Decorating
9 Ways to Freshen Your Floors With a Coat of Paint
Revamp and refresh old wooden floorboards with a lick of coloured paint to freshen up your room instantly
Flooring trends come and go with the restless decorating tide, which is why it can be a great idea to go for something a little more flexible. A painted floor can mean so many different things – and it’s not too expensive to change, either. If you fancy fresh and pared-down for a modern Scandi style, scuffed and sanded back for a charming vintage vibe, or inky black for a touch of drama, take your pick of the bunch… The only trouble is, which one to try first?
Go for grey
If bright white isn’t practical for your home, then try a pale grey, which works just as well as a base neutral and gives any room a soft, sophisticated feel. It won’t show up dirt as easily as pure white, either.
These grey floorboards blend unobtrusively into the background and allow the wall colours to do the talking. You can go with different shades of grey to create different moods.
If bright white isn’t practical for your home, then try a pale grey, which works just as well as a base neutral and gives any room a soft, sophisticated feel. It won’t show up dirt as easily as pure white, either.
These grey floorboards blend unobtrusively into the background and allow the wall colours to do the talking. You can go with different shades of grey to create different moods.
Say it with a stripe
If you can’t get enough of the coastal vibe, then stripes might be the pattern for you. It’s a fairly quick, cheap and easy design to re-create, and it works in any room in the house, from the bedroom to the living room.
You can go for a subtle stripe by choosing two colours that aren’t too far apart, or be a bit more daring and try white and navy, for example.
If you can’t get enough of the coastal vibe, then stripes might be the pattern for you. It’s a fairly quick, cheap and easy design to re-create, and it works in any room in the house, from the bedroom to the living room.
You can go for a subtle stripe by choosing two colours that aren’t too far apart, or be a bit more daring and try white and navy, for example.
Take to the dark side
There’s no reason you have to stick to light and neutral when painting your floors though – you can just as easily go for a rich, dark hue to add some drama to your space. For heavy traffic areas, such as kitchens, hallways and bathrooms, darker colours will be far more forgiving when it comes to showing the dirt.
Check out 10 floors that will transform your kitchen
There’s no reason you have to stick to light and neutral when painting your floors though – you can just as easily go for a rich, dark hue to add some drama to your space. For heavy traffic areas, such as kitchens, hallways and bathrooms, darker colours will be far more forgiving when it comes to showing the dirt.
Check out 10 floors that will transform your kitchen
Do a distress job
There are times when we want new things to take on an aged patina. And if you’re put off painting your boards because you think it’ll take years to become the characterful floor you dream of, don’t be. It’s not difficult to speed up the process.
Lightly sand the boards, roller on a layer of floor paint and leave to dry for at least 24 hours. Then simply take an electric hand sander and scuff the boards to lightly reveal the wood underneath, always working in the direction of the grain. Finish by sealing with a protective lacquer or wax.
There are times when we want new things to take on an aged patina. And if you’re put off painting your boards because you think it’ll take years to become the characterful floor you dream of, don’t be. It’s not difficult to speed up the process.
Lightly sand the boards, roller on a layer of floor paint and leave to dry for at least 24 hours. Then simply take an electric hand sander and scuff the boards to lightly reveal the wood underneath, always working in the direction of the grain. Finish by sealing with a protective lacquer or wax.
Blend with the walls
If you want to do something a little different that will look super-smart without breaking the budget, paint your floor the same colour as your walls. It will create a seamless and sophisticated look and will save you any worries over whether the flooring you’ve chosen will go.
Browse 9 beautiful grey bedroom schemes
If you want to do something a little different that will look super-smart without breaking the budget, paint your floor the same colour as your walls. It will create a seamless and sophisticated look and will save you any worries over whether the flooring you’ve chosen will go.
Browse 9 beautiful grey bedroom schemes
Smarten up your stairs
Don’t forget your staircase when it comes to the power of the paintbrush. It might be slightly more time-consuming, but will be well worth it.
If you think fancily painted treads might take too much of a daily bashing, then how about overhauling the risers with a rainbow of your favourite hues? It’ll be sure to brighten up your day when you walk through the front door, and could be the perfect way to use up all those old tester pots.
Don’t forget your staircase when it comes to the power of the paintbrush. It might be slightly more time-consuming, but will be well worth it.
If you think fancily painted treads might take too much of a daily bashing, then how about overhauling the risers with a rainbow of your favourite hues? It’ll be sure to brighten up your day when you walk through the front door, and could be the perfect way to use up all those old tester pots.
Dare to go bold
Patterned, geometric tiles look great in kitchens and bathrooms, but can sometimes come with a rather large price tag. If you don’t have the budget for this, you could always achieve a similar effect with a little elbow grease and some paint.
You can be as elaborate as you like, depending on your available time and perhaps artistic skill. For something simple, try painting large chequerboard squares onto your floor in two different colours, such as classic black and white or, as here, something brighter.
Patterned, geometric tiles look great in kitchens and bathrooms, but can sometimes come with a rather large price tag. If you don’t have the budget for this, you could always achieve a similar effect with a little elbow grease and some paint.
You can be as elaborate as you like, depending on your available time and perhaps artistic skill. For something simple, try painting large chequerboard squares onto your floor in two different colours, such as classic black and white or, as here, something brighter.
Replicate a runner
Love the look of a staircase runner, but don’t fancy the carpet? Then plump for a compromise and try your hand at creating your own paint runner, like this.
It’s crucial to plan it out with masking tape for crisp lines. Or, if you’re not feeling confident, then simply call in a professional to tackle it for you. Remember to keep some leftover paint on hand for the odd touch-up job.
TELL US…
Are you a fan of painted floors? Please share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Love the look of a staircase runner, but don’t fancy the carpet? Then plump for a compromise and try your hand at creating your own paint runner, like this.
It’s crucial to plan it out with masking tape for crisp lines. Or, if you’re not feeling confident, then simply call in a professional to tackle it for you. Remember to keep some leftover paint on hand for the odd touch-up job.
TELL US…
Are you a fan of painted floors? Please share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
White paint can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, and it’s simple to see why. It creates a breezy, light-filled space that’s the ultimate blank canvas for adding bold shots of colour and texture. And it won’t date. What more could you want?