cover image The Stenciled House: An Inspirational and Practical Guide to Transforming Your Home

The Stenciled House: An Inspirational and Practical Guide to Transforming Your Home

Lynn Le Grice, Grice Lyn Le, David Murray. Simon & Schuster, $24.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-671-66670-5

Exceptionally striking color photographs guide us through an entire house in Le Grice's native Cornwall, where she has stenciled not only walls but floors, cabinets, curtains and furniture in parlor, sitting and dining rooms, bedrooms, nursery, kitchen and bathrooms. The book covers just about every situation a stenciler might encounter, from stencil planning for awkward spaces to the treatment of details and decorative objects. Moreover, Le Grice ( The Art of Stencillingstet 2 lls ) has altered the standard ``fill-up-the-spaces-and-make-the-edges-sharp'' school of stenciling with her mottled, soft, dimensional technique. Geared for an American audience, the book includes photographs and drawings with clear instructions, approaching New England Colonial in spirit but banishing the puritanical rigidity we have come to expect. However, the average craftsperson may be hard-pressed to execute Le Grice's designs using her recommended aerosol spray paint techniques. (Feb.)