When Catherine and Bob Schultz moved into their 18th-century Hampton Township, New Jersey, home, they were determined to restore and decorate it as authentically as possible—and for Catherine, that meant stencils. “In the late 1700s and early 1800s, wealthy families were buying fancy imported wallpapers,” she explains. “For those who couldn’t afford them, stenciling was a beautiful alternative.” She details a few tried-and-true suggestions for using stencils to give rooms Colonial appeal.
Pick period-appropriate patterns. Catherine selected most of her stencils from the Moses Eaton collection at MB Historic Decor. “Moses Eaton was one of the best documented stencilers of New England,” she notes.
Choose colors carefully. Select hues that coordinate well with your decor and furnishings. Colonial-era colors tend to be rather muted, and Catherine prefers those for her stencils as well. “Most of the colors that I use are very earthy,” she observes, “not so bright that they overpower our antiques and collections. What I love about stenciling is that it accents our beautiful pine floors and our trim and wall color.”
Decide on an overall theme. Because of her home’s location, Catherine says she is drawn to Eaton’s naturethemed stencils. “I love that his designs bring the outside in, using trees and leaves and flowers. Living on a farm, so much of our life is tending to the earth and our animals. It was only natural to want to bring our love of nature into the house,” she explains.
Combine designs. Catherine often uses a larger stencil with multiple colors as a border at ceiling height, but she sometimes adds a smaller, simpler motif with only one or two colors around chair rails, doorways and windows to complement the larger design.
A late 18th-century corner cabinet filled with Irish pottery serves as a unique focal point for the front hallway. The stenciled floorcloth dresses up the wood planks and coordinates with the stencils on the wall.
Left: Flanked by a flour sifter and a couple of crocks, the rustic pine cabinet is positioned in front of an original exterior stone wall in the sitting room. The sign, which came with the house, dates from the mid-1900s when the then-homeowner offered shortterm boarding.
Below: The mustard yellow of the kitchen cabinets flows into the adjoining sitting room, which features the same color on the walls below the chair rail and in the hanging quilt and yellowware displayed in the corner cabinet.
Below: The lettering on the custompainted sign touting the farm’s name ties in with the living room trim, wall stencil and sofa, while the red settee coordinates with the braided rug.
Above: The original living room fireplace is decked out with primitives, and its color is carried through in the quilt that Catherine made. The handpainted European cupboard dates from 1813 and features muted tones.
Left: Bright pink peonies nestle into an old pewter pitcher on the living room mantel beside a clock that belonged to Catherine’s grandfather.
Top: The stone exterior of the Hampton Township farmhouse hasn’t changed much since it was built in 1750; the wood-framed addition dates to the early 19th century.
Above: Bob and Catherine, along with Fiona the goat and a friendly chicken, explore their bucolic 9-acre property.
Sloped ceilings, deep windowsills and original flooring add character to the master bedroom, which the Schultzes enhanced with Catherine’s stenciling and a handcrafted mantel that Bob built to match the original design downstairs. 55