DIY: Floor Stencils

Spotted in the showroom of Chairloom in Philadelphia: rough-hewn factory floors embellished with dramatic stencils.

Chairloom founders Tracy Jenkins and Molly Andrews believe in second chances. If it works for their furniture, it also seems to work for the beat-up floor they found in their new showroom space. According to Jenkins and Andrews, there are two guiding principles behind their work. One, is the value of being found. Second is the importance of second chances. These two principles give added meaning to the work of using old pieces instead of new and giving them a second chance. Thus becoming the philosophy behind Chairloom.

So, rather than sanding the character out of the floor, they took an additive approach and asked their friend Ilene Pearlman to come in and cover the 1,000-square-foot space with dramatic stencils, proving that everything deserves a second chance.

Images via Chairloom on Facebook

Ilene Pearlman's stencils create a dramatic background for both the finished refurbished pieces as well as the as is
pieces Chairloom holds in stock.

Pearlman created a stencil out of large piece of corrugated cardboard which she found in a dumpster. Pearlman spent three days designing the stencil and preparing it by cutting it out and laminating the entire stencil with tape to keep it from absorbing moisture from the paint. From point to point, the stencil measures 5'- 0". N.B.

A found sofa awaits its second chance.

 Here's some fantastic transformations done at Chairloom: