In case you didn’t know, painted wall stenciling is the new paint—and the new wallpaper. Wall stencils are the latest rage in the home design world because it’s a fairly easy and inexpensive way to create custom wall treatments in your home.

And in case you are wondering just what wall stenciling is, it is what it sounds like—using a template or stencil to paint a design, pattern or words on walls. It’s a great way to create one-of-a-kind artistic wallpaper-like designs without having to be an artist or having to commit to wallpaper–just purchase the stencil you like, affix it the wall and paint away for a creative and unique space. Of course, using wall stencils are a little more complicated than that, but the guide below explains how it works. 

Where to Buy Wall Stencils

First of all, where can one purchase wall stencils? They are pretty much available at all your home improvement stores, but one of our favorite place to look for wall stencils is on Etsy.

Two other great resources are:

•  Royal Design Studio

• Cutting Edge Stencils

You just might get lost looking at all the unbelievable options on both of these sites!

How to Apply Wall Stencils 

Image: Cutting Edge Stencils

There is somewhat of a learning curve to painting with stencils, but it’s not anything you wouldn’t be able to pick up quickly. Just don’t expect to be perfect with your first attempt, and give yourself some practice time.

Here are some great tutorials for how to paint using wall stencils:

1. Basic Stenciling 101 – Cutting Edge Stencils
2. Stenciling Tips – Wall to Wall Stencils
3. How to Stencil a Focal Wall – HGTV
4. Stenciled Ceiling Tips – Not Just a Housewife
5. Trellis Stencil – Courtney Out Loud
6. Damask Stencil – Cutting Edge Stencils
7. How to Stencil a Wall Tips – Chi Chi Studio
8. How to Stencil All Over Patterns – Royal Design Studio Stencils
9. How to Paint with Wall Stencils – Apartment Therapy
10. Stencil a Wall: A Beginner’s Guide – Practically Functional
11. DIY Wall Stenciling – Bob Villa

How to Use Wall Stencils 

Image: Cutting Edge Stencils

Painting with wall stencils allows for so much creativity and so many options, the sky is really the limit.

• Stencil an accent wall.
• Use stencils on your furniture (the seat bottom of a wooden chair, a headboard, etc.).
• Create an all-over stenciled wall.
• Add corner accents to a room.
• Create a  framed piece of artwork by stenciling a portion of your wall and adding a frame to it.
• For something completely different stencil the ceiling OR the floor.

Top Image: Royal Design Studio

Related on EcoSalon:

DIY Creative Wallpaper Decorating Ideas: Wallpaper Everywhere But Walls

Color Trend in Home Decorating: Yellow is the New Black

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Many people like the idea of wallpaper, but when it comes to decorating a home with floor-to-ceiling pattern, reservations abound. Of course, there’s the work involved with papering the walls (more complicated than paint for sure), and then there’s the commitment to a graphic wall covering for at least several years, maybe more. Intimidating!

The solution is not to forgo wallpaper altogether, but rather to use it as an accent in your home–and not just on the walls, but in other, unexpected places.

For example, wallpaper the backs of your bookcases for a taste of paper without a huge commitment! It can add visual interest, pattern and appeal to an otherwise boring room. What other ways are there to use wallpaper in your home? There are literally hundreds of great wallpaper decorating ideas; here are a few of my favorites.

Image: LaVantteHome

8 Wallpaper Decorating Ideas

1. Framed Art

Some wallpaper is gorgeous enough to framed, so why not? And if you are artistic at all, wallpaper can be a great tool for use in collages, sculpture and more. See a tutorial from Vintage key West.

2. Graphic Tabletops

Use scraps of vintage wallpaper to paper the top of your coffee table, kitchen table or an end table. Top with a piece of custom cut glass to protect the surface. Mother Earth Living shares a tutorial.

3. Colorful, Cool Coasters

An easy way to incorporate wallpaper is to back glass coasters or top a tile coaster with wallpaper scraps. It’s a fun way to add pattern and color without having to do much work. See a tutorial from The Thinking Closet for the how-to.

4. Lovely Lampshades

Take a boring lampshade, add wallpaper and you’ve added instant visual dynamism to your decor. Here’s an easy tutorial from Redbook on how to liven up your lights.

5. Wallpaper Storage Tins

Repurpose soup cans, coffee cans, tea tins or paint cans by covering them with pretty wallpaper and using them to solve your storage problems. See Indie Fixx for an inspirational tutorial.

6. Bunting

Use leftover wallpaper to make a bunting for your next holiday/celebration. A wallpaper bunting can also be for everyday decoration too, like in a baby’s room, in the bedroom or in the office. Buntings are a fun, temporary way to decorate. See a tutorial from By Wilma.

7. Mobile/Lantern

Again for arty types, use wallpaper scraps and samples to make a hanging mobile or paper lantern. Here’s a tutorial from Ruffled for the how-to.

8. Dreamcatcher

Use wallpaper and an old embroidery hoop to make decorative “dreamcatchers” for over all the beds in your home. Heres’ a tutorial for inspiration.

Top Image: Wickerfurniture

Related on Ecosalon:

7 Wall Painting Trends for Your Home Décor

7 Graphic Patterns For Home Decor You Don’t Know the Names Of—But Will Now!

The post DIY Creative Wallpaper Decorating Ideas: Wallpaper Everywhere But Walls appeared first on EcoSalon.

Graphic patterns, whether used for a wall or an accent, can make or break a room’s interior design, but so many people shy away from incorporating them. There’s no reason to be intimidated—many graphic patterns are actually of ancient origin and have a long history of use—some for thousands of years. Here’s a primer featuring 7 on trend graphic patterns for you to consider adding to your home—and now you’ll know exactly what you’re talking about when you hear the buzzwords! 

Damask

Image: Cutting Edge Stencils

Damask originally comes from Damascus (Syria) and its origins are rich, woven textiles. The defining characteristics of the damask pattern is that it features a reversible (mirrored) decoratively ornate focal point. Two-color contrast damasks are the most popular. Damask is very ornate and can be used when you want to add some drama, so it should be the star of any room that incorporates it, so be careful with damask as it can overpower a room.

Faux Bois

Image: Sew Gracious

Faux bois is French for “fake wood” and it attempts to depict the graininess of real wood. Faux bois is part of the trompe-l’oeil family—designs meant to fool the eye. It can be used to create a wood-paneled look via wallpaper , used on faux bois throw pillows and textiles, and more. Faux bois can be a great way to incorporate a pattern in your home decor but have it present as a neutral. It’s also a pattern that lends itself to both casual (urban cabin!) and more sophisticated interiors.

Quatrefoil

Image: designed beginnings

The word quatrefoil means “four leaves” in Latin and it describes a symmetrical shape made up of circular and overlapping segments. It has its roots in Christian symbolism and can take the form of a single quatrefoil shape or in a repeat pattern of quatrefoils (like the wallpaper shown above). The quatrefoil is also a common theme in Moroccan-style patterns.

Chevron

Image: royal design stencils

The chevron pattern is a bold, geometric inverted v-shaped pattern that can be traced back to ancient times. It’s seen some recent popularity in the home design world and can be used on walls, furniture, accessories and more. It does well in both modern and contemporarily decorated homes, and works as a dynamic pattern without getting too fussy.

Greek Key

Image: FestiveHomeDecor

The Greek key pattern also comes to us from the ancient world. It consists of a continuous line that folds into itself to create blocks. It’s often used as a border for curtains or molding, but can be used more comprehensively in smaller doses too (like the pillows, above). It’s also a bold, geometric pattern like chevron (also above, shown with ikat, in the middle, as well).

Ikat

Image: toni marie designs

Ikat is a pre-Columbian resist dyeing and weaving technique that is still utilized today. The prints that technique produces can be described as exotic by some, and do offer a lot of variation, although the most popular features repeat patterns of jagged or blurred oval-like shapes. It can be used to add a bit of bohemia or looseness to your graphic pattern decor.

Houndstooth

Image: Antiquated Revolution

Houndstooth makes one think of Sherlock Holmes, although it has its beginnings in Scotland. It’s a variation of the checked pattern and features skewed or broken checks. It’s a traditional menswear fabric pattern and subsequently imbibes a more masculine or distinguished  feel to rooms that include it. It can be more stately, but also used in fresher, modern ways as well, depending on the room and furniture style that accompanies it.

Top Image: Pat Print by Amy

Related on Ecosalon:

How to Use 5 Bold Design Patterns to Make Your Home Pop, Gorgeously

10 Stunning Statement Chandeliers to Inspire: From Modern to Gorgeous Vintage

The post 7 Graphic Patterns For Home Decor You Don’t Know the Names Of—But Will Now! appeared first on EcoSalon.

A renaissance in luxe wallpaper is romancing a whole new generation of homeowners.

My parents hung textured wallpaper in our piano room (a.k.a. “the fancy room” we wee ones were not allowed to enter), in circa 1985. Call me an oracle, but even when I stood under four feet tall I knew that the grey swans would have passed from being “In vogue,” to truly ugly by 1986.

Given my lifelong leanings on the subject of wallpaper, what I’m about to say will shock even my mother, who has seen and heard it all from me: I lust after this wallpaper from Graham & Brown.  The Adorn Collection features glittery, shimmery, metallic embellishments that, at $75 a roll, create a look of luscious decadence without breaking the bank.
It is a glue-on wallpaper, so be sure to choose a fungicide free paste or one that is water based, water soluble or solvent free.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: Not Your Parent’s Wallpaper appeared first on EcoSalon.

In case you want a bird in your dining room this Thanksgiving, but not on your table – check out these ostrich lovelies from the distant (and more glamorous) cousin of the gobbler.

The Fiela Feather Light by Haldane Martin is a vision of spherical feathers to float over your dining room (or living room, or bedroom). The drama of gentle light filtered through feathers is palpable – if only it were on the menu at my house this year.

Two dimensional ostriches have lingered around EcoSalon before and they are still stunning. The avian wallpaper from Beware the Moon (available here) is a bold way to bring a bird (or seventeen ostriches) into your dining room this Thanksgiving (and of course, being the gracious host you are, invite them to stay year round).

(Photograph Credits: Image 1, Image 2)

The post Birds In Your Dining Room appeared first on EcoSalon.

I have to admit, I love cork – and not just because the source (the Cork Oak tree) bears an uncanny resemblance to my last name. I love the texture, color, and possibilities this humble material offers. I love that a porous material with contrasting rich earthy substance and negative space molds into sheets of two-dimensional strength. Here are just a few reasons for you to love cork, too.

Benjamin Hubert designs a heap of gorgeous products to suspend from your ceiling. The Float pendant (a hand turned Portuguese agglomerate cork lamp) is just one of Mr. Hubert’s creations to covet.

The Phillip Jeffries Java Cork Collection is an inspired wallpaper gathering; Ebony Cork with Gold is a dream of natural cork with a gold metallic underlay. This unexpected partnership of earthy and gleam is absolutely stunning. These Balloon Shakers designed by Japanese architect Masayuki Kurokawa (available at Merchant 4) are a translucent and enlightening way to display salt, pepper, and vivid spices.

The Puf Fup by Corque (designed by Ana Mestre) is envisioned to “challenge the creativity of its user” through a cohesive, continuous string of perfect cork spheres that invites sculpting your perfect (wildly comfortable) seat.

The post Cork Oak Wonders appeared first on EcoSalon.

Each week here at EcoSalon, I beg my favorite bloggers and designers to hand select a beloved green product, whether it’s a finish, furnishing, or accessory. The end result? An endless anthology of aesthetically perfect products for your perusal.

This week will be a slight divergence as the girl (Leigha Oaks) behind the “˜Handpicked‘ series does the picking. In addition to my words on EcoSalon, I also have a blog, elle oh; this little piece of online real estate is brimming with personal musings, inspirational substance, gorgeous interiors, vivid colors, calming neutrals, lovely products, and a general dose of beauty and design.

This week I cannot stop thinking about the crème de la crème of wallpaper, Kreme (started by the creative and talented Cadee Wilder). As if the graphic delight wasn’t enough, factor in some earth consciousness and the result is pure perfection. The collection is full of alluring ombre effects, soft geometry, stunning contrast, and subtle colors. The Folk Flower paper (shown above and below) has captivated me with the charm of old world flowers. Picking just one pattern to share was agonizing, be sure to drool over the rest of the collection. And don’t miss the pillows either – baubles and woodland creatures, oh my!

The post Handpicked: elle oh appeared first on EcoSalon.

Here are some ripe picks from the groovy grape file:

Fruitful Folds: Designer Dror Benshetrit should take pride in his Peacock chair exhibited at the recent ICFF 2009 in New York. Designed for Cappellini, no weaving, sewing or upholstery glue was applied to the comfortable lounge seat with a price tag too high to mention on our site. Hey, that’s art, kids.

Berry Soft: Avalisa hand-tufted New Zealand wool rugs in animal and abstract patterns: Dog, Wonder and Deer. Available in three sizes.

Grape Explosion: Tree Bomb purple wallpaper from Ferm Living. $115 per roll.

Juicy gems: from VivaTerra, gorgeous tones in on-trend shapes and textures. $98-119.

Purple is the New Black: Nouveau Organic Duvet and Pillows from Pottery Barn Teen, $32-$119 in twin and Queen sizes.

Upcycled Mashup: From Etsy, this felted wool pillow was a 100% cashmere sweater in a former life. $35 for the cover.

The post Fall Color? Still Seeing Purple! appeared first on EcoSalon.

When I gather with friends over a bottle of wine it usually involves a book discussion or recruiting more parents for the school book fair. Erin Yasgar and Teresa Grow created Madison and Grow, a green wallpaper company over a bottle of grape. I want to drink with women like that. Why can’t I find friends like that? Probably because I don’t live in New York. Darn it!

Not only do these hip wall cover girls have inspiring ideas for patterns (Laura Ashley meets Lily Pulitzer and David Hicks) but their web site features photo strips with their bios, which is really cool. My friends would never think of that. Man, I need new friends.

Now, the product: it is hand sketched (botanicals, geometrics, vines) before being scanned onto recyclable papers for your walls. They are coated with natural clay minerals for durability, are low-VOC and contain no harsh chemicals to enhance the beauty. Oh, and the Pasadena Collection consists of patterns with names that all begin with the letter “E”.

Eleanor

Elizabeth

Eloise

Erin

Estella

They range from $150 to $225 per roll, putting them in the mid-to-high design range. Interior Design magazine likes Eleanor so much, it awarded the design one of the best of the year. The company is launching a new Manhattan line in 2009 and sells to the trade.

The post Cover Girls appeared first on EcoSalon.