Stencils on Shine

Painting Hardwood Floors

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QUESTION: Where can I get advice on painting my hardwood floors? Where do I find designs or large stencils for this job? -- F.S. (via e-mail)

ANSWER: I personally love the look of painted and stenciled wood floors. The first source of ideas that comes to mind is...

Peel a potato, become a designer: How to transform plain throw pillows with a vegetable and some paint

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Lotta Jansdotter has been something of a universal design crush in the blog (and print) worlds for years now, and her latest contribution to the field is almost like a public service. In her book, Lotta Prints: How to Print with Anything, from Potatoes to Linoleum, she puts the power of production in our hands, and shows us the completely sophisticated (and expensive-looking) results you can get with the most 7th-grade-arts-and-crafts-class materials. The projects she shows are not the least bit intimidating, requiring no fancy, pricey equipment or specialized skills, and every one of them is something I would pay good money for if I saw it on the shelf at a store. She's even included 8 ready-to-use stencil pages, if you're not so confident about your drawing skills.

One of my favorite projects in the book is the potato-printed throw pillow design shown here. Lotta has generously allowed us to reprint the instructions for potato printing here; why not give it a try, and then go pick up the book to learn about rubber stamp printing, leaf printing, iron-ons, stencils, lino block printing, and screen printing, with ideas for customizing everything from wrapping paper to window sheers.

Lotta's Instructions for Potato Printing:

Invaluable resource: Domino painting guide

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If only every decorating decision were as easy to reverse as painting a wall. (Can you imagine? "I really regret purchasing this awful, uncomfortable couch. I know—let's paint over it!") And yet, the potential impact of a drastic (or even subtle) color change in a room can scare people away from the brush. Fortunately, dominomag.com just published a beautiful and comprehensive primer to all things painting—and not just walls.