Muse & it's stenciled cement floor

Hello Abode Lovers!
Would you like to know what I've been up to lately? I have been a little sporadic in my blogging lately and now you will see why! My latest project that I've been tackling is a new salon opening in Birmigham, Alabama called Muse. It has been SO much fun. I started with the design of the logo and signage and then moved inside to pick everything from the cutting chairs (a new kind of furniture for me) to the flooring! I have SO enjoyed the process... all the planning is starting to come together and it's super exciting. Here is a look at the design inspiration board for the space.

I really wanted to have a modern meets rustic look for the space. Glamour was a must for this salon, so I knew I wanted to mix gold and silver metals with sleek, slick white pieces.

The first major project inside Muse is the idea of a painted then stenciled floor. The owner and I discussed a few different flooring options, but creating an interesting finish on the concrete made the most sense with the budget, and I could see the floor as a chance to make a statement. So, I started revisiting some of my favorite painted floors from the blog world and we decided on an oversized, slightly imperfect medallion pattern that I am sure many of you recognize! We both loved the look of this space that I decided to just go for it... imitation is the best form of flattery, right? Here is my post about stenciled and painted floors I did over a year ago!

 

Here is another option that I loved, but we really needed a larger pattern for how big the space is... 

After deciding on the pattern, I hired 2 fabulous blogging gals to help me stencil the entire salon... 6.5 hours later, it was complete! Big thanks to Katie Beth from The Good Stuff and Dana from Cheap & Chic! 

Here is the before: I had the ceiling painted metallic gold to warm up the space and add a little unexpected glam to the standard drop-ceiling. 

Then, the painter laid down the first coat of Valspar, Bright Coral from the Laura Ashley line. I got the Latex Satin Porch and Floor Paint.  

And then the stenciling began. The color that I chose to overlay the Bright Coral is called Coral Blush, also Valspar from the Laura Ashley line in the Latex Satin Porch & Floor Paint.  Each medallion is almost 6 feet in diameter-- I had a little freak out searching for a material to make the actual stencil out of and decided (after multiple failed attempts with other materials) that I would use linoleum flooring from Lowes! I got a huge roll for just under $50 and was able to make 2, 6 foot stencils. I used an overhead projector to trace out the exact shape and size I was looking for and then cut away with scissors and an exacto knife to get the stencil. The linoleum was super easy to cut, which was a relief.

I decided after seeing how difficult it was to move each piece (mostly because of the size) that we would just lay out the stencil, trace with a pencil, and then fill in with a paint brush. I loved the imperfect look of the brush strokes and it really made for a beautiful, semi-translucent pattern.

about half-way there! 

And here is the finished product! 

What do you think? I am absolutely in love. The whole time we were painting, we were dying over how awesome it was. I think for 3 nights I had to sleep with a heating pad, but it was oh-so-worth it. To finish up the process, the painter will come in and top off the floor with two coats of Seal Krete Clear-Seal Premium High Gloss Sealer. The floor really brings a great touch of personality into the space and the color is feminine and oober interesting. I hope all of you have a fabulous Tuesday!