Pocketful of Posies was provided a stencil to review by Cutting Edge Stencils, all opinions and DIY Projects are my own. This post contains some affiliate links. For more information about our policies please visit our Policy Page.
I was so excited when Cutting Edge Stencils contacted me about reviewing one of their amazing stencils. I have been itching to give our master bedroom a makeover and I knew I wanted to do a feature wall, but outside of that I was a little stuck. With the combintaion of the perfect inspiration and amazing tools I created a Stenciled Brick Feature Wall you to feel to beleive its only paint.
Cutting Edge Stencils has so many beautiful patterns I found it really hard to choose just one. Inspiration struck one night when we were out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants resides in the Administrative building of a 1900’s Brewery that has been reclaimed into restaurant and retail space. It has the most amazing lightly whitewashed bricks, with black, creamy teal, and warm wood accents. To say it is a beautiful, is a huge understatement. It is the perfect combination of romantic and industrial and it is everything I wanted our bedroom to be.
Now most people like to call this Farmhouse Industrial. I don’t think that is my style at all. While I love Farmhouse industrial style to me conjures up images of milk buckets, cows, and other barnyard accents. I may be from a small town, but I wasn’t raised on a farm and my husband is from a big industrial city. So the whole farmhouse thing definitely doesn’t appeal to him. I am using this project as a platform to launch my new design style, Romantic Industrial. It has all of the old world rough vintage charm with soft feminine accents and no barnyard anywhere in site.
With my new inspiration in mind I decided to use their awesome Bricks Allover Pattern. I had a vision of perfectly whitewashed bricks where the white was so light that the original character in the brick was still visible underneath.
Before getting started on this project I watched a couple of videos on how to stencil. These videos and others can be found on Cutting Edge Stencil’s website. The video I found to be most helpful was How to Stencil a Feature Wall. I also recommend reading their blog post Learn How to Stencil Bricks Allover Pattern. Both are full of very useful information for tackling this project, especially as a first time stenciler like me.
The Paint
When I set out to stencil my wall I really wanted it to look like real brick so I used a combination of nine different colors to give my bricks the depth and character that you would expect to find in 100 year old bricks. I purchased all of my Valspar paint at Lowe’s in their sample sizes and then mixed it in very small batches into a home made chalk paint. All together the paint cost $26 including tax.
Stencil Brick Feature Wall Paint Colors
Bay Sands 5008-1b (I used this for my wall base)
Tagsale Linen 3001-10c
Shoreline Haze 6008-1B
Subtle Peach 2003-8c
Fairmont Penthouse Stone 6008-1c
Jekyll Grand Dining Sea Mist 5005-3c
Bleached Shadow 4002-1c
Lincoln White Sash 7004-14
Mark Twain Gray Brick 4005-2c
Small Batch Chalk Paint Recipe
To make my home made chalk paint I mixed 1/3 cup of paint with 2 tablespoons of Plaster of Paris and 2 tablespoons of Floetrol (can be purchased at Lowes in the paint dept). After mixing it together add water in tiny increments to desired consistency.
Getting Started
I started by painting my feature wall with a batch of my Bay Sands Chalk Paint. It took the whole sample container of paint to cover the wall. I mixed the chalk paint a little on the watery side on purpose. By adding too much water to this homemade chalk paint recipe it will break down the latex paint causing it to take on a gritty consistency. I did this on purpose to give my “grout” the look of real cement. ** I only did this for my grout. I do not recommend doing this for the other colors. It is too thin and may cause the pattern to run.** After mixing my paint I used a regular paint brush to apply it to the wall. This helped to make the wall look like real cement.
This is a close up detail picture of my base color, Bay Sands chalk paint. Notice all the variations in texture created by mixing my chalk paint extra thin and by brushing it on the wall. It really looks like cement!
Next using my stencil and the amazing stencil level provided by Cutting Edge Stencils I started my first row. I chose to work on the are between the windows first because there were no obstructions allowing me to get the hang of working with my stencil. Plus I knew I wanted to make arches over our windows and that would require a lot more work and practice.
Instead of rolling out my brick I used a set of disposable foam stencil brushes that I purchased at Michaels to complete this project. You only need 1-2 brushes at a time to dab and blend each brick. Over time you will need to get new brushes especially if you start and stop this project as I did. After awhile the Plaster of Paris will build up and harden in the brush, causing it to be too stiff for even blending.
To keep my bricks from having too much of a canned appearance I didn’t blot the excess paint off of my foam brush before applying it to the wall. This caused a little bit of paint to seep under the edges of the stencil. However, this little bit of seepage gave each brick it’s own unique shape giving the wall a more natural flow. **You should not use this method with other intricate stencil patterns**
I also tried to make my bricks appeared in random patterns, as real bricks do. Some bricks are solid colors and others are a combination of colors blended together to give them depth and interest. I chose to keep the darker colors to a minimum and only used them to accent the other bricks.
The longest part of the whole project tapping out each brick individually. I worked on this project over the course of a week a few hours at a time. In the end it probably took me 15-17 hours to complete. However, I was working by myself and only as nap time would allow. So this required extra time to clean up after each use. This project could be easily accomplished over a weekend with dedicated focus.
The Arches
I really wanted to give my brick wall some nice details that made it seem believable. One way I did this was to add arches above both of my windows. After doing some research I found the right arch for my space from an article published by Columbia University on brick arches. To make my Relieving Arch pattern I took a piece of moving paper that was about the width of our windows and folded it in half. Then using a regular pair of scissors I freehand cut half an arch shape starting with the tallest point along the fold of the paper. Then I simply opened the paper back up revealing a complete arch shape. Then I leveled the paper above the window and taped it into place with painters tape.
To give the illusion of bricks turned on their side I simply took single brick stencil and added a piece of painters tape across it a little less then half way down. Then I taped it to the wall using my paper pattern as a guide and painted these bricks the in the same fashion as the others. Make sure to leave “grout” gaps between each brick.
I added the arches after the main portion of my wall was finished (the span between the windows) but before I finished the area around the windows. To add the bricks around my arch I simply waited until they were dry and then taped the larger brick stencil over the patter and filled in the bricks. Be sure to leave enough space around the arched for the “grout” to show through.
Finishing Up the Project
Because the windows in our room are so close to the corners of the room there was no way for me to use any of the stencils in this area. So I waited until the very end and free handed the brick with a regular paint brush. Then I tapped over the area using one of my foam stencil brushes to give it the same look as the rest of the wall.
I also did this along the top edge of my wall. I found that the stencil left too large of a gap along the top, one that would never be believable on a real brick wall. To fix this I also free handed half width bricks in this area using a regular paint brush then following it up with the same foam stencil brush for a consistent look.
In the end I am absolutely in love with the way this project turned out. The bricks are full of so much depth and detail just like real bricks. Our cable guy even had to walk up and touch the wall before he realized it was only paint. I’m not sure there is a better compliment than that. This wall turned out to be everything I hoped it could be and it has inspired me to give our bedroom a complete overhaul. So don’t forget to check back over the next several weeks as I continue to make our master bedroom a romantic industrial retreat.
The Giveaway
Be sure to come back next week as I’ll be sharing all the simple dirty details on our new vintage electrical insulator pendant lights. I love the way they turned out. They are the perfect accent to our new romantic industrial master bedroom.
Do you have a question or a comment? Let us know below! We will always do our very best to answer you as quickly as possible!
If you like the look of my Romantic Industrial Master Bedroom then here are a few options that have a similar look and feel.
If you enjoyed this post please share it with your friends. Remember sharing is caring!
Cat this looks absolutely INCREDIBLE. Literally that looks like real bricks! I’m not sure i’d have as much patience to do a wall that size, but you could do it for me XD haha!
Thank you Lauren!! Sure! Sounds like a European vacation is in store!!
This is AMAZING, Cat!! It looks like real brick, and I love your "romantic industrial" vibe. It’s exactly how I would describe my own decor taste.
Thank you Amy! Now we just have to get Romantic Industrial to catch on as a design style!
Cat
Stunning! I can’t wait to try this myself 🙂
Yay! I would love to see how it turns out Lisa!
That looks SO good! I never would have thought to do a brick wall as an accent wall.. but that really pulls the room together nicely.
Dani | http://www.DaniDearest.com
Thank you Dani!
Gorgeous! I would love to try something like this in our kitchen – love the colors you chose, too!
Thank you Kelly!!
I can not believe you painted that! It looks like real brick in the pictures. I love this look!!
Thank you Serra!
Wow, wow, wow! You have outdone yourself my friend. Your brick wall is fabulous and definitely worth your hard work! Congrats for choosing your new design style!
Thank you Vicki and Jenn! I always love seeing your comments!
This is such an awesome giveaway!! I love the turnout of your project!! It looks so nice!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for the sweet comment Alanna!
I love this idea! I love exposed brick but this looks just as good!
Thank you Amanda!
This is GORGEOUS but that looks like a TON of work! 😀
It was definitely some work Priscilla! However, it would have gone quite a bit faster if I was able to work on it in longer blocks of time. I "wasted" a lot of time in setup and clean up modes.
Cat
I love this!
Thank you DL!
I love it! SO amazing and creative. It really softens the look of the room.
I couldn’t agree more Megan! I think it softens the room a lot. It’s amazing how stone or in this case faux stone can soften the look of a room!
Cat
Cat, this is gorgeous! I don’t know how you manage to continue to be so creative while running around after a toddler! I also love your idea for Romantic Industrial. Keep up the good work.
It gets a little crazy sometimes, but we manage! Thank you for always being so supportive Aunt Char!
Ok, I am loving this! I am obsessed with exposed brick at the moment. Love this look that you have created! Woo hoo!
Thank you Kellie! This sounds like the perfect solution for you! That way when your style changes, you can just paint over it!
Cat
Wove, It looks amazing.
Thank you Bharati!
WOW this is amazingly gorgeous and I love your tutorial. I absolutely feel like I could do this in my own house from your FAB detailed tutorial!!! Fingers crossed I win!!
Thank you Jennifer!! I always try to give lots of details in my post. I always give enough information that someone could actually recreate my project. I am so glad to hear that its working! Thank you for stopping by!
Cat
This is amazing! I have wanted an exposed brick wall forever, and thought I would never be able to achieve it without buying an awesome house.
Aww thanks Lauryn! Would you believe we actually rent this house too! Proof that you can make any space your own with a little work! Thanks for stopping by!
Cat
I have seen this all over my FB feed and absolutely love it. You did an amazing job- esp for a first timer!
Aww Thanks Valerie! I can’t tell you how excited that makes me to hear that! It’s nice to know my FB post is actually reaching people! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Cat
I was just talking to my husband the other day about doing this to our side screened in porch floor. I love it and it looks absolutely beautiful!! You did an amazing job!
Thank you Robin! I think that is a fabulous use for a brick stencil! I would love to hear how your project turns out!
Cat
This is amazing! I never thought of anything like this before but I can vision something like this on the walls in my "mom cave." Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Erica! Your mom cave sounds amazing! I want one!
Cat
I just discovered this company for stencils and I am so excited to start my first project! Love your wall!! Beautiful!!!
Thank you Samantha! They have some really great designs and they are a nice high quality stencil. Good luck on your project!
Cat
Absolutely terrific!
Thank you Jo!
This is absolutely amazing, I’ve never seen anything like this! Beautiful job!
Aww, thank you April!
that is amazing. your hard work definitely paid off.
Thank you so much maleficent!
I would love the Gabrielle Damask Stencil.
That’s a great choice!
omg … your brick stenciled wall is positively gorgeous! I think I have a new project in my future now!
I’m so excited to hear that! I would love to see a picture of your project!
Your ‘brick’ wall is really amazing.
Thank you Pam!
These look so nice and I’d love to win so I can do my son’s room!
Thank you Dandi! That would be a great place for a brick wall!
This look is a great idea! It gives me inspiration!
That’s wonderful Lucy! That makes me so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to stop by!
You have to be a real artist to paint like that, even with a stencil. Wow.
Aww, thank you Aubrey!
This came out amazing, I love it! I bought wallpaper that looks like brick, that I’ve yet to hang. I wish I had seen this first because the wallpaper cost a small fortune.
I’m sorry Roxanne! Maybe they’ll let you return it! Thank you so much for stopping by!
That wall is totally amazeballs!! Love it!’
Hahaha, thank you so much Tracy! I love "amazeballs"
Wow! I am so impressed! The wall actually looks like brick. I believe it has a lot to do with the colors you picked and the way you shaded each individual brick. You should feel extremely proud of yourself. This is so beautiful The arches above each window look so professional and just adds to the beauty of the wall. Congratulations you did a tremendous job!
Carol P-K
Bensenville, IL
Aww thank you Carol! You’re so sweet!
Beautiful! All of the colors complement each other for a just gorgeous looking bedroom. It looks like real brick. What a beautiful job. I think you may have just sold me on stencils over wall paper!
That’s wonderful Marissa! It’s so much easier to put up than wall paper! Plus when your ready for a change its so easy to paint over!
Wow , amazing, but the best bit for me is the hanging light….. I have all the pieces to make 2 of these for my vintage travel themed room but have not proceeded because I couldn’t visualize what they would look like and I love the ceiling pulley, so thank you , your room is gorgeous and your taste is very similar to mine!!!
Awe thank you Trinity! I’ll be posting all the details on the lights later this week! I hope you’ll stop back by to check them out! I love the idea of a vintage travel room! It sounds fantastic!
Does the level come with the stencil? I have tried repeatedly over several days to call Cutting Edge but they don’t answer and don’t call back. I just want a SKU if I need to order separate. Your wall is fantastic it’s just what my bedroom wall has been waiting for!
Hi Kylen!
It doesn’t come with the stencil but here is the link where you can purchase it separately. I’m sorry that you’re having trouble getting ahold of them. I will send them an email letting them know. Thank you so much for the kind words! I hope your wall turns out amazing! I would love to see a picture when you’re done!
Cat
http://m.cuttingedgestencils.com/stencil-level.html
I have been looking for a wall treatment for an upcoming reno/redecorating (which will involve building an industrial type desk and shelving) to our home office—which will soon to be my full time office for home freelance writing business). I want one accent wall in the back of the room, where the desk will run wall to wall, and hadn’t found any ideas that grabbed me. This one grabbed me, shook me, hit me over the head, and left me excited and happy to get this job started. I have found the wall treatment I was looking for. Thank you. Thank you. It is beautiful!
I can’t tell you how excited I am for you Debbie! And I am so happy that I could provide you with all of that inspiration! I would love love to see how your office turns out when it is finished!
Absolutely love this! I’ve wanted a brick wall for sometime so I need to try this. I live in TX also. I’m going to FB message you because I will be in San Antonio over by I10 & 410 the end of the month. Sharing on my FB page Thursday. #blogitforward
Yay! I’m so happy to meet another local Shannon! I check my FB messages but I didn’t see anything! Thank you so much for sharing!
OH. MY. GOODNESS. This is gorgeous! You did such an amazing job choosing colors and creating each brick. wow!
Thank you Kimm! It was a lot of work but well worth the time!
Love this wall!!! I am a brick wall fanatic and it just isn’t a feature in my home. I love how you made it a feature wall with the stencils! Thank you for sharing on Friday Favorites!
Thank yo so much Stephanie! I really appreciate it!
I love this project. Very good job. Thank you for sharing, you have given me so many ideas.
Thats wonderful Marlene! I love when I find the perfect inspiration!
This is AMAZING! Now I just need a stencil and my own place to do this in! 🙂
Believe it or not Brandy, we actually rent our house too! You don’t have to own it to make it fee like home!
I love the brick wall. I tried stenciling before & didn’t have much luck. Maybe time to try again.
I highly recommend trying it again Michelle! I’m not sure what your first project was, but the stencil level really made a huge huge difference on how this project turned out. I’m afraid to know how bad it would have been without it!
It’s beautiful! I love all the colors you chose. Thanks for sharing with us at the Merry Monday link party. Hope you’ll link up with us again next week. Sharing your post on Twitter!
Thank you Ashley! I will be there!! And thank you for sharing my post too!
Nicely done, your paint detail is stunning!
Thank you Juliet!
Ohhh Cat this is GORGEOUS!! When I first saw the picture, I totally thought it was real brick! You did such a great job, and romantic industrial sounds lovely. 🙂
Thank you so much Amanda! I am really hoping my new design style takes off!!
This is so very, very good. I’ve looked at your post several times, and I still have trouble believing it’s faux! Great job!!
Thanks so much for sharing this at Grace at Home. I’m featuring you this week!
Yay! Thank you so much Richella! I really appreciate the feature!
Wow! Do you ever have patience! This is gorgeous! I saw it on House Beautiful this morning and then on Lauren’s page. Kuddos and amazing job!
Thank you so much Jill! It’s been a wild ride to say the least!
What a beautiful texture this made. It looks like watercolors. Thanks for posting. Hello from Think and Make Thursday.
Hello to you too! Thank you so much for the sweet words!
Wow, great looking wall!
Thank you so much Terri!
Whoa, this wall looks FABULOUS!! I seriously would never know all that is painted on if I didn’t know better. You did an amazing job! I would love to create an accent wall like this in my house, but I’m not sure if I have the patience….ha! Your color choices were spot-on too. This is my Feature Pick at this week’s Merry Monday too! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Thank you so much Christine! If you have the patience to blog you have the patience to do this! It really wasn’t too bad and the end result was totally worth all of the work! Thank you again for the feature!
Cat
Thanks so much for linking up with Share The Wealth Sunday! I just wanted to let you know that I chose this awesome post as one of my favorites for the week! I’ve shared it on FB and I hope you’ll join us again tomorrow at 7PM to see your feature in the next linkup!
xoxo
Lisa
Thank you so much for featuring my post Lisa! I will definitely be back to join the link up! See you at the next one!
Cat
This is amazing! You have outdone yourself. How gorgeous and no one would ever know it’s just a stencil. I love it!!! Thank you for sharing at Motivational Monday Link Party. I can’t wait to see what you share this next week too. Have a great weekend!
Bethany from The Southern Couture
Thank you so much Bethany! I will be at the next one!
Cat
I’m so excited! I might copy your brick wall, it’s so beautiful!
Yay! I can’t wait to see what you come up with April!
Cat
I love how this wall turned out, it is seriously amazing!
Thank you so much Amy!
Wow – this is awesome, Cat! I’ll be featuring your project at The Scoop on Monday night. Thank you for linking up!
Thank you so much Suzy! I saw it this morning! Thank you!! I feel honored to be featured along side Thistlewood Farms!
Cat
This turned out great! What a creative use of stencils, love it!
Thank you Jane!
Woah, this is pretty amazing. Until I saw your step by step photos I was finding it hard to believe you actually stencilled this.
Thank you Julia! It was a lot of work but worth it in the end!
This is amazing! I can’t believe this is just paint, it looks so much like real brick! Great Job!! Thanks for sharing over at Motivational Monday! I hope you’ll join us again this week: http://makingitinthemitten.blogspot.com/2015/06/motivational-monday-june-14th.html
Thank you Melanie! I will be at the next one for sure!
Cat
What a great project, unlike any stencil project I have seen! Looks beautiful
Thank you so much Gilly!
Wow – I just love this look. It turned out amazing. I love the varied colors of the bricks. Very nice job !!!
Thank you so much Rebecca! I really appreciate it!
WOW That looks awesome girl!… for a moment I really thought it was real brick. You did a remarkable job. What a patience you got there but it was so worth it. I still can’t believe is paint! LOVE IT!!!
XOXO
Thank you so much Camila! There was a time that I was really having trouble with my patience but Im so glad I stuck with it!
Cat
ok wow! This turned out amazing!! http://www.pocketofposies.com/journal/2015/6/3/brick-stencil
Thank you Shonee!!
I seriously can’t believe this is STENCILED??!?! Absolutely amazing! You did such a great job with the technique you used. It looks so real.
Aww, thank you so much Taryn! It’s so nice to see you stop by! And thank you for sharing on your FB page!
Cat
WOW! That’s all I have to say! lol. That must have been a LOT of work! It looks phenomenal though! Thanks for sharing at the Talented Tuesday party! I’m going to be featuring your brick wall this week 🙂
Thank you Lindi! I will be back to party with you next week!
Cat
This looks amazing and I had to try it!!! I ordered the stencil and got the paints… It is looking pretty good but I have a question…
Yours is turning out much more "white" than mine is… Did you go back with a whitewash or sponge white over it when you were done? I would love to post a picture of what I have but don’t think I can. Any advice you might have would be great!!!
Thank you for the inspiration by the way!!!
Thank you Kimberly! I am going to send you an email, maybe I can help!
Cat
Hey Kimberly,
It looks like you didn’t leave your email address when you commented so I can’t email you. I’d love to try and help you. Send me an email through my contact me page and I will get back to you!
Cat
I admire your creativity Cat.Very impressive!!
I admire your creativity Cat.Very impressive!!
It looks great! I’m thinking about trying it on my brick fireplace. It has many layers of white paint, and I want a change. I would just have to do it without the stencil. I’m wondering if the paint you uses is flat, or with a gloss? I would appreciate any tips from you.
Thanks in advance 😉
Wanda
Hi Wanda! It’s a flat chalk paint. I included the recipe as part of the original post so you can make your own at home. Please let me know if can help you with anything else!
Cat
I LOVE this~it looks gorgeous! Seriously considering doing this somewhere in my house and the tutorial is awesome!
Thank you!
Thank you so much Candy! It was a lot of work but I have to say I love it more and more each day!! I know you do paint something like this in your home! You can never have too much character, even if it is faux!
Absolutely beautiful! I am getting ready to help a friend with this and we are wondering how much water to add to the base coat and also the individual colors.
Hi Judy!
Honestly I can’t say for sure. The first time it happened it was by accident, turns out it was a happy accident. All I can say is you’ll know it when you get there as the consistency of the paint will change and become gritty looking.
As for the individual colors, I believe I shared my paint recipe as part of the original post. It’s one cup of paint, 1/3 cup plaster, 1/3 cup of water. I used these same ratios to mix very small amounts of paint as homemade chalk paint drys out very quickly and once it’s started to dry out there is no reviving it.
Good luck Judy!
Hi! I absolutely love this and am thinking it would make a great summer project.
One question, (& I’m sorry if you already answered this!) how does the textured paint dry? Are you able to wipe the wall to clean it without too much trouble? With a rough and tough 7yo and a puppy being able to clean is a necessesity.
Thank you for sharing your ideas and project!!
It is more of a visual texture than an actually lumpy texture if that makes sense. So once it is painted over again with a regular paint at a latter time it would look and feel the same as everything else.