With Decorex just a few weeks away, we’ve been thinking a lot about stencils lately. That’s because we’re lucky enough to have a custom-created wallpaper by Tony Roche decorating our booth! A fourth-generation decorator-stenciller from Waterford, Ireland, Roche is a master of the craft, having designed stencils for movie sets ranging from Anna Karenina to X-Men. He’s even published a book, Decorating with Stencils, which comprises everything you could possibly need to know about doing it yourself – complete with templates that draw inspiration from Ancient Egypt, French Empire style and Simple Moderne.

These days stencilling isn’t just for the crafty set. Big name interior designers like Mary McDonald employ the technique with a fresh modern edge. Her oversized geometric floor stencils, from zig zags to octagons, have become a signature earning her a place among Hollywood’s elite. British-born designer Kathryn Ireland champions them for smaller rooms like powder rooms where the otherwise time-consuming project can be finished in a snap.

The beauty of stencilling is that you can do it yourself on almost any surface – floors, walls, furniture… Neisha Crosland even stencilled tiles. To give it a go, Henry Donovan offers a great selection of patterns and equipment through his firm Motif, including some wonderful florals. US-based Royal Design Studio also has a slew of patterns and will ship internationally. We particularly love their Moroccan and Indian inspired designs - the paisley perfectly channels the look of Les Indiennes.