucker felt when faced with their underwhelming carpeted guest room. The decorative painting firm, based in Nashville, TN, are stenciling pros and frequently use our stencils to make their finishing projects on various surfaces shine! They decided to tackle the painting and stenciling of one of their own floors as a renovation project and we've got the all the stencilicious details for you!
This guest room was in a basement and was the space right next to the patio and pool area. This was NOT a great plus for Brooks and Dana, who love to entertain! Summer was coming and they knew they needed to get this room in tip-top design shape! They first removed the carpeting and nails from the floor and were left with concrete sub flooring that had icky dried glue stuck to it. The glue was sanded down and then painted with two coats of Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. Chalk Paint® is a fantastic product that sticks to most surfaces and can not only be the lovely end finish but also provide a beautiful surface and color to work on.
Because they loved the Skylar's Lace Floral Stencil so much from using for a previous stenciled ceiling project, Brooks and Dana thought it was the perfect damask stencil design to use on their guest room floor. They used Old White Chalk Paint® as the stencil medium and a 2" Stencil Brush to help with the pattern stenciling. After the stenciling was dry, they topcoated with a dead flat varnish for protection. The whole project took them three days to complete, including drying time. We also love the other design elements they completed the room with, like the foiled wall technique! It's a sexy, glam room and both Dana and Brooks are super happy to have this room open for guests to use! Be sure to check out their painted and stenciled floor blog post -- we chalk it up to another Stencil Success!
Whether you prefer a classic stencil design or a more contemporary pattern, knowing the basic techniques for painted and decorated floors will keep your floors looking fresh. Here are some of our Tips for Stenciled Floors:
1) Remove all wax, dust, nails and staples and fill in any cracks. Make sure to clean your floor area. Simple Green works well for cleaning most surfaces.
2) Determine the size of your stenciled area and properly measure and tape off with blue painter's tape along its perimeter.
3) Determine the center of your area with string and/or a tape measure and begin with the pattern centered there.
4) Pick the best sized stencil brush for your stencil design and, using a stippling or swirling motion with the stencil brush, apply the colors of your choice to the design areas. Please see our Basic Brush Stenciling How-to for more info. In case you'd like to use more than one color for your pattern, using stencil brushes should help you isolate the paint easily in the different design elements without having to tape off adjoining areas.
NOTE: If using an allover pattern, the built-in stencil registration marks will help you align your stencil perfectly as you repeat it across the floor.
5) For added protection, apply several coats of your chosen top coat after allowing your stencil paint to dry and cure. We recommend the Annie Sloan Lacquer Floor Finish, a clear, matte, water-based varnish for concrete and wood floors that have been painted with Chalk Paint® from Annie Sloan.
We'd like to thank Dana and Brooks for sharing their gorgeous stenciled floor project with us! If YOU would like to share any of your stenciling successes with us, please e-mail projects(at)royaldesignstudio.com or post it on the Facebook fan page! Happy Stenciling!
Floored with these Stencil Ideas? Here's a few more to INSPIRE!
- Wood Floors? Never fear! We also have a video tutorial on How to Paint and Stencil a Hardwood Floor!
- Peek in to see four fab painted and stenciled floor projects!
- If you can't paint the floors, we have a great alternative: floorcloths! Find out more about stenciled floorcloths.
- Don't forget the staircase! Here's our tips and stencil ideas for stenciled stairs that Wow!
