Music Room Walls With Stenciled Trellis Design

My music room walls aren’t finished, but I’m hanging up my stencils for a couple of days before I tackle the last little bit. This has been one of the most tedious and frustrating projects I’ve ever done, and I can all but assure you that you’ll never see another stenciled wall in my house in the future. If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that wallpaper is an amazing thing. You can put it up in a few hours, the pattern is perfect, and most companies today sell the easily removable wallpaper that comes off in whole sheets without all of the tedious scraping that the old wallpaper requires.

But I’ve gotten myself into this project, and I’m too far to turn back now, so I must finish.

On Monday, I had done this much on one wall, and was wondering how in the world I was going to stencil around the edges and around the little slivers of wall between the doorways and the bookcases.

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I know a lot of you said not to worry about those areas and to just do the big areas on the two walls. Well, I considered that for about two minutes before realizing there was no way I could live with that. It looked so unfinished to my eye, and really accentuated the fact that it was a stencil and not wallpaper. I had my heart set on a wallpaper look, which meant that those tiny areas had to be stenciled regardless of how infuriating it would be.

I ended up using the suggestion that many of you gave me to cut new sections of the stencil as needed out of cardstock (I used file folders) using an X-acto knife. It was time-consuming, but it actually worked well. Then I used a tiny 3-inch roller to paint those areas, along with a stencil brush right along the edges.

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I had to go back with a small paint brush (i.e., a craft brush) to do some touchups. That was incredibly tedious, but necessary for a perfectionist like me.

Anyway, I still have a few small areas to go, but the bulk of this project is done. The wall on the left is the most finished area in the room. I got all of the areas along the ceiling, the chair rail, the bookcase, and the doorway casing on the right and the top. And I also did all of my tiny brush touchups, so this is about as done as it’s going to get. I just need a new light switch cover.

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Many of you were concerned that this pattern would be too busy on the walls, and perhaps it is for some. But I think the colors make it subtle enough that the pattern doesn’t really hit you in the face. It really will just serve as a subtle pattern backdrop for whatever I decide to put on the walls.

On the other end of that wall, where it meets the non-wall wall between the music room and the entryway, you can see (if you look closely) that I still need to finish the very bottom part on that little sliver of wall between the doorway to the hallway and the 10-lite panel. But other than that, that part is finished, as is the area along the top of the opening to the entryway.

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At the other end of that wall, I still need to do that little bit right up next to the casing, and then I have quite a bit of detail brush work to do. But it’s getting there! At least the edges along the ceiling and the chair rail are stenciled. The brush work is tedious and time-consuming, but it’s much easier than the stenciling.

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And then I have the part that I’m dreading the most — the area on the top and to the left of this doorway.

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It’s a tiny sliver of wall between the door casing and the bookcase, and I just might cry a few tears before it’s all said and done. But again, I’m way past the point of no return, so if it must get done through tears and cursing, then that’s just how it has to be. 😀

So that’s the progress. I’m so ready to move on to another project and be done with this!

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But I am glad I took the time to do one continuous pattern from one side to the other without any mismatched areas. After all of this tedious and frustrating work, I would have been so frustrated to have to look at a mismatched pattern on my wall, no matter how small the area.

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I still have quite a bit of paint touchup to do in the rest of the room. The baseboards and door casings have wood stain on them from the floor refinishing, and the paint on those doors has gotten quite banged up over the last two years. I’m also missing a peacock door handle that got knocked off way back when we took the sheetrock off of the ceiling in this room.

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So all of that will need to be done before I start furnishing and decorating this room, but the fun stuff is getting very close!

Unfortunately, those two chairs that I bought at the consignment store for this room will have to be reupholstered. Remember those? You can see a glimpse of them here in the middle of the living room (where I moved everything to paint these rooms)…

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…under the piles of Amazon and Target boxes and the bags of items I keep forgetting to return to Target and Pier 1. 😀 (Does anyone else hate returning stuff to stores as much as I do? The only thing I hate more is grocery shopping.)

Anyway, they’re covered in a blue velvet-ish fabric that would have worked just fine if I had kept with the dark blue/light gray combo in the kitchen. But it clashes terribly with the teal, so now I have to find new fabric. And this room has one more huge project — refinishing the piano. This piano won’t be painted. I do actually want to refinish it, but I don’t want it really dark like the current finish is. Right now, it’s so dark that the details don’t show up on it in pictures (or in person). I’d love for it to be a medium wood tone, so I’m anxious to see what the wood looks like underneath that thick, dark finish.

But for now, I must press on with these walls. I figure I have one more full day of work on them before they’ll be completely finished. Ugh. Have I mentioned how much I hate stencils? 😀

 

 

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141 Comments

  1. I’m sorry the stencil project has turned out to be such a beast. The walls are really beautiful!!!

  2. Gorgeous – I actually liked the open area toward the ceiling – to me it looked like a border with more of a hand-painted feel, however, I understand the need to finish it exactly as envisioned 🙂 Every detail is so beautiful- I’m in awe of the the ceiling.

  3. You truly are a perfectionist and I salute you for your Herculean efforts. It’s all going to be beautiful.

  4. I really thought I loved the black walls until I saw the music room repainted. You’re right, they were like a black hole. Is there a different in sheen between the two paints that you used for the stenciling? That’s a nice touch, I like it!

    1. Yes, the white is satin and the gray is matte. I didn’t think there would be much of a difference. I just used what I had on hand. But the different sheens really do show, and it’s quite pretty in person.

      1. It IS GORGEOUS, Kristi!! And though I said you didn’t need to do the extra work. It’s perfection, now. I applaud you and your persistence!

  5. It’s very pretty! Would it be possible to remove the header over the door to make it easier to finish that one little space?

    1. I considered that for about a minute, but I think that would create more problems than it’s worth. That header is glued, nailed, caulked, and painted with one coat of primer and three coats of paint. Getting it off the wall would be difficult, and probably impossible without causing some damage to the wall. I don’t want to risk it.

    2. If I were to ever do another wall stencil project again, I’d definitely make that decision BEFORE the trim is installed, and I’d do all of the stenciling before the trim goes in. That would have made my life so much easier. 🙂 Stenciling around finished trim is for the birds.

      1. That’s my feeling about painting in general – I had the luxury of doing that when my ex and I renovated my current house. Painting the rooms in the beginning was a breeze.

        Since then, I have had to paint around trim. Ugh.

      2. Forgot to mention – painful as it must be, the end result of your stencil is lovely. The pattern goes so well with the black doors and the light box you built.

  6. This is a beast of a project, but it is not her hardest one. In our first house, she did a harlequin design on the walls, and she had to do A LOT of taping which made her hands so raw. It was a beautiful room esp with the dry brush design on the ceiling.

    I love the classy look she’s creating in this room!

    1. I love when “The Hubs” comments! Hi Matt! Wow are you lucky to live in such a gorgeous home with your abundantly talented wife! I this this room is beyond magnificent and even though I would never have the patience to start a project like this I commend Kristi for seeing it through. I think this labor of love will be one of your favorites!

      1. I am going to try commenting more often. Kristi laughs when I use the word fabulous, and I love to make her laugh.

        1. I love it that you chime in Matt! It’s good to hear your perspective! It takes a special man to be married to a perfectionist! Everything looks amazing!!

          1. Kristi is so easy to get along with. She is an obsessive perfection ist when it comes to her work, but very lenient on everything else.

    2. Thank you, Matt, for your input on this beautiful room. You’re right, Classy it is. She has created a miracle.

      1. I often think that the classy nature of her design is an image of what’s inside of her. She is such a classy woman.

    3. Hi Matt! This is the first time I have seen you comment on Kristi’s blog! You are married to a weblebrity!

      1. I have only commented a handful of times most in the last year or so. Going to comment more now though.

  7. I think it looks gorgeous. I had planned on doing a stencil in my living room. You changed my mind and I will do wallpaper. Just wait until I tell my husband when the time comes. Lol

    1. Yes! Wallpaper all the way! It’s more expensive, but well worth the additional cost to avoid this frustration. In my humble opinion, the only time I’d bother with stenciling a wall is if I’m doing an accent panel (not even an accent wall where you have to do edges, but an accent panel that doesn’t go to the edges and where the edges can be covered with trim) like I did in my entryway. Something like that would be a breeze with a stencil. But this whole wall and around the doorways business is nonsense. Wallpaper for the win! 😀

      1. My little story about stenciling: The first time I was hired to stencil an entire room, a very LARGE room, btw, I just wasn’t sure where to begin. So I invited my more experienced, fellow decorative artist friend over to the jobsite to give me advice. She looked around incredulously and this is what she said, verbatum. “You want my advice? Shoot yourself!” Well, I didn’t walk away; I did the job, and I actually really love stenciling walls! It isn’t for everyone. And although I voted for zebra stripes, you did a bang-up job and it looks great!

  8. I am sorry that it turned so tedious. But it is absolutely GORGEOUS! I DO REMEMBER the Harlequin design in the condo. So cool! Your home is turning out beautiful and I truly enjoy watching your progress.

    1. Oh, you’re talking about the small area of argyle that I did in the condo. No, no, my friend. Matt is talking about an ENTIRE bedroom (all four walls) that I did in a harlequin pattern in diamonds that were about 6 inches high, all painted in the same red, and alternating in sheen between matte and semi-gloss. Then at every point where the diamonds met, I put a silver thumb tack. I wish I could find pictures of that room. Those walls were beautiful, but that has to rank as the absolute top #1 most tedious project I’ve ever taken on in my life. I don’t even remember how long it took me, but I was fit to be tied by the time it was done. These stenciled walls are a breeze in comparison. 😀

      1. OMG – I would totally love to see what that looked like. I’m always so envious of your projects and how you come up with them. But now that both you AND Matt have commented on your “hardest project ever”, I’m in a “oh wow, I NEED to see that” mode!

        These walls look AMAZING. I love how the pattern compliments the doors that you made as well. The zebra I think might have been a bit too out of pace for the room (if that makes sense) – I love animal patterns, but I truly believe that the trellis was the perfect choice for this room! If you need to hear it form us on how much we love it to help with how much work went into it, I’ll tell you a hundred times over, this is outstanding work, it’s unique and subtle with just enough to catch your eyes. Yet another amazing job!!!

  9. It’s not too busy and looks absolutely gorgeous. I LOVE mixing patterns anyway. Your hard work is paying off!! I also go behind myself with an artist’s brush and make sure all of my lines at the ceiling and chair rail are straight and smooth. (I’m an OCD perfectionist too) It’s worth the effort!

  10. I love how it came out. It’s looks beautiful. I can’t wait to see what console you got from Pier One for your entry too.

  11. This looks so amazing! I had loved the black too, but this truly looks fabulous and fits so much better. And thank you for helping me decide that I will never tackle a stencil wall!

      1. The one I got is from an Etsy store that is no longer there. But both Royal Design Studio and Cutting Edge Stencils have similar allover trellis designs.

  12. I thought that leaving borders unstenciled would be fine but this is unbelievably better! You were so right to tackle the edges and little slivers. It is so lovely. I’m sure the difference in sheens adds to it. You have truly earned “bragging rights” on this project !!

  13. Kristi,

    The room is gorgeous with the stencil! It doesn’t look busy at all and I love the two sheen. I agree with Loxie that the open area toward the ceiling looked like a border and I thought that was intentional. Personally, I would have kept it because it would have given a more custom feel but I understand the need to complete it. This is one of my favorite rooms in your house and I am still in awe of the double doors. You have great vision and an eye for design! Look forward to seeing more of your projects.

  14. Stunning! I’m glad you went for the wallpaper look and took the design up to the trim. I prefer that look as well. As someone who stenciled one large wall in my kitchen, I know how tedious stenciling can be and swore I would never do another one. That was just one wall. You’ve done an outstanding job and your home is so beautiful. Sadly, I just recently repainted over that stenciled wall that I labored so long and hard on. In the end after living with it a couple years, it just wasn’t me and the wall color needed to be changed. Yours, however, is a job (and colors) well done!

  15. Are you keeping the light fixture? I am sorry if you have already mentioned this.

    I understand finishing the project you started. I have gotten myself in to projects and thought what did I get myself into.

  16. This is really coming together nicely. I knew the zebra would be pretty but the minute I saw the mock up I was sold on this pattern and seeing it come together like this is so beautiful! It’s all about the tones you’ve chosen that really make it work. I can totally see what you mean about the piano stain and I know it will come out well. Before you decide on a color for the chairs, I’d be sure to live with them in the room for a little bit.

    One to get a feel for the change in bulk they add (I’m still getting used to walking around my new living room!) and two to get a feel for the color choice. Once you’ve lived with them for a bit you can also probably start planning the art and while you have the chairs reupholstered (by you or by someone else) you can also work on art so you can have that reward of creativity you always seem to like.

  17. What a great job, it now looks like wallpaper! So sorry it has been so hard on you. Like they say if I may, “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. Something like that. Congratulations!

  18. I am so glad your perfectionism kicked in and you did it the right way! Otherwise it would have driven me crazy as well. Your work is excellent and your house is beautiful! I love, love, love it! I think the stenciling is perfect in that room, it is subtle but different. Keep it up Kristi!
    Your house is fabulous! I can just imagine the pleasure you get as you walk from room to room and see what you have accomplished. Your’s is my favourite blog and my favourite house!

  19. Would it be possible to take down those two pieces of molding on the door to make the stenciling easier? Might be easier to rehang and touch up molding than struggle around it?

    1. I don’t think so. When I put up moulding, I mean for it to stay up and never come down. 😀 It’s glued, nailed, caulked, primed, painted. If I tried to get it off the wall, I’d risk the chance of ruining the drywall and needing to do repairs.

  20. Always saying this as I follow you from room to room. This has to be the most amazing room in your house. Like Matt said, Classy! And I had forgotten what a wonderful job you had done on the ceilings. Amazing! Girl, you cannot be outdone.

  21. I love the way it has turned out. Sorry that it became such a hard project, but the romantic is surely on of a kind. Each room you have done set a different tone but they all work so beautifully together.

  22. Kristi,

    Happy Birthday to YOU! Take the day off rest, refresh, and relax. The room is coming together it is beautiful and these colors are so restful.

  23. I’m in awe…..it is gorgeous!! Glad I’m not the only one that has returns piling up from decorating projects.

  24. WOW what a job and absolutely breathtaking. My hats off to you for persevering through this project. Guess I am not that dedicated. :-/ All is looking great! Pretty soon you will have to have an open house to show off your projects to the real world.

  25. WOW! Just WOW! The room looks so Elegant. I especially like how the doors and the trellis design complement (and compliment) each other. You inspire me to try my hand at stenciling~though I’ll start in my master closet where all my beginner oops! won’t be on display. =D

  26. Wonderful craftsmanship. I didn’t see the ‘need’ to stencil around the door trims: until you did.

  27. Those stenciled walls are absolutely gorgeous! Worth all the trouble you have gone to in order to get it just right.

  28. Well, I totally agree with Matt. This is an amazing project. I think it’s one of my favorites that you have ever done and I love the kitchen. You got a neutral room with a lot of class and elegance and it’s not boring! Will the chair fabric have some black in it? This room would look so fab, staying with the neutral palate with pops of color, like pillows, flowers, etc. But whatever you do, I know I will love it.

    1. I have no idea at this point what the chair fabric will look like. But it would probably be nice if it had at least some small touches of black.

  29. This is gorgeous! Well done, and take time to celebrate your Birthday with your loved ones! Yours is the same as my #2 grandson, and the longest day of the year, start to summer!! You’ve done a stunning job on this!

  30. Love it – great detail without being jarring! I do wonder (and maybe it’s just in pictures!) but from far away there is a lot of “blending” which gives an overall washed-out look. What do you think about using the stencil color on the trim (the bottom half “frames” on the wall) or maybe the ceiling plank inset? Just as a way to provide a little more visual contrast from far away. Personally, I love it plain, but it seems like a big departure from your usual lol 🙂

    1. I do like the idea, but I think that sounds like more work. 😀 I might go back and add some details like that later in this year or next year, but I don’t want to get bogged down in details like that right now. I want to end the year with all of these rooms generally finished.

  31. The stenciling turned out beautiful! The whole room is gorgeous, you have done an amazing job.
    Happy Birthday! You should take the day off and enjoy some rest and relaxation.

  32. I am sorry this was so tedious for you. It is stunning and gorgeous. Takes my breath away. How many more ways can I say how beautiful it is? 🙂

  33. Wow…..absolutely stunning and utterly gorgeous! I know this has been a tedious job for you, but what an amazing job you’ve done, and you’ve done it so quickly. It looks so elegant and the trellis design perfectly compliments your double doors, bookcases and wainscoting and the adjoining rooms! I loved the black walls before, but now this trellis design and color has taken this room to the next level. Your vision and work is such an inspiration to us all Kristi. Well done!!!!

  34. I was not a fan of the black walls in such a small room without windows. I love love the new direction with the white and gray stencil, it is so elegant!

  35. The walls look great. I’m with you. If you didn’t make the stencil look like one complete pattern, I would notice every time I walked in the room. It looks so finished now. You say perfectionist, my husband calls me anal retentive. I prefer perfectionist. The colors are perfect.

  36. I think it came out beautifully. Hopefully in a year or so you will think it was worth all the tediousness! 🙂

    And yes, there are other people that hate returning. It’s just one more errand that I don’t want to have to do. I’m embarrassed to say that there have been a few items that I have just donated because I never did get back to return the item. Luckily nothing expensive though.

  37. Wow Kristi, the stencil in this room is absolutely perfect to coordinate with the doors. As difficult as it has been, it works so well, without competing with the other rooms. Soldier on, and then step back and give yourself a BIG pat on the back, not only for your design vision, but for your mad stenciling skills! You have hit this room out of the ball park!

  38. Don’t give up the chairs… what about a pillow that has both colors in it (teal and blue and purple and gold…and…? I think the blue would transition the living room to the kitchen. It would be too easy to use the curtain fabric. I wasn’t a fan of the purple pillows until I saw the entire room done… don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater!!! Where is that idea board you were going to do?

  39. Kristi, ablasutely loverley!!! Worth every bit of a tear or two!! You need an apprentice, like the Old Masters had, to do the most tedious work. By all accounts, Rembrandt et al were extremely hard taskmasters, tolerating only perfection–or do it over. I would volunteer to be your apprentice, if I lived close enough. What a learning experience it would be!

  40. Yep, stencil work is the worst on a large area! Wonder why no one ever came up with a super large one – say 4’x8′ like the size of a sheet of plywood? They could make a whole kit, with a large, a narrow horizontal, and a narrow vertical. Sure would make it a bit easier!
    I agree though, wallpaper is so much easier and well worth the money spent. Having said that, your room is truly lovely! (and I liked the black so much!) I sure hope you enjoy it for a LONG time so all that work isn’t for naught!
    And I HATE to return things – often keep it just so I don’t have to take it back! My husband does the grocery shopping (long story there!) or I would hate that too. I hate to dust!

  41. Those stenciled walls a beautiful! I’m glad you took the time to make your own stencil to do the hard areas. And the look is subtle. Just love it.

  42. It looks wonderful even though it was a pain to accomplish! I want to do some stenciling in a downstairs bath (very small and only on one wall) and I have noticed that some stencil companies are now sending a separate stencil made especially for matching that last space at the top. I will make certain to look for one that includes it. It might have been too busy if you had used a more colorful paint but with the light neutral it looks fabulous and is a fantastic “custom” touch. Good luck with the piano.

  43. SOunds tedious for sure, but you figured out a great solution! Plus….IT IS GORGEOUS!!! Love it so so much!

  44. The walls look gorgeous, Kristi. And like others, I’m sorry it turned out to be such a tedious project. So much for stenciling any studio walls, yes? Here’s to you and Matt enjoying each and every room you have transformed and will do. Cheers, Ardith

  45. Wow this looks fantastic! It’ll be worth the effort! Leaving the stencil on only the large parts of the wall would have looked ridiculous, it looks polished and wonderful now. Great work! Hang in there.

  46. the stencil project may be tedious, but it looks phenomenal! My hat is off to you, because I would have left those tiny slivers above the doors bare, but if you can’t live with it, that’s all that matters. 🙂 I think the pattern is beautiful, not too busy for my taste at all. Great job on this project!

  47. Looks fabulous! Stenciling is not for the impatient that’s for sure. I was going to offer a tip as far as getting next to the trim. I have always used spray adhesive on the back of my stencil so you can kind of bend it and stick it right up next to your moulding. Press it down as you paint in the curves and it shouldn’t crease too bad. Use a re-positional adhesive and it should work for a few applications before it needs spraying again. As for your mismatched corner, you have that with wallpaper too. I bet nobody even notices but you. Always choose the most inconspicuous corner, usually behind a door. Hope that helps!

  48. Happy Birthday Kristi!! Your work is so beautiful and I love the different sheens on the paint. All your hard work is so fantastic and you will smile every time you walk into that room, no matter the tediousness of the work. The pain will fade over time and the beauty will shine forever. Enjoy your day.

  49. Kristi,
    I know it was and is a pain, but wow it is gorgeous!!! It added so much dimension to the room and it is so so so pretty!!! I hope you didn’t lose one of your peacock handles!

  50. Your walls are absolutely gorgeous!!!! You are so talented, not only to visualize it, but to make it all happen!!

  51. It looks good! Is there any way you can just leave that end wall all white or will it dog you to death. In the picture to my eye that’s the way it should be but in real life I realize it might not look like it was planned to be that way.

    1. By “end wall” do you mean that little sliver of wall between the kitchen doorway and the bookcase? I wouldn’t be able to live with that all white. If it’s wall, it needs the pattern on it (to my eye).

      1. I was thinking that you were talking about the end of the room that has the bookcases and doors on it – the area between the top of the bookcases, doors and ceiling. Now looking at the picture again and re-reading your text, it looks like you are talking about that end of the wall with the kitchen door. Sigh, too bad – that will need to be worked on. Good luck with it.

  52. It’s not too busy, it’s beautiful! Whenever you’d shown the photo of the stenciled sample wall in blue and white I thought it was dizzyingly busy, but your two shades of paint are subtle and beautiful. Sorry it’s such a pain, but the results are fantastic!

  53. Oh my gosh!! Gorgeous!!! Love it so much!! Hope it’s like having a baby and you will forget the pain and enjoy the beauty. Love the colors.

  54. You really are relentless. but it ays off. This room- your whole home so far-is so beautiful. I think it is because you put so much of yourself into this space. Literally- blood, sweat and tears. I jus the to ask- did you plan where to start the pattern of the stencil or where you just lucky that the pattern worked out so nicely over the smidgen area above the doorway from the entry and the living room? That looks fabulous and details that space so well! (laugh all you and Matt want, but it does look “fabulous”!) And not for nothing, are you incredibly lucky that your walls and ceiling are straight? A linear pattern like you chose would be a nightmare to correct if your walls and ceiling were not perfect! What a job! You are incredible, you know that, right? You helped me in a private email months ago with a question I had about the IKEA Ritva panels and I STILL haven’t gotten that job done!

    1. I didn’t really plan much of anything. I just started on the bottom corner to the right of the kitchen doorway and hoped for the best. 😀 The wall, ceiling, and trim on that side of the room were very straight, level, and plumb. That wall was easy. The opposite wall wasn’t quite so easy. There was a 1/2-inch discrepancy in height from the chair rail to the crown moulding from one end to the other, so I had to just cheat the stencil a little bit at a time as I worked across that wal. I think I disguised it pretty well. 🙂 But if I look closely, I can tell the pattern isn’t quite level.

  55. I understand it’s been an awful project – but wow they look great! Hang in there you are getting closer!

  56. A very small stencil border years ago was all I needed to do to know that the project you are taking on would have ended with me in tears! LOL

    I still think that the arches kind of gave the “before” a finished look to me. But at the same time I can understand if it didn’t look finished to you it was going to drive you insane every time you walked through that room. So making it look right to you was all that ever mattered!

    And it looks fantastic as you enter that final lap! Yes a busy pattern but the color makes it a subtle effect for sure.

    Mark

  57. The stenciling may have been a huge pain, but boy is it spectacular. I love the subtlety of the colors you chose and agree that without finishing up the very finicky small spaces you wouldn’t be happy with the result. This looks very high end to me, and you are still in the middle of things. Once the rest of the room is put together and decorated, I hope you feel all this hard work is worth it. So luxe.

  58. WOW….it is really looking amazing!!! I love that trellis pattern. Yes, I remember just stenciling accents and stripes all the way around the room years ago and I also said I would never do stripes again!!! The stencil all the way around would be similar! Very tedious. Walls are not straight, ceilings are not straight which makes it really hard. But regardless, with how the colors are so subtle and FANTASTIC btw…. it does look like a subtle pattern backdrop that gives the feeling of elegance. All the hard work really makes a statement. It’s gorgeous!!

  59. The walls are looking really great, but I can’t help but think that if you had went with the zebra instead, the sliver pieces would have be a lot easier to freehand without really noticing if it was perfect to the stencil or not… and less stressful to do. (I was one of the zebra voters :P)

  60. I initially questioned you changing the black paint. I really liked it. But this! This is gorgeous!! I just love it.

  61. The stenciling looks terrific Kristi! You did a great job! I would love to see the backs of the book cases painted in the grey color! ☺
    Sincerely,
    B

  62. Whenever I have a project that frustrates me, I schedule myself an hour a day to get it finished. You can do anything for an hour. Or just work on it for 30 minutes a day. Whatever you can manage before start crying.
    And sometimes I end up working longer than my scheduled time because I’m in a groove. Turn some music on & sing along! Have your mom come over to keep you company while your working. Listen to a design podcast.
    I’m just afraid if you stop now you’ll never go back & finish it.

  63. I’m a procrastinator and sometimes I recognize it in other people….and sometimes I’m off the mark. That being said, are you working on clearing out your sunroom in order to make room for the items from the garage and storage room? Time is moving along so quickly and I know you have the deadline for getting your work room etc started. You are doing such a nice job with the work on your kitchen, music room and finishing up the breakfast room, but are you taking those two or three hours each day you said you needed to get to the goal of the garage remodel? I know it’s not nearly as much fun, but I don’t want you to have to do as I do and work your butt off all in one weekend just to make sure your contractors can get started when the time comes in July. “Nuff” of that…..happy birthday Kristi!

    1. I had a few days where I did really well, but now I’ve gotten off track. I need to refocus and get the sunroom and garage done. You’re right…time is slipping by. Those contractors will be here before I know it!

  64. This room is so beautiful! My favorite part of many favorites – such as doors and walls – has to be the ceiling. I am going to search backwards to see if you detailed it previously. I have read most of your posts so I don’t think so, but I LOVE the ceiling. I am so going to try to copy it….

    Matt is absolutely right, this is CLASSY

    1. I found that you did a post on the ceilingby using the search feature on your site. Excellent!!!There’s a much nicer ceiling coming my way….

      Happy Birthday, Kristi.

  65. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KRISTI! <3 Best wishes for a great day and a spectacular year!

    Well, if you wanted to achieve a wallpaper look, you've nailed it. Those stenciled walls are GORGEOUS! As a fellow perfectionist, I appreciate that you are taking the time to do such an excellent (if tedious) job at completing those small trim areas, it completes the look and really does make all the difference in the world. It looks so professional, and to quote Matt "The Hubs," classy. Love it!

  66. I wouldn’t do the stencil on the bookcase wall. It doesn’t need it because it’s so different. If it really bothered you I’d put I’d put in another piece of trim.

    1. I’m not planning on doing any stenciling on the bookcase wall. I consider all of that to be trim work, and I’m just stenciling the walls. The part that does need to be stenciled is the little sliver of wall between the door casing on the opening that leads to the kitchen and the bookcase, as well as the sliver of wall above that doorway leading to the kitchen.

  67. What about removing the trim from the doorway where those tiny slivers of wall are left? That way you will have more room and won’t need to edge. Then put the trim back up.

  68. Lovely, just beautiful. I know you reference yourself as a perfectionist, things must be balanced but what I notice is that you have still have an organic element. I tend to not like “equal” elements but your style has great appeal to me. There is symmetry in the stencil yet the angels and element of direction, like it is going somewhere. Really like it a lot. I confess you have more patience then me. Last time I did a project like this I almost wrecked my shoulders.
    What is the ceiling? What are the acoustics like in this room when you play the piano?
    Always an inspiration.
    Happy Birthday.
    I dropped an email when I first discovered you, had a couple questions, can see in all your busyness that you might not have seen it.
    Have a super day.

    1. You can see the ceiling details here: https://www.addicted2decorating.com/how-to-install-a-wood-plank-ceiling.html
       
      I’m actually not sure about the acoustics. I haven’t played enough yet to know. My piano is in desperate need of tuning, so I’m not as motivated to play right now as I would be if I had a tuned piano.
       
      So sorry I missed the email! I’m wondering if it was sent to my junk mail. 🙁 I hate it when important stuff gets routed to junk.

      1. Thanks for your speedy reply.
        I am new to your blog. Every time I visit I discover more and more layers of your site or nuances and things I did not observe in my first photo viewing.
        I resent my email to the address you reference at your site.

  69. Just a quick comment to tell you how BEAUTIFUL your house is becoming. Remembering all the work that has gone into each and every room…this place is like a museum of immense personal effort by an inspiring woman. Great job, once again.

  70. In the 90s I stenciled a boarder in my bedroom. It had 3 layers. The layers did not line up! I think it took me 12 hours to do it and it was only a boarder. In the end it looked nice. I’d be interested to know how long this project took you when it’s all done. I too, would hesitate to do another stencil project.

  71. I absolutely adore this project – but also glad you are doing it and not me. Also glad you chose the trellis design – I am a huge fan of animal prints but fear they are already passé and who needs THAT in a home that is viewed thousands of times by opinionamed strangers on the web? 🤗

    Love hearing from Matt, too. It’s time for some masculinity on these threads! (But just a little. Even Wonder Woman had her Steve Trevor).

  72. I love the black doors and maybe missed when you did them. May I ask where you got them and did you make the design on them?