So, now I can stencil. Stenciling acquires a type of zen I don’t usually have – there are lots of imperfections up close, but the overall effect looks *really* good. It was HARD for me to let go of every little detail (though “this will all be behind clothes in 24 hours” certainly helped!). I could have done touch ups for a million years, but I didn’t.

The stencil is Trellis by Cutting Edge Stencils. (Like them on Facebook – they post lots of deals). I love this stencil – I was worried it would be too busy, but it’s perfect. I didn’t actually pick this stencil – one friend told me she’d loan me a stencil, I forgot to ask her in advance, couldn’t get up with her this week and was panicked. There is nowhere local (that I could find) to get a big stencil. So, realizing on Monday night I needed a stencil for Friday morning – the schedule was NOT on my side. But, another friend came through with the this stencil (it was the first one I saw and wanted but worried was too busy – so it was fortuitous to be sort of forced into using it) – so HOORAY!

The grey color is the wall color, white is the stencil. Walls are Behr Premium Plus in eggshell, color matched to Sherwin Williams’ Peppercorn – it’s leftover from the bedroom walls. The white is Sherwin Williams’ Super Paint in flat, it’s whatever they call their straight from the can white. Do not stencil with this paint – it is too gummy (but – in general, it’s one of my fave paints). I thought about doing a pop of color (like a turquoise or lime), but I didn’t want to be tied down. The grey & white will be find with any bedroom color – not that I am planning on repainting in there – I love the Peppercorn. (Oh, long story, but I don’t have closet doors right now – mostly because there are always more interesting house projects to spend money on.)

In typical Melissa fashion, I read around 73 tutorial on 46 blogs, then did my own thing. I will pass on some tips (which may or may not be good – I was totally winging this).

* I did not really do a sample board. I was pretty set on the grey for aforementioned reasons, and white seemed like the best (only?) way to go. If I did something more open (like this), I may have done silver. White over a dark color is probably not a great beginner combo, you need to use a good bit of paint for coverage and it’s high contrast (obviously). Do I think it’s a good idea to practice? Yes. But my wall is a-okay.

* I used a 4″ foam roller. Generally, I use Purdy items (White Dove is supposed to be great for stenciling), but my mini-roller only worked with the Sherwin-Williams brand rollers and the last thing this house needs is another roller handle. I forget the name, but it has the foam roller that is black.

* I did NOT do the “paint on plate” thing. Every tutorial I read had you pouring paint on one plate, then wiping excess paint on another plate. Whatever. I used my normal tray and tray liners. I use the liners with bumps – they were great at removing excess paint. Not having too much paint is the key to stenciling happiness. (It is also reason 1037 you may not want to start with white over dark.)

* I started in the top left corner. There was really no motif to center, so this worked well. From what I read, some people go top to bottom, some go side to side. I stair-stepped. After the corner, I did one below my first, then one to the right of my first. This worked really well – it kept me square (because I usually had a top AND side to refer to) and it minimized overlap – I wasn’t setting the stencil on areas I’d just painted.

* Ideally, stencil an area, wait 10 minutes, stencil another area. I think this would give the best results, but who wants to wait 10 minutes every 5 minutes? Not me. I had work to do and Downton Abbey to watch. Now – if you are stenciling in an area where you can also watch Downton Abbey at the same time, the 10 minutes of waiting would be great.

* I did use spray mount, which apparently is a bit of a divisive topic. I don’t think the spray mount was super helpful on all of the little bits in the middle – I didn’t care to do that much pressing. But it helped on the edges – tape alone wasn’t quite strong enough (and I hated taping on the areas I’d already painted, though sometimes I did). Also, I used Frog Tape because it’s here and I like it better for painting, but I think Scotch Blue tape is stronger and would have held the stencil a little better.

* Like I mentioned before, I would NOT use Sherwin Williams Super Paint. It got gummy on the stencil and there were stringy gummy bits at the edges of the stencil. It did NOT make a mess, but it made the edges less crisp. I did clean off the stencil during the project. I have heard that Benjamin Moore “Ben” paint is excellent, but the SW guy couldn’t figure out what was comparable. I still don’t know – but I would say stay away from a paint and primer in one thick paint (but then we are back to the whole “painting white over dark” thing – I needed coverage). So, I guess – if you NEED high coverage, a paint like this (or Behr Premium Plus) is fine – just be aware and clean the stencil.

Okay – that is WAY more than I thought I had to say about stenciling. Especially since I don’t know what I’m doing and shouldn’t be doling out advice. If you are going to stencil, I would suggesting checking out some actual tutorials from people who know what they are doing – like from a website that sells stencils or a DIY blog. (I’ll try to remember to edit some in later).

Anyway – hooray for my stencil wall! I am sad I will be covering most of it up tomorrow – but at least I will know it’s there and maybe it will motivate me to keep my closet neat.

Container Store parts are all over the living room (you guys, my new car can hold SO MUCH!). Closet walls and trim are painted and are ready for stenciling. And I am so ready to not have my clothes in 57 different places. My shoes are all in an Ikea bag. Except for the 5-6 pairs that are all over the living room. My tanks and yoga pants are in another Ikea bag. The Ikea bag system = does not work.

Unfortunately, I think I am getting sick. I don’t feel horrible, but I feel worse than I should with a new closet looming. Dan has had a funk (finally on antibiotics) and Ursula’s school is a cesspool of disease.

Send vibes for my stenciling- I am super nervous about it!

Last I posted was Friday. Floor was done. Bedroom was taped. Closet was done but maybe not mentioned.

On Saturday, I painted – 2 coats was great, though I think 1 may have been fine. I just REALLY like to paint. The color looks *amazing*. (I swear – I will take pics now that I am rested!). Late that night (I guess really Sunday), Trixie woke me up growling and then I couldn’t sleep so I did lots of random middle of night cleaning.

Sunday was touch up (paint bled more than usual – don’t know what it is with me and dark paint lately – I had been doing really well and bleed-free my last few projects before our hall and now bedroom). I sanded down some door that were sticking. I can’t really remember everything that happened – the weekend was a blur of exhaustion.

By Monday morning, all I had to do was seal the grout (it had to dry for 72 hours first) and grab some Ikea frames and hang them. (Aside: If anyone is interested in my directions for how to do a photo wall, let me know. But my top advice is “holy crap – this sucks, don’t do it”. It DOES look nice.) And clean.

What actually happened is that Dan’s car’s check engine light came on. I knew what it was (a solenoid related to fuel line), it had happened before and it was under warranty and free. I wanted it done because I knew his week would be crazy with him being out of the office for four days. I was not planning on spending 3 hours in the car place between 2pm Monday and 11am Tuesday – or that it would take them THREE separate solenoids to get it fixed. I was given the car twice and told it was fixed only to find the light still on. Grr… But that’s done now too.

Dan and Ursula came home, were super happy and surprised and all is well. I will get pictures – probably today.

And now I am picking kitchen paint colors. Woot. When it’s done, I will be DONE with inside painting – it will mean everything has had new paint in the last 3 years (and all but one room will have had paint since 2011). And maybe someday soon I will get my Elfa closet.