We are fortunate to head to the mountains for the holiday weekend. Typically that means rest and relaxation, but instead I am tackling a DIY project~stenciling a wood floor.

The weather this particular afternoon was chilly and hailing…very conducive to working indoors. To see more of our mountain cabin, click here.

The space needing improvement is a landing on the interior steps to the second floor. Where the stairs make a 90 degree angle, the landing is covered in an oak/pine veneer? The overall look is rather cheap, compared to the adjacent chunky, floating steps.

Determine the Stencil Design

In keeping with the old adage, if you can’t hide it, make it a focal point. In attempts to cover this area, I decide to stencil the wood floor. The “Forest Floor Damask” stencil from Royal Design Stencils is $49.95 online.  The stencil is 22″ x 22″ which will require about 4 full repetitions and 4 partial stencils to fill the space. I also did not pre-treat the floor~~just wiped it clean with water.

Select Your Paint Colors

Honestly, the hardest part for me was determining what color paints to use.  I considered using just one color, but decided to take on the challenge of multiple colors.

Since the theme is Forest Floor and the cabin IS in the mountains, I select shades of nature in browns and greens. I am using small sample paints from a local hardware store.

Measure and Secure

Since this stencil is a random pattern, I place the first stencil in one corner of the landing. If the stencil design has a border or a block design, I would measure and place the stencil in the visual center.

Starting with  two main colors, I add white paint to each color to obtain various hues. Using plastic disposable cups is perfect for mixing paint. I secure the stencil to the floor with blue painters tape.

Apply by Dabbing

In order to keep the paint from bleeding under the stencil, I tap the excess paint off the bottom of the brush.  The paint is applied by dabbing, not stroking the paint on the stencil. Note: Make sure you use good stencil brushes. Mine are from Royal Stencil Designs. There are sold out, however, you can purchase other stencil brushes online here.

I paint the “branches” in a shag bark color. See below for the Sherwin Williams colors used.

Sorry for the shift in light in the photos but we added industrial lamps so I could better see my work space.

Next, I paint the larger leaves in a pine green. Doing the very first stencil is a bit intimidating as I wasn’t completely sure what color would go where. But it is typical to feel this way but go with your instincts.

The orange flower color is a combination of yellow, sienna, raw Sienna, alizarin red, gold and copper acrylic paints (from my art supplies). Make sure you mix enough paint to complete all the flowers (or make good notes on the color of paint and quantity you are using).

The stencil has guide marks in the border to help align the design.

Four complete stencils cover most of the landing.  Look at the very unattractive edge at the top of the photo.  I will cover that later with a solid 1.5” painted border.

Stenciling the Edges

It is a bit difficult to bend the stencil to get the partial stencils painted on the edges but securing it with the blue tape helped.

Add a Border

Lastly I add a solid border on all four sides. Please make sure your stencil paints are completely dry.  You can then tape the border size you want with blue painters tape.  I also use the blue tape on the walls to protect them from any splashing paint.

Here is a photo I took the next morning.  Again, it’s hard to capture the actual colors due to the indirect light.  The brown tones look blue here.

Apply Protective Layer

I will add a matte finish protective coating over the top during our next trip to the cabin.

All in all, I was pleased with the end result.  If you have a floor or wall that you aren’t happy with, you may want to consider stenciling it. Now, instead of an eyesore, I have a piece of original art!

Have you ever stenciled a floor? To see my prior floor stenciling project on a concrete floor, click here. And I recently completed a DIY project stenciling a bathroom tile floor, which can be seen here. Stenciling is an affordable way to upgrade a floor, wall or backsplash.

Thank you for visiting Life at Bella Terra.  If you love old historic homes, please sign up and follow my blog.   As a fan of Before and Afters shots, I try to include many of them in the houses I restore. You can also find me on Instagram @lifeatbellaterra and Facebook.  I so appreciate you following me and look forward to  your comments and feedback.

Have a wonderful week!

If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to share with others on Pinterest.

Stencil:  Royal Design Stencil Forest Floor Damask

Paint:  Sherwin Williams Latex Acrylic, SW 3001 Shagbark and SW3037 Shade Tree.

I am not the most current on trends, but I find the concept of e-commerce subscriptions fascinating. My first encounter was Stitch Fix, nearly five years ago.  Stitch Fix, is a company that mails you a monthly box of clothing and accessories.

The items are hand-picked by Stitch Fix’s 3,500 full- and part-time stylists, who work with the company’s team of more than 80 data scientists to suit customers’ tastes. Stitch Fix charges a $20 fee for each box (which goes toward any purchases the customer makes). Clients pay extra for the clothing they keep, and can return what they don’t want.

My daughters and I subscribed after filling out a lengthy style questionnaire.  It was fun to see what a design consultant who had never met you or knew what you looked like, would select and send.

Since the company was relatively new, some of the styles weren’t to my liking so I cancelled. The company has since evolved and expanded, including a line for men and children. I may give them a try again, as I am not fond of clothes shopping.

Katrina Lake, 34, is the founder and chief executive of Stitch Fix. The company brought in $730 million in revenue in its 2016 fiscal year. Katrina was 26 years old when she founded Stitch Fix in 2011….very impressive.

I have used Stitch Fix for gift giving and it is easy to do so. You can print, email, or send a gift card in whatever dollar amount you want.

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One of my favorite bloggers is Sharon Santoni from My French Country Home.  She has created a quarterly Subscription Box that I recently used as a birthday gift for my sister in Connecticut.  The theme for the August box was French kitchen and not only was the box beautifully wrapped, the items inside were spectacular. And it was mailed from France! My sister was delighted with the high quality of items and presentation.

Here are the contents of the August Stylish French Box with further details on a few of the items.

Artist Celine Chollet features a blue-shuttered house in Provence.

Marseille soaps by Marius Fabre: These soaps from Marius Fabre come from a family-owned business in Salon de Provence that still makes their products in the same way as their great-grandfather did a century ago.

A stoneware pottery bowl by the Manufacture de Digoin: Fabricated in the Ceramic Valley, deep in the Burgundy region, this bowl will impress you both with its durability and the craftsmanship that went into its creation.

Three copper cannelé molds: These adorable copper molds are used to bake cannelés, a traditional Bordelais pastry.  Or insert tea candles for a French-inspired deco piece.

An antique teacloth: This brocante item is one that you’ll find as functional as it is pretty. The red-on-white pattern is traditional of this type of linen blend teacloth.

A book of recipes: All come straight from Sharon’s kitchen, made with wholesome, seasonal ingredients.

There was also a beautiful copper candle, an apron and chocolate fondant included in the box. For more information on My Stylish French Box, click here.

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It’s been hard finding good flowers here in Phoenix during the latter part of summer.  Nothing exciting is growing in the yard, and our local retailers have meager pickings. Motivated by my desire for a different selection of fresh flowers, I signed up for a monthly delivery from The Bouqs.

Their farm-to-table flowers come from eco-friendly, sustainable farms around the world.  You can cancel anytime so I thought it was worth a try.

I set it up so I get Farmer’s Market flowers on the 12th of each month. They are (were?) having a 20% off and free shipping sale which pushes me over the edge to order.

The Bouqs also has a gift option online so it is very easy to send a bouquet to someone you love.  I will let you know the quality and quality of my flowers when my first subscription arrives on September 12th.

There are many e-commerce boxes available–from beauty to art to supplies.  On a recent post (click here to read) I shared my subscription to Paris Letters, which has been a delightful experience for someone like me that appreciates getting a fabulous letter in the mail.

If you are getting a subscription box, please let me know what it is and if you love it.  With the holidays approaching, having e-commerce at our finger tips expands our gift giving options.

Excerpts and photos taken directly from My French Country Home, Stitch Fix and The Bouqs.

My husband and I spent the weekend in the mountains of Arizona.  It was SO peaceful and quiet.  Since my life is rather frenetic and busy, there is not much down time. It wasn’t until I was the midst of serenity and stillness that I realized how much I miss the absence of noise.

For me, the mornings there are the best. With the dawn, the sun light streams through the trees and the day starts anew.

There has been so much rain lately.  The 3.5 hour car drive was glorious~~lots of green and plenty of wildflowers along the way. Thank goodness for all the precipitation as it has helped reduce the threats of forest fires.

One of my favorite places to have my morning coffee is the small screened in porch off the kitchen.

I purchased the day bed a few years back and it was in sad shape-chipped white paint with rust spots. Chippy, shabby chic paint is all the rage, but back then it looked decrepit to me.  I spray painted it a mossy/sage green.  The day bed actually pulls out to a full double bed, hence the two base cushions.

Cushions were made by the experts and I. through trial and error, made all the other pillows.

I found this rattan chair in a local second hand store. I do need to create a lumbar pillow for it, but it’s the perfect place to read on a chilly day.

The small bistro table and two chairs was made by a New Mexico artisan passing through who sold it to a local store.  I’ve never seen another one like it.

Beyond the porch you can see our wood sculpture in the driveway. We lost a very large Ponderosa pine tree due to beetle infestation. Instead of cutting it to the ground, we had a local artisan turn it into this.

The lantern in his left hand is solar powered and lights up at night. The ball at the top of his wand is a globe that changes different colors. It, too, is solar powered.

The weekend wasn’t all R& R and we completed a small project while we were there.

There is a side porch that has been unused for a few years.  I had purchased an old pine table many moons ago and brought it up to the cabin envisioning fabulous dinner parties.  Guess how many dinner parties I have had so far? One! Yep, just one…during the 4th of July weekend this year.

Here is a before picture of the porch…..truly underutilized.

And here is what it looks like now! It needs some other elements (rugs, art?) but this is a good start.

My husband hung outdoor lights over the table.  The furniture is protected with an overhang, which is perfect during those mountain thunder storms.

I am finally able to use these fun bistro chairs and outdoor furniture I purchased to stage my last remodel (the Willetta house).

Now it’s time to entertain!  Unfortunately we just don’t get up to the mountains as much as we would like.  Maybe Labor Day????

I am still feeling the after effects of the weekend’s solitude. Sending you some peace and quiet.  I certainly need more of that in my life.

Tree Carving Artist- Trent from the Burly Bear, Pinetop, AZ

Chairs from Wayfair

Coffee Cup- Anthropology

Red Outdoor Furniture: Lowe’s

When we first remodeled Bella Terra, the original intention of this room was to be a computer/TV/hang out room for our then 2 children.  But God works in strange ways and I became pregnant with our 3rd child in the middle of our 3 year renovation.  Of course the doctor had told me that it was highly unlikely I would get pregnant (my “advanced” age) coupled with my last pregnancy ending in a miscarriage.  Surprise!

This room had several problems~~large plaster cracks and a floor that significantly sloped to one side. The wood flooring was mismatched and in poor condition.  When we pulled up the floor boards, the joists were random heights, contributing to the non-level mess. Structurally, the corner of the house had settled. It was painted mental institution green.

Since every single window had to be replaced in the house, we took this opportunity to change the larger northern window to a smaller, fixed one. The original window led out to the top of the porte cochere and I envisioned late night escapes done by mischievous children.

Here is the renovated room prior to flooring.  It was painted a soft peach to match the Ralph Lauren florals I had chosen for her crib and bed~~perfect room for my new little girl.

When Elisabeth became a teenager, naturally she wanted a room change.  I still remember the day when she asked, “Mom, can I paint my room orange and blue?” Hmmm.  I asked what shade of orange.  She promptly showed me International Orange~~yes, that super bright, come save me in the middle of the ocean emergency color.  Groan.  But I have a fond memory of MY mother letting me paint my room a ridiculous shade of purple when I was that age. I smiled and said, “Sure!”

We agreed to painting two of the four walls orange, but two would need to be white~~for balance and a visual break in color.

We painted the room ourselves~a mother/daughter project and she was so proud when it was finished.  I admit I was hesitant at first, but the color is SO cheerful and happy.  There is quite a bit of painted white trim (baseboards, door/windows) which is crisp and clean against the orange.

Here’s the view when you step into her room.  The bed has assumed a few different positions, but this is her current layout (which gives her more friend space). The rolling cart acts as a night stand and is from IKEA.

When she graduated to a full size bed, I purchased the fabric headboard from Joss and Main.

There is always an abundance of stuffed animals on the bed. 🙂

The original room did have a closet, but during the renovation (pre-new baby), I reconfigured it to be used in the adjacent room. So we needed to add closet space.  We created these built-ins from the kitchen design department at Home Depot.  The white finish adds balance to the orange.

All my children LOVE to read and collect books so a bookcase was added to the side of the closet.

Across the room is her desk/work station. She has a cork board area and spaces designated for supplies.

A large world map mounted on a metal board provides magnetic ways for her to display trinkets and memorabilia.

As a Christmas present I painted a picture of Sox, her beloved dog.  Though not planned, I’m glad the blue works with her color theme.

I hope you enjoyed this brightly colored room! It reinforces the notion to take risks with paint color!

Paint Colors: Sherwin-Williams Manual Knockout Orange

Dunn Edwards 354 Van de Cane (white)

Large Pillow fabric:  Joann’s

Striped comforter fabric:  IKEA

Rug:  IKEA

Pencil containers:  IKEA

Pears and Women in black top paintings:  Artist – me

Beach painting:  Artist: my daughter

Lamp: IKEA

Custom Windows:  Marvin Windows

August is like the Sunday of Summer…..unknown

I am finally back in town.  As much as I love to travel, transitioning back home is a bit of work. Luggage to unpack, bills to pay, dead plants to discard, laundry to do~~in addition to the mental shift of getting back into the swing of things.

My latest adventure was to Washington, D.C. where I helped settle my oldest in his very first post-college apartment. He starts his new job soon and is embarking on a wonderful journey in our nation’s capital. His apartment is in a fabulous, hip section of the Navy Yard, close to the Metro and numerous restaurants.

But he needed everything-sofa, bed, dresser, desk, television console, coffee table, kitchen island, and assorted 1st apartment things.  Thankfully, IKEA is an affordable option and was only 30 minutes away.  However, we opted to assembly everything ourselves. What were we thinking? Who knew a sectional sofa came in so many pieces?

Here is the apartment on Day 5~~the good news is that we (my son, his roommate, and his mother) worked well together and got it finished! #loveIkea #hateIkea #exhausted

We are experiencing exciting weather in Phoenix.  It is our monsoon season= rain/wind/flooding.  We’ve also had a few haboobs ~~ intense dust storms.  Bella Terra is looking quite tired this time of year due to the heat and the unpredictable weather. The minute the yard is picked up and cleared, another storm blows through.

The wind has been so strong that part of the hen house room came off and a garden obelisk toppled over.

My middle daughter has moved back home and is living in the guest cottage for her last year in college. She surprised us (long story) with this sweet little bundle.  Meet Hemingway. He has his own Instagram account….Hemingway, the GSD. (German Shepherd dog).  After our initial shock, it’s hard not to love him. #puppylove

My youngest daughter has already started her senior year in high school.  We are knee-deep in the college application process….sigh.

August is one of those months.  It’s part of summer but no more summer vacations.  Routines and schedules are back.  Traveling is over.  But it’s too hot here to really do anything exciting. Temperatures will not cool down for another month or so.

I’ve been reading ALOT and must share these two books with you.  They are part of a trilogy but I haven’t gotten to the 3rd book yet.  Recommended to me by my friend, Rick (who always has the best book suggestions), I cannot put this series down.  If you like fast paced, espionage thrillers, these are a must read.

About the author.

Jason Matthews is a retired office of the CIA’s Operations Directorate.  Over a thirty-three-year career he served in multiple overseas locations and engaged in clandestine collection of national security intelligence, specializing in denied-area operations.  Matthews conducted recruitment operations against Soviet-East European, East Asian, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean targets. As Chief in various CIA Stations, he collaborated with foreign partners in counterproliferation and counterterrorism operations.

It has been a busy few weeks away from home with limited internet coverage (how nice!). Since I don’t have a staff to write blog posts for me, I am finally back home and now able to share my adventures.

The only glitch in the trip was the plane had to do an emergency medical landing in Memphis. Unfortunately one of the passengers died after valiant efforts by the crew and volunteers to resuscitate her.  We missed our connection but the airline was very accommodating in getting us a later flight.  After witnessing a crisis like that, you just count your blessings.

First stop: Connecticut. My sister has a lovely home in Old Saybrook right on the water…..such a treat for me as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the water.

Here is where I had my morning coffee.  Lucky me. There is something about looking at the ocean-I can actually feel my stress melt away.

Each morning included brisk beach walks. I enjoyed the abundance of flowers and lush landscaping.

Here’s my future beach house. Here is my future beach house. Here is my future beach house. If I keep saying it over and over again, won’t it come true?

In Connecticut, I cannot resist the fresh, local seafood.  Lobster, lobster and more lobster. Here we are having lunch at the marina at Saybrook Point Inn.

After a glorious trip to the beautiful shores of Connecticut and reconnecting with my siblings, we then flew into Philadelphia for my goddaughter’s wedding weekend.

We arrived in Collegeville (about an hour north of Philly).  This town has an incredible public park called the Perkiomen Trail, which has 20 miles of walking, biking and hiking paths.  The trail goes along the Schuylkill River and we completed a 4 mile walk on the morning of the wedding.

In spite of the high temperatures and high humidity, we all survived the late afternoon outdoor ceremony.  The wedding reception was held indoors (thank goodness for air conditioning) in an old barn.

Back to Phoenix and less than 24 hours later, we were headed up to our mountain cabin for the 4th of July.

This PARADISE metal step, from an amusement park slide,  greets us at the front door of the cabin.  The weather was perfect with cool mornings and 75 degree temperatures during the day~~a significant change from the sweltering Phoenix heat.

When we were here in May, I discovered a bird’s nest  in my geranium basket that hangs by the entrance. It was filled with these gorgeous blue eggs.

Now, the nest is empty with tiny pieces of blue egg shell in the bottom, so the baby birds have hatched and left the nest.

We had a full house for the July 4th holiday. What a joy to have all my children and their friends with us!  Our neighborhood has a fun, homespun parade…the Bullfrog Loop parade, which celebrates our patriotism and freedom.

We are now back in Phoenix. Monsoon season is upon us so we are praying for much needed rain in Arizona. My daughter LOVES the rain!

I hope you are having a relaxing and fun summer!  In a few weeks, all my children will be going their separate ways so I am cherishing each and every moment.  I may not be blogging as much during this time but I will pick up the pace at the end of August.

Sending big summer hugs to all of you!

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