Stencils and Wallpaper

If you were to actually use the front door to our house (we come in through the garage) you would walk into this space.

It's cute and functional and we're happy with it. The challenging part for me has been our staircase. First it was carpeted, but I tore off the carpet and refinished the stairs. Now I want to paint or stain the railings black. And I've been trying to decide what to do about the wall that the staircase is on, which also serves as an entry point into our dining room.


The hallway can be kind of dark, so I'm looking to lighten it up and we had hoped to add some sort of artwork, but not framed photos. When I saw this image from the Coastal Living Idea House I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this wall. And I even convinced Joe to go along for the ride on this one! I was sure he'd veto it immediately.



From the Coastal Living website "Design Trick: Opt for stencil-painted walls as a creative alternative to wallpaper. Designer Angie Hranowsky had a local artist interpret a pricey paper’s design with shimmery gold palm fronds and leaves that enliven a coral background."

I just love this idea! Although I think we'll go in a more tone on tone direction like the image below. I'm trying to decide if it makes more sense to use a stencil and do the handiwork myself, or to find a suitable pattern in Sherwin Williams' Easy Change Wallpaper collection. The easy change wallpaper is a non-woven wallpaper which has prepasted options that environmentally friendly, breathable and fully washable. The best part about them is they can be taken down by simply pulling the sheet off the wall. No tools or solvents needed. I figured this would be a great option in case I get sick of the pattern or if future buyers don't like my whimsy.