Painted Floors for Beauty and Durability
Are you a fan of painted floors? Most of my home’s flooring is painted. They’re made of pine wood which is softer than hardwood and can show grooves and such that might not always look good. Paint helps protect the pine and makes it more durable. Here’s some creative examples that I think you’ll enjoy.
Photo by Rory Robertson
Depending on the look you’re going for, painted floors can modern or rustic. High gloss lends a contemporary vibe while a flatter finish leans toward country style.
Photo by Spinn Construction, Inc.
Black flooring adds drama, especially when paired with white.
Photo by Crisp ArchitectsHere’s an example of a more rustic look with a flat gray paint. Ideally you want just a touch of sheen to the paint as it will dull over the years.
Photo by Jenn Hannotte / Hannotte Interiors
If you’re feeling ambitious and creative, you can try a pattern like the classic checkerboard. I’ve seen this done a lot but since I use area rugs throughout my house, I opt for a solid color.
Photo by Metzger DesignWhen I first bought my home I pulled up all the rose carpeting from the 80s to reveal white painted floors underneath, like this image below. Although I love the bright and airy appeal of white painted floors, they show every strand of pet hair! So I now paint my floors a yummy chocolate brown.
Photo by Sue Stubbs Photographer
Blue is an excellent choice when painting floors in a sun room or porch.
Photo by LDa Architecture & Interiors
Painting your floors is cheaper than carpeting and are easier to clean. I choose a porch and deck paint for my floors and avoid the extra step of covering them with polyurethane. I did that once and I’ll never do it again. The polyurethane smelled horribly and it would peel off over time.
Photo by SullkullanThere’s really no end to the creativity you can employ with painted floors. At one time, my bedroom had an oriental rug painted on the floor by a previous owner.
Photo by Alison Kandler Interior Design
You can paint floors in any room of your house – even high traffic areas like the kitchen. If my house had nice hardwood floors, I probably wouldn’t paint them. But my flooring is soft wood and paint makes the surface tougher.
Photo by
Even formal rooms look pretty with painted floors.
Photo by Design HouseDo you have any painted floors in your home? My grandmother used to paint her basement floor in battleship gray and it was spotless! I swear she had the cleanest basement in the world!
I painted my guest powder room 1980’s tile floor with white porch paint. Looks great and has held up over the year. I think the trick to prep well. Clean the floor and fix any imperfection ( if you desire) prior to painting.
I have never painted a floor but I want to in my cottage. I really love the look of painted floors but worry that it will not hold up. We have 5 kids & 7 grandkids…lot of people coming & going. Thank for sharing , you have inspired me !
We laid inexpensive hardwood in our guest batch a number of years ago and painted it white. I love the look, but like you, it shows every bit of pet and human hair. Plus it gets scuffs from shoes, which really annoys me. I am planning to repaint it, but haven’t decided if I want to do a pretty stencil or just a solid color. I have a footed tub, a dresser converted into a vanity, and beaded board on the wall, so I am looking for something “vintage/country”.
I absolutely love painted floors!! These examples that you shared are beautiful and should inspire many people to paint their floors for a fun update. I painted my ceramic tile in our home (our son and daughter-in-law just bought from us) and I absolutely loved the end result, along with our friends and family. You can see how I did it on Hometalk…Not gonna lie, I was pretty proud of the end result: https://www.hometalk.com/30107044/i-painted-and-stenciled-my-ceramic-tile
The floor is still holding strong, even with my two darling grandchildren splashing away in the tub.
I plan on painting the vinyl flooring in the bathroom in our new home and I can’t wait!!
Funny you should mention your Grandmother’s battleship grey basement floors. My Granny’s stairs to her basement were that same colour. I just had to paint my stairs in our Coach House the same colour, they bring back such good childhood memories 😄
Thank you for sharing this…. I have cement under my rug which needs to be torn up and get out of here. I dont have the $$$$ to lay down wood, but was thinking of painting the cement. Do you or your readers know any sites I can look at and get some ideas. I have 4 dogs, does that explain why I have I have to lift up my carpet????
Thanks, enjoy your blog every day.
I have seen some pretty stains for concrete at bug box stores!
I would love to paint some of mine, they are old oak some nice some need sanding and have thought to paint, but wondered about some floors painted and some not. Would it look bad? Thanks for all these lovely floor ideas.
personally, I would Never paint oak floors since they are hardwood, sand them down, rent a floor sander, and make them look rich and new again!
Painted floors are so cool!!
We are going to paint our wood floors this year.
Battleship Gray, I wonder if that was the only color available back in the 50s? Or 40s. I know our porch and porch steps were that color. But the floors in the house were a natural light brown, with lots of rugs. My job as a kid was to dust mop the edges of the room. I thought it was much like child labor. Now, I enjoy it!
Thank you. I enjoy your blog every morning with my first cup of coffee. I find inspiration for my home and my antique shop.
My daughter painted her upstairs bathroom floor and then stenciled over that – it looks so nice!
Really enjoy your blog!
My mother used to paint our floors in the 60’s & 70’s. She always painted them dark brown and they looked great 👍