Stencilling

Stencilling novices will welcome this modest volume as a very competent guide to the mechanics of the art. Materials and methods (from selecting paints and equipment and designing and cutting stencils to the actual transferring process) are thoroughly covered with lucid, step-by-step instructions and well-visualized line drawings. Procedures for tackling the complexities of multicolored designs and repeated patterns include such useful tips as dividing a single image into separate, color-keyed components to prevent bleeding and using a grid system to create a continuous, wallpaper-like effect on an expansive surface. However, this collaborative effort by Barnett, an editor of British magazine Ideal Home, and freelance writer Smith is an unlikely source of inspiration for readers in search of innovative decorating ideas. The sample designs are of the conventionally provincial fruit-and-flower variety, and the disappointingly slim collection of color photographs depicts precious, rustic designs. (September 11)