Melanie Royals started out working on her own techniques and designs as an answer to problems she perceived in the stenciling industry. In 2003, Royals introduced Modello designs to the decorative painting industry, a fresh concept she called “the art of decorative masking.” This line of stencils, called Modellos, differed from Mylar stencils in that they are one-time use adhesive-backed vinyl patterns.
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“We offer thousands of designs that can be custom sized and cut to order but our specialty is also creating completely custom patterns to spec from clients’ ideas or unique artwork,” she says. It didn’t take her long to realize that her stencils designed for painters to use on walls, wood, ceilings and furniture could also be particularly useful to concrete artisans on floors.
Fast-forward to now and Royals, president/creative director of Modello Designs and Royal Design Studio, will showcase her designs at the Concrete Decor Show for the third consecutive year, as well as the Paint Decor Annex for the second time. On the concrete side during the show, she’ll demonstrate how fast and easy it is to create decorative patterns using Modello stencils with acrylic-based stains.
“Our 4 mil vinyl is used for stained and polished concrete, etched color removal, pattern embossing with microtoppings and airbrushing with solvent dyes,” she says. They also offer stencils up to 25 mil thick that can be used for sandblasting concrete patterns.
Royals recommends applying stains on porous concrete with a “dry” brush, rag or sponge. Polished concrete, she adds, works very well with Modellos.
“We have a dedicated team of graphic designers that can provide custom, specialized artwork and a production staff that can work efficiently to meet tight deadlines,” she says. Projects can range from several square feet to thousands of square feet.
“More than half of our projects are completely custom and we work with customers to create their own unique designs. With concrete, we also do a lot of logo designs.”
