Wall Stencil Recipe

Remember, it’s not supposed to look perfect. Bob LeBeau uses stencil paint to put down the basic design, then mixes a gallon of latex paint with a gallon of water (1-to-1 proportion). Using a rag, he applies the glaze to the stencils for a warm, faded look. “Every wall looks a little different,” Carol LeBeau says. “That’s why we like it.” For floors, use paint first, then stencil, and don’t apply polyurethane; the floors will age more convincingly. In the dining room, Bob painted the entire floor red, “and then used a stenciling paint and brush and dabbed every one of the mustard squares.”