We’re back with phase three of our sunroom mini makeover (see phase one and phase two). This update focuses on the bold turquoise stencil we added to the chocolate-painted floor. Like many DIY projects, it involved a little trial and error, so we’re sharing our process, what went wrong at first, and how we fixed it so you can avoid the same pitfalls.
To begin, we gathered materials. We already had most painting supplies at home, so we only bought a few items: floor paint in a lagoon/turquoise shade (we color-matched Martha Stewart Lagoon to Glidden’s oil-based porch and floor paint), a sea sponge, and a Ciel stencil from a local stencil maker. The stencil, paint, and sponge cost about $57; everything else we used was on hand.
Layout planning was the next and most important step. Measure your room carefully and decide how many stencil rows will fit along each wall. In our sunroom we fit seven rows on the long wall and five on the shorter wall. We used tape to mark the edge of each stencil position so the pattern would stay within those rows and maintain even spacing—about 8″ between each stencil in our case. This planning is crucial: if the layout doesn’t fit or looks off halfway through, you’ll regret not visualizing the plan first. A helpful trick is to place pieces of paper where each stencil will go to check balance and symmetry before you start painting.
When it was time to stencil, we temporarily secured the stencil edges with delicate-surface painter’s tape so the stencil stayed flat. We applied paint using a sea sponge with an up-and-down dabbing motion to avoid pushing paint under the stencil edges. On our first pass we made a classic mistake: we used too much paint and got bleeding and blobs under the stencil, which produced a messy result.
Fortunately that first stencil was placed in a spot that would be hidden by furniture, so we could learn from the mistake without ruining a visible area. We rethought our approach: instead of aiming for complete coverage, we dialed it back to about 80–90% coverage so the paint wouldn’t puddle. We also started dabbing the sponge on cardboard first to remove excess paint before touching the stencil. That small change made all the difference.
John grabbed a cardboard box from the garage and I used it to blot the sponge before each application. With less paint on the sponge and a lighter touch, the stencil edges came out crisp and clean. We were surprised that slightly less coverage produced a sharper pattern—the slight visibility of the brown base coat actually improved the look by preventing raised paint edges.
Another trick that helped was stenciling the four corners of the room first. That gave us fixed reference points spaced around the room, which made it easy to orient the subsequent stencil placements and keep everything aligned. From there I worked my way around the room, moving the small paint tray, spare cardboard, and blotting box with me as I went.
The finished floor looks great—rich chocolate with a turquoise pattern that plays off the lighter teal ceiling. It adds texture and personality to the sunroom for a fraction of what an expensive area rug would cost. We’re really pleased with how much interest this simple stencil added to the space.
Below are the practical tips we learned and recommend if you decide to stencil a floor:
- Use paint formulated for porches and floors for durability. We chose an oil-based floor paint because it bonds well to the existing oil-based chocolate paint and resists wear.
- You don’t need heavy saturation for stencil work. A little paint goes a long way—aim for around 80–90% coverage rather than full saturation.
- Double- and triple-check your layout before painting. Mock up positions with paper, and paint corner stencils first to establish stable reference points around the room.
- Tape the stencil on all sides with delicate surface painter’s tape to keep it from shifting while you work.
- If paint builds up on the underside of the stencil, wipe it off before reusing the stencil to prevent smudges.
- Use a sponge or pouncer and blot it on cardboard to remove excess paint before applying it to the stencil. Apply in a gentle up-and-down motion to reduce bleeding.
- Allow floors plenty of drying and curing time before walking on them or moving furniture back in. Because of humidity, we’re giving our floor seven full days to dry before reinstalling furnishings.
- To remove oil-based paint from skin, mineral spirits work well; some people prefer using cooking oil (such as vegetable oil) as a gentler, more natural option.
That’s our stenciling process from start to finish. We hope these notes help anyone thinking about adding a patterned stencil to their floor. Have you tried stenciling before, or does this inspire you to give it a go?
Pssst—if you want to see how we painted the chocolate base coat for the sunroom floor, check our earlier post with the full how-to and detailed steps.