Today’s painted floors suit a range of design tastes and add a sense of rustic charm, traditional elegance, or playful whimsy depending on the style of home. Plus, floor painting can be a wonderful way to add character, especially for those hoping to cut costs. “Painting floorboards can bring in a lovely charm to a room and is great for those with a tighter budget,” says Patrick O’Donnell, Farrow & Ball’s international brand ambassador. If you’ve ever wondered if your floors could benefit from a paint makeover, read on for must-know situations when painting floors is a do and when it’s a definite don’t. We reached out to paint professionals and interiors designers to help make your choice easier.
Painting Floors: When It’s a Do
If professional help for the entire project is not in the budget, hire a pro for the preparation process alone, and complete the painting yourself. “Preparation is the most important part of the job,” says Julie Lawrence, decorative painter for Chicago’s DiVinci Painters. “When you hear about painted floors that didn’t last, you know they didn’t prepare correctly.”
Painting Floors: When It’s a Don’t
Lawrence reinforces how important it is to prepare the surface professionally prior to painting, particularly for tile, stone, and brick. “Ten to twenty years ago, the products didn’t exist to properly paint tile, stone, and brick. I would have been very nervous painting them, and I would have always thought of it as a temporary solution,” she says. “But the binding agents have improved. I paint wood floors more than anything else, but all surfaces are really stable if prepared correctly.” Painting floor tile successfully requires professional grout cleaning (using degreasers). Ensure that you’ve prepared the surface adequately prior to painting and sealing, or you can expect eventual chipping. For inspiration, do your research, but don’t just look for recent projects. “There are so many good references out there, and it’s not just all modern,” Lawrence says. “There is a vast historical record to research, too.” If you love your furnishings and plan to keep them, consider the colors and color combinations within your space. And make sure to test, test, test! With something as permanent as painted floors, it’s important to take your time to get it exactly right. Conduct multiple tests in the space you plan to redesign. Design-wise, Lawrence is seeing an abundance of hazy neutrals. To capture this aesthetic, try Skylight by Farrow & Ball, or Benjamin Moore’s Ice Cap or Collingwood. “The softer Swedish palette is really nice because it’s beautiful and hides dirt,” she says. “If there is a footprint on the floor, it’s less noticeable because the colors are visually soft.” For fans of blue, O’Donnell recommends Parma Gray and Cook’s Blue in Farrow & Balls’s modern eggshell finish, which was developed to stand up to years of family messes, bumps, and scrapes. For larger rooms, a pattern with multiple colors can be a showstopper. “If you have an open expanse, try creating a diamond design of two colors for a truly bespoke look, although this will require a little patience and some basic understanding of mathematics,” O’Donnell says. A contrasting checkerboard pattern in black and white is a reliable classic, as well. Try Tricorn Black and Pure White by Sherwin-Williams for this style.
Painted Floor Care Tips
According to Lawrence, the biggest myth about painted floors is that they are delicate. “People are not used to walking on paint,” she says. “Of course, they could be fragile if not done correctly, but if they are properly done and maintained, you shouldn’t have to babysit them.” However, painted floors can become slippery after painting with certain coatings. “Coatings can cause the floor to be slippery when wet,” says Mundwiller. “Factor that into your decisions and if this is a concern, use an anti-slip additive in the paint.”
