Have you ever thought about how spaces make you fe Have you ever thought about how spaces make you feel? 

The reason I became a designer was because my environment really affects me. It has the power to calm me, inspire me, energize me. 

I want to help others create spaces that evoke an emotional response while also reflecting their own personality. 

You have layers and different sides. You’re not boring. Your home shouldn’t be either. 

#colorfulhome #interiorswithplants #myarticle #artforwardinteriors #sodomino #sunsetmag #moderninteriordesign
I wish I could say, “no piece of home decor was I wish I could say, “no piece of home decor was harmed during the making of this photo” but that would be a lie. I shared in my stories what I broke and I’m seriously ashamed. It had to be the one nice gifted thing (in this area) that I loved so much. 

In other news, please spot the gorgeous black textured cutting board by @gresham_houze. I’m in love with it.
Figured it was about time some holiday graced my f Figured it was about time some holiday graced my feed. Just in time for our first snowfall too!!

#sunsetmag #myapartmenttherapy #eclecticchristmas #scandinavianchristmas #revealmag #originmagazine
Thought I’d share a little progress into my clie Thought I’d share a little progress into my client designs. This bathroom used to be part of a porch! We packed in some fun pieces while still keeping it neutral like the homeowner wanted. I love how it turned out! 

Remodeling: @sawtooth_remodeling 

#mystyleddomain
#artforwardinteriors
#livinglifethrifted
#revealmag
#apartmenttherapy
Inspiration comes from everywhere! The reason I we Inspiration comes from everywhere! The reason I went with these yellow curtains was because of this little girl in this yellow shirt standing in the kitchen. I loved how the yellow complimented the green and blue in the kitchen. It brought that extra punch I was looking for without competing with our busy backsplash.

Have you ever had something unexpected inspire you?

#kitcheninspirations #colorfulkitchen #kidsinkitchen #yellowcurtains #greencabinets #mycribaesthetics
#interiorsthatcrush
#theclassicquirkyhome
I’m in a serious Gilmore Girls kick right now… I’m in a serious Gilmore Girls kick right now…. Again. The more I watch it, the more I wonder what influenced me and what actually is a similarity to me. The coffee obsession, the love of witty banter and sarcasm, the lack of cooking skills, the joy of all things old and character-filled. One other thing I noticed is the intense coziness of the spaces. They really emphasized warm accent lighting and I’m in love. There’s just something about the perfect lamp lighting on a cold winter evening, am I right?

#happyhomeshare
#theclassiceclectichome
#stopandstaredecor
#inspiremehomedecor
#eclecticallycool
#brightenmywall
We have so much fall cleanup to do this weekend. I We have so much fall cleanup to do this weekend. I mean, endless carpets of leaves to pick up. I love the big trees so it’s all worth it but…. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite chore in the world.

What riveting plans do you have this weekend?

#dailydecordose
#postitfortheaesthetic 
#thenowlook 
#theblogbaby 
#mylagomhome
A house is what you sell. A home is where you stay A house is what you sell. A home is where you stay. 

#hunkerhome
#inmydomaine
#rslove
#apartmenttherapy
#mybhg
Stop asking, “Does this go?” And start asking, Stop asking, “Does this go?” And start asking, “Do I love it?” 

Want to know the key to personal style? It’s allowing the pieces you love to shine. The combining factor of personal style is you loving all of the pieces, not that they are all mid century or farmhouse or Scandinavian, etc. YOU are the deciding factor!

#howyouthrift
#dailydecordose
#postitfortheaesthetic 
#thenowlook 
#theblogbaby 
#mylagomhome
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Uncategorized · August 2, 2019

Stenciled Fireplace DIY – Upgrade Your Builder-Grade

One of the things I love doing on this blog is showing that you don’t have to stick with builder-grade finishes and you don’t have to do expensive changes to update them. Take our fireplace tile surround, for example. We chose this stone when we built our house. It was the best out of the options we had but it felt dark and it didn’t blend with our whimsical chic style. So, I decided I would paint it and do a stenciled fireplace DIY.

stenciled fireplace diy, concrete tile, cement tile, modern fireplace, fireplace update

In comes Cutting Edge Stencils. They have a large variety of all different style wall stencils at extremely affordable prices as well as the supplies you need to make your stenciling experience easy and efficient. Most impressive to me are their tile stencils with modern patterns that mimic the popular concrete tiles that we love but realistically can’t afford right now.

And if you’ve been around for a while, you know I am a fan of stencils! You can see how I used one in our laundry room makeover to give the look of wallpaper as well as in our master bathroom makeover to do a wall feature and transform our builder-grade vinyl floors.

This post is in collaboration with Cutting Edge Stencils. The stencils used in this project were supplied by Cutting Edge Stencils but the ideas, opinions, and words are all my own.

original stone fireplace with styled mantel

Our existing stone tiles are similar to a smooth slate and have some texture to them. They were not glossy. This project took me one day to complete and I am so incredibly pleased with how it turned out!

stenciling supplies

Supplies Needed:

  • Rag for cleaning
  • Rag for wiping
  • Painter’s tape
  • Chalk Paint (I used two different colors, but you can customize however you’d like) Sidenote: You could use acrylic paint for the stencil but I wanted the tile to have a chalky finish to make it look like concrete. It’s completely up to preference. I used Behr chalk paint in Snowy Pine and Behr chalk paint in Norwegian Blue.
  • Roller of Paint brush of your choice
  • Stencil of your choice – I used the Nola tile stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils
  • Stencil brush in correct size (the finer the detail of the patterned stencil, the smaller brush you will want to use) – I used the second smallest stencil brush from Cutting Edge Stencils

Stenciled Fireplace DIY Steps:

  1. Prep the surface using warm water on a clean rag. This will help the paint stick and will rid the surface of any dust or particles.
cleaning tile before stenciling

2. If necessary, use painter’s tape to tape off any edges you don’t want to get paint on.

3. Using your preferred roller or brush, start painting the tile and grout lines with chalk paint. I wanted a bright base so I chose a nice creamy white. (Snowy Pine by Behr Chalk Paint)

Behr Chalk Paint

4. If you’re painting stone like me, it is porous so you will need several coats. I did about 4 coats on mine for full coverage. Let dry for at least 3 hours. (If using paint other than chalk paint, you may need to let paint dry a little longer. What’s nice with stenciling is you do not have to wait for the base color to be completely cured.)

  • first coat painting tile
    1st Coat
  • 2nd Coat
  • Fourth coat painting tile
    4th Coat

5. Now you’re ready to stencil your fireplace. Place the tape on all four sides of the stencil as if you’re framing it. You will likely need to replace the tape after 4 placements or so to keep a tight bond on the tile and prevent any slippage.

6. Place the stencil on your tile carefully lining up the pattern with your existing tile. (If you’re like me, the stencil did not fit our existing tile perfectly. I knew this ahead of time and made sure to pick a pattern that I could manipulate to fit our tile and existing grout lines.) Press firmly on the tape to position the stencil.

Stenciling tile

7. Pour some of your second paint color on a paper plate or other flat surface. A little paint goes a long way with stenciling. Make sure you do not cover the entire area of the flat surface with paint because you will want an area to rid your brush or excess.

Paint for stenciling
You’ll notice I poured a little too much here than recommended.

8. Apply paint to your stenciling brush by keeping the brush perpendicular to the plate. Rid your brush of excess paint by stippling on the blank area of the paper plate. You will be essentially using the least amount of paint you can on your brush to prevent paint from leaking through the stencil and messing up your pattern.

9. Now it’s time to stencil! Holding the stencil firmly with your other hand, take the brush and stipple the paint onto the stencil. Dab, don’t brush, the paint on. This not only provides a nice texture but also keeps the paint from slipping under the stencil and messing up the pattern.

10.Continue until you need to move your stencil. There is no need to wait for it to dry until you move your stencil to the next section. Since you are using such a dry brush, it dries very quickly.

stenciling a fireplace

11. Position your stencil to the next section and repeat.

If you do make a mistake, have a damp rag on hand to quickly wipe off the mistake and try again!

Don’t forget to wash your stencil after several uses. You can tell it will need washed when you start to see paint on the underside of the stencil or if seepage starts to happen. Cutting Edge Stencils are incredibly easy to wash. Place them in your sink with warm water running on it and gently scrub the paint off with a sponge or even your fingers. The paint will come right off! It dries easily too so you can jump right back into your project.

The Finished Product

Stenciled Fireplace DIY - modern geometric fireplace - concrete tile

Here is how our fireplace turned out! I am so thrilled with how it brightened up this dark corner and added the whimsical personality that we love so much. The geometric shapes modernize it. The colors compliment the warm tones of the mantel and the calmness of the light greenish blue on the wall.

Fireplace DIY

If you follow me on Instagram (@rufusandhenrietta), stay tuned for a giveaway where you can receive your very own stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils and you can try doing your own fireplace DIY or transforming another area in your home. And if you do, please tag me in your photos or send them to me! I get so inspired by your projects and how you translate things into your own spaces.

Happy Creating!

In: Uncategorized · Tagged: builder-grade upgrade, diy, fireplace, Home Decor, paint

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Have you ever thought about how spaces make you fe Have you ever thought about how spaces make you feel? 

The reason I became a designer was because my environment really affects me. It has the power to calm me, inspire me, energize me. 

I want to help others create spaces that evoke an emotional response while also reflecting their own personality. 

You have layers and different sides. You’re not boring. Your home shouldn’t be either. 

#colorfulhome #interiorswithplants #myarticle #artforwardinteriors #sodomino #sunsetmag #moderninteriordesign
I wish I could say, “no piece of home decor was I wish I could say, “no piece of home decor was harmed during the making of this photo” but that would be a lie. I shared in my stories what I broke and I’m seriously ashamed. It had to be the one nice gifted thing (in this area) that I loved so much. 

In other news, please spot the gorgeous black textured cutting board by @gresham_houze. I’m in love with it.
Figured it was about time some holiday graced my f Figured it was about time some holiday graced my feed. Just in time for our first snowfall too!!

#sunsetmag #myapartmenttherapy #eclecticchristmas #scandinavianchristmas #revealmag #originmagazine
Thought I’d share a little progress into my clie Thought I’d share a little progress into my client designs. This bathroom used to be part of a porch! We packed in some fun pieces while still keeping it neutral like the homeowner wanted. I love how it turned out! 

Remodeling: @sawtooth_remodeling 

#mystyleddomain
#artforwardinteriors
#livinglifethrifted
#revealmag
#apartmenttherapy
Inspiration comes from everywhere! The reason I we Inspiration comes from everywhere! The reason I went with these yellow curtains was because of this little girl in this yellow shirt standing in the kitchen. I loved how the yellow complimented the green and blue in the kitchen. It brought that extra punch I was looking for without competing with our busy backsplash.

Have you ever had something unexpected inspire you?

#kitcheninspirations #colorfulkitchen #kidsinkitchen #yellowcurtains #greencabinets #mycribaesthetics
#interiorsthatcrush
#theclassicquirkyhome
I’m in a serious Gilmore Girls kick right now… I’m in a serious Gilmore Girls kick right now…. Again. The more I watch it, the more I wonder what influenced me and what actually is a similarity to me. The coffee obsession, the love of witty banter and sarcasm, the lack of cooking skills, the joy of all things old and character-filled. One other thing I noticed is the intense coziness of the spaces. They really emphasized warm accent lighting and I’m in love. There’s just something about the perfect lamp lighting on a cold winter evening, am I right?

#happyhomeshare
#theclassiceclectichome
#stopandstaredecor
#inspiremehomedecor
#eclecticallycool
#brightenmywall
We have so much fall cleanup to do this weekend. I We have so much fall cleanup to do this weekend. I mean, endless carpets of leaves to pick up. I love the big trees so it’s all worth it but…. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite chore in the world.

What riveting plans do you have this weekend?

#dailydecordose
#postitfortheaesthetic 
#thenowlook 
#theblogbaby 
#mylagomhome
A house is what you sell. A home is where you stay A house is what you sell. A home is where you stay. 

#hunkerhome
#inmydomaine
#rslove
#apartmenttherapy
#mybhg
Stop asking, “Does this go?” And start asking, Stop asking, “Does this go?” And start asking, “Do I love it?” 

Want to know the key to personal style? It’s allowing the pieces you love to shine. The combining factor of personal style is you loving all of the pieces, not that they are all mid century or farmhouse or Scandinavian, etc. YOU are the deciding factor!

#howyouthrift
#dailydecordose
#postitfortheaesthetic 
#thenowlook 
#theblogbaby 
#mylagomhome
The walls are feeling a bit bare in this renovated The walls are feeling a bit bare in this renovated space. It’s nice to have a clean slate but I’m ready for some personality. I’m thinking a wallpaper would be just right here. Here’s why:

1. It would perfectly frame the cedar entry walls
2. It will complement our graphic backsplash without taking away from it
3. It will be more cost effective because of the pass through
4. You can’t see this wall from the entry and I think it would be a fun, unexpected surprise

Have you ever considered wallpaper? Believe it or not, I’ve never done it in my own house but have always wanted to. This seems like the perfect opportunity.

#ispyraddesign
#bohomeetsmodern
#thepottedplant
#myeclecticabode
#interiormilk
#mycurrentview

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