Give your entryway a beautiful and easy makeover. See how easy it is to stencil on a wall for a beautiful foyer update with cheetah spots and metallic paint. Part of the One Room Challenge.

*This post is sponsored and contains affiliate links.  The foyer makeover is featuring products from Royal Design Studio, Velvet Finishes, and Hudson Valley Lighting Group. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting brands that help make this blog possible. 

And just like that, it’s May 1st and we have reached week five of the One Room Challenge!  I’ve had a few setbacks and challenges but mostly a lot of fun tackling loads of DIYs to transform our open-concept living, dining, foyer, and piano studio areas for this six-week-long room makeover. 

You can check out the design inspiration and mood boards for more details on the space and challenge.  A huge thanks to the lovely Linda from the One Room Challenge blog and our media sponsor Better Homes and Gardens.

How to Stencil a Wall

With only one more week left, I’m feeling pretty good about my progress but am definitely sleeping less and drinking more caffeine.  Who’s with me there?  On top of that, my husband had surgery yesterday so my parenting and “nurse” duties are a little more heightened.   

But before the grand reveal next week, I have an elegant and boho foyer makeover to share with you today thanks to a fabulous stencil and metallic paint! So if you are looking for entryway accent wall ideas, look no further!

Week One:  Eclectic and Glam Inspiration for an Open Concept |  Week Two:  How to Update Furniture with Peel and Stick Wallpaper | Week Three:  Small Dining Room Decorating Ideas |  Week Four: DIY a German Smear Mortar Wash for Under $10 | Week Five:  Stencil Your Foyer for a Beautiful Makeover | Week Six:  Eclectic Glam Open Concept Living Areas

How to Stencil Your Foyer in an Elegant Way

I’ve avoided using wallpaper in this challenge because of our uneven floors, textured walls, and occasional cracks.  I still wanted to create wow factors with wall treatments so I decided to go with stencils from Royal Design Studio stencils to help with this! 

You already saw a peek of the funky fibers pattern in Ideas for a Small Dining Room but for the foyer, I chose a cheetah spots stencil.  I wanted a subtle hint of a metallic sheen for the pattern so I reached out to my favorite home decor paint online store, Velvet Finishes, and asked for their pearl metallic. 

It was just what I was looking for and the perfect amount for all of the foyer walls.  I’m so excited with the elegant finish and pop of pattern!

What you need to stencil a wall:

1. Wall stencil – Royal Design Studio Stencils’ Cheetah Spots Wall Stencil
2. Paint – Velvet Finishes’ Pearl Metallic 
3. Painter’s tape
4. Small brush
5. Small roller

How to paint a stencil on a wall: 

• First, make sure your wall(s) is clean and dry. Sand your walls if there’s a heavy texture and you are using a symmetrical pattern for clean paint edges. You don’t need to do this with an organic pattern like cheetah spots.
• Line up your stencil starting in the upper left corner of your wall and tape it in place.   Check your placement with a level to ensure an even pattern.
• Use a stencil brush or small foam craft paint roller to dip in paint and blot off on a paper towel or a paper plate.  Stifle or roll the paint working in small sections.   If you are using a brush you can find a more detailed tutorial with DIY Boho Clipboards.

• I was happy to find out you can immediately move the stencil and move either down or to the right using the guide marks on your stencil without smudging the paint.  This was even easier than I imagined! 
• Repeat the process until your wall or room is complete.  
• The paint drys quickly if you are using a thin coat of paint as suggested so you can easily do this project in a short afternoon. 

Continue to Content

How to Paint a Stencil on a Wall

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Painting a stencil on a wall is easier than you think with these simple DIY and stencil hacks.

Print

Materials

• 1. Dust Rag
• 2. Stencil
• 3. Paint
• 4. Stencil Brush
• 5. Painter's Tape
• 6. Paper Towels

Tools

• Sand Paper (optional)
• Level

Instructions

1. Sand heavy textured walls first.
2. Dust/wipe walls before painting.
3. Use a level and place the stencil in the upper left-hand corner of the wall. Hold in place with painter's tape.
4. Mix your paint, dip your stencil brush in and wipe off or blot excess paint.
5. Stifle paint onto stencil in a light coat. Add more paint until the desired effect.
6. Remove stencil and line up to the right. Repeat steps 4 and 5.
7. Keep stenciling until you've reached the end of the wall and move down to the next row.
8. Start from the left and continue to the right.
9. Repeat until the entire wall is covered.

Notes

1. Use a paint roller for quicker coverage.
2. Select a stencil with an organic pattern for easier application.
3. Try metallic paint for an elegant finish.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Wall Stencil Painting Tips:

• Using an organic pattern is best if you have uneven walls as it will be more forgiving. 
• Save those gorgeous geometric and tile patterns for even ceiling and floor lines! 
• If your paint bleeds outside of the stencil pattern then you are using too much paint. 
• Make sure to blot or roll off the excess paint first. 
• You can do touch-ups with your wall color and a small paintbrush or Q-tip.    

DIY Entryway Makeover Ideas: 

Add a new light fixture like this gorgeous Lettie flush mount from HudsonValley Lighting Group.   It looks just as pretty off as it does on and the metallic spots have a lovely sheen!   

Paint the inside of your front door!  I’m sure we all think to paint our exterior front door but why not a fun color on the inside as well?  I used some leftover Cosmopolitan paint from Velvet Finishes that I used in my daughter’s room for her dresser makeover.  Check out how easy it is to paint without sanding or priming!  

Remember I said I had a few setbacks with this challenge?  Well, I painted the door two different colors before deciding on mint green.  If you step back and see it with the piano space it really ties it together!   Part of this room makeover was about achieving unique characteristics in each space while still unifying the open layout.

Freshen up your foyer or entryway with different decorating accessories.  We have been in our house for a full seven months now so a change in the decor was already due! I hope you are inspired to try a DIY entryway makeover.

I removed the heavy piece of fine art and hung a mirror that was getting lost on the dining room wall.  A plant and watercolor from the Republic of Georgia were also moved into this space.

The plant was from my grandmother’s funeral years ago and the painting my husband brought back from deployment so they are special pieces.

I hope our freshly stenciled foyer walls have given you inspiration!  It is really a great DIY for anyone to try without the more permanent commitment of wallpaper although I’m a huge fan of that too!  My favorite?  The bird wallpaper in my daughter’s room.:)  

Thank you to these amazing sponsors for making this challenge possible!

Velvet Finishes |  Well Woven | Brightech | Royal Design Studio Stencils | Smith Honig | Hudson Valley Lighting Group | Fanimation 

It’s fun to look back on the progress with a to-do list.  I might have a few additions too because why not? 😉

• Reupholster grandparent’s armchairs with blue velvet and bird fabric
• Paint front picture window black
• Paint green focal wall
• Hang new window treatments and remove old blackouts in piano area
• Makeover music cabinet with removable wallpaper and paint
• Install new foyer light
• Stencil foyer walls with cheetah stencil and pearl metallic paint
• Add fringe to arch floor lamp
• German smear technique on fireplace stone
• Hang curtains with rings
• Create a faux roman shade for the dining room with an existing window panel. 
• Reupholster two barrel chairs in green velvet with green print, paint the the chairs frame dark
• Purchase a new sofa
• Trim love seat with fringe 
• Paint french doors trim black ? (Painted black then back to white. Ha!)
• Add brass nailhead trim to black leather chair
• Sew lumbar pillow and add trim
• Reupholster two more dining chairs
• Add fringe to piano seat and maybe tuft (yes to tufting!)
• Install chandelier
• Stencil living room wall
• Paint buffet 
• Add trim/moulding if foundation issues are resolved
• Paint coffee station wall dark and hardware gold
• Paint front door
• Large tropical print art
• Paint faux mantel blue
• Install mirror gallery wall
• Hang curated gallery wall
• Style, style, style

Make sure to pop in next week for all of the reveals and to the oh-so-fun before and after pictures of our open concept living areas!  It’s going to be grand.  Promise!

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