I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and Brandon is on board (!), so I’m gathering some inspiration photos of painted floors. The wood in our kitchen really isn’t in the best shape, and there’s an area by the stove where the woods aren’t even the same. I figure we’d have to strip the floors and redo them to really make them look nice anyway, so why not try painting them instead?
*edit* I’ve posted photos of the floor in the comments below.
I love Elena Colombo’s colorful kitchen from Blueprint:
And I love Nora Fleming’s striped kitchen floor (via design*sponge):
Nora painted all of the trim in her 1920 Chicago bungalow white… just like I could do to mine. It’s a love/hate relationship, me and all this wood.
Please don’t paint the beautiful wood trim in your home! It gives your bungalow such a wonderful character that is hard to find in newer homes … it would be so sad to see that lost.
i just wanted to tell you (& say congrats) in case you didn’t know but cs interiors (it’s not out yet, but i work for the magazine) is featuring your elemental cards!
i read making it lovely all the time and when i saw the cards in one of the layouts, it made me super happy!
That’s fantastic news! There was a request back in January for images, but I hadn’t heard anything since then. Yippee! :)
PLEASE, do not paint your kitchen floor. That’s my favorite room in your house and painting the floor would ruin it. Mismatched old wood floors are part of the old house charm
I’m not a big fan of painted floors; even after sealing, it can get worn off so quickly…
Congrats on the card feature! ^_^
I love painted floors, and I’m sure it will be much more budget friendly that refinishing them! I can’t wait to see the final result!
Anytime I see painted wood floors in magazines, I just love them! What color would you do?
I think it’s a great idea if your wood isn’t nice enough to reclaim! What are the other colors in your kitchen?
I refinished the wood floors (strip, sand, refinish) in my downstairs but was brave enough to paint upstairs. The prep work and paint choice make a difference. I suggest you try a closet first with the paint and finish.
Despite having multiple rooms of finished wood floors and two (spare!) bedrooms where I love the painted wood, I do consistently have to hear people moaning about what a terrible thing I did. So be prepared. It is your home, do what you want.
I love the stripes! OOooo I hope you do them!
I hope you don’t paint them. The stripes especially are a bad idea…I can see them in a Cape Cod cottage, but not in your cozy bungalow at all!
The painted idea is great especially if the floors aren’t that great to look at to begin with. I love the stripes idea and think red would look really nice in your kitchen since you have some red appliances! An olive green would look great as well!
Love painted floors. We almost did it too. My second or third post had lots of painted foors. My blog started in January.
I LOVE this look but don’t have the guts to try it myself. (And, my husband would have a heart attack.) If I ever had a second home, I would so do this. So, do it. I want to live vicariously through you!
I loved that kitchen in Blueprint (R.I.P.)! I love the idea of painted hardwood floors if the floors aren’t in the greatest shape. It makes a kitchen feel so light and airy.
I say go for it!
Oh I love painted wood floors! I figure you’re going to strip & snad them anyway, well if you don’t like them painted you could always do that down the line anyway… I’m not sure about the stripes, but that’s just me. Heck, you could even do a large tile-effect!
if it’s not great wood, paint it! not all wood is meant to be exposed in its natural beauty. i painted some old pine throughout my house, with deck paint. love it. after 4 years, lots of sandy bare feet, many dogs it still looks great.
i love the fact that NO ONE likes the idea! lol its hilarious…OR THEY SUUUUPER LOVE THE IDEA…like everyone loves you..so they hate to say…”awwww nicole..i dont like it!” i love this!
when i read your blog im always surprised on what you do with things i would never even think to do…like who really thinks to paint floors these days…so even though im not this huuuuge fan on painted floors..although my grandmother has them in her kitchen…painted white..and they are chipped..with brand new cabinets and stainless steel appliances..and total kitchen renovation…but she loved the floors soo much…she wanted to keep them as is! and it makes me looooove her and HER kitchen even more…like ooh i love them!
but sorry i got wwwwaaay off track….im always surprised on the things you do..and i would looove to see this done in your home! because hey…if you dont like..refinish them! stain them…and then if you dont like that..get new floors..
design is truly a learning experience! on WHAT NOT TO DO :)
I have painted floors in my kitchen (1920 Craftsman style cottage) and I love them. I have talked to a couple professaionals and the floors are not reclaimable, so we are sticking with the painted look. We are getting ready to repaint them and I am looking for ideas. Right now they are a medium gray, which has grown on me to the point that I might stay with it. All of our cabinets are white and the island is a dark gray with tile top. The floors used to be a black and white diaganol checkerboard and they still are in our laundry room and I love them. I’ll be checking your blog to try to steal some ideas for my own kitchen- best of luck.
p.s. as a dog owner I must tell you that it seems much harder to keep the painted floors clean, but the back door in our kitchen is where they come in and out, so that could be the main reason.
I hate to say it, but painting the floors in your kitchen is just a bad idea, design-wise.
This issue has me all upset and it’s not even my house…Why is it so important to me that you not do this?
Another vote for loving painted floors. If you’re not happy with how they are looking, go for it. If it gets chippy down the road, you could always have them stripped and refinished then.
I think it’s hilarious how bent out of shape people can get over the prospect of painting wood! They would go into cardiac arrest if they saw my house–ALL of the woodwork is painted!
Personally, I think painted wood floors can look FABULOUS. Have a look at this kitchen…
http://girlmeetsglamour.blogspot.com/2007/11/classic-pattern.html
I particularly love the third one down, but you’d have to keep the rest of the decor fairly plain, I would think.
*gasp* I love it too!
And Anna, thanks for pointing that photo out. I’m thinking of doing some sort of pattern with part of the wood exposed.
It’s funny – everyone’s split on this idea. :)
I would have to say that my biggest concern is the fact that you’ve done your kitchen on a budget so far, and managed to keep it looking very not budget-minded…and I’m not sure painted wooden floors is in keeping with that.
Unless you’re walking on some obscure, solid plank Zebra wood in your kitchen, I think painted floors would be lovely (and hardly criminal). Make sure you pick the right paint (as already mentioned) or it will chip fast and furiously. Painted floors were very popular here in the US during the 17th and 18th centuries, and from what I understand it was 1) to pretty up mediocre wood floors, and/or 2) an inexpensive way to imitate the gorgeous and intricate parquet floors and painted floors/furniture seen throughout Europe.
We live in a house circa 1910 with gorgeous old wood floors. But when we refinished our attic into a livable space, we had to get out of the box b/c the floors were in such bad shape (and genuine refinishing was out of our budget). So I whitewashed them and sealed them…sort of like pickling. This way, the prep was very minimal, the wash/paint didn’t have to be perfect b/c the look lends itself to that – and it was fast!! Just have lots of cloth rags on hand to keep a wet edge. I love the way they turned out. I’ve done paint washes on tons of wood over the years on porch swings, homemade desks and in all sorts of colors from black to plum…they ALL look great and get tons of compliments.
I think you have a great sense of style, so if you want painted floors go for it! I think a fun design similar to some of the ones we have seen would be awesome. Have fun with it & if you hate it just change it. No big deal! You said it is not GREAT wood so why not?
not to sound like an archi-dork but…
“Painted floors were very popular here in the US during the 17th and 18th centuries”
True, but this house looks to be from 1910 or so. The craftsman style was all about letting the materials and construction be the ornamentation. The wood is supposed to look like wood. That being said, I like painted wood floors in certain situations, but the do have a tendency to scratch and chip, especially with a dog. If you’re really itching to paint some of the oak in your house, the floor is probably easier (but still expensive) than wood mouldings to undo later if you change your mind.
not to sound like an archi-dork but…
I knew someone would go there. :)
If we are going to stick to time periods, then Nicole should probably toss out most of her vintage finds because they’re about 45 years too late for her house! And yet, I can’t see Nicole lounging on Stickley.
I hear what you are saying. I’m a fan of Craftsman style, but I do think that there are some homes that represent the craftsman style better than others. In those homes, the reason the wood looks like wood is because of the superior quality materials used. Nicole’s already mentioned that the wood is not all original, and that the patch work is poor. In my mind, there isn’t much harm to testing out a design idea on a floor that will have to be refinished eventually.
If the house was a historic house with quartersawn white oak then, yes, painting would be sacrilege. I don’t think that’s the case here. :)
We remodeled a 1910 bungalow in Santa Cruz (CA)and the wood floors in 2 of the bedrooms had some bad patchwork and water stains so we decided to paint them. In the master bedroom we used a high-gloss white and in the guest bedroom we painted a tan/white checkerboard pattern on an angle (very similar to that photo which is awesome!) I LOVED them, loved loved loved them! They were so much fun! The only downside was that the white floor was a pain to keep clean with 2 dogs and 2 kids (much like any floor I guess!)
Good luck!
Similar to your Ikea rug this is a split down the middle opinion post, huh? I like the idea of painted floors. Done right they provide a really nice look. I am excited to see what you do. Either way, it will look fabulous.
Haha, Nicole! I think this might be the most controversial issue on your blog! Opinion seems split right down the middle! ^_^
I say go for it. I actually really like the stripes and some of the other painted designs that incorporate some of the original wood finish.
I have a 1928 bungalow where all the trim/molding is painted white with the exception of the dining and living room. Sometimes I am really sad that all the molding is painted but other times I understand why it was painted. Someone in the long line of owners did not take very good care of the molding and so it actually looks better painted. I digress.
I think you have a great sense of style/decorating and so I would love to see how the painted floors works into your house.
DON’T DO IT
DON’T DO IT
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DON’T DO IT
DON’T DO IT
DON’T DO IT
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DON’T DO IT
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…just don’t
my goodness. ^^^^he’s crazy. but i wholeheartedly agree.
I’M NOT SURE YET
I’M NOT SURE YET
I’M NOT SURE YET
Hee. :)
I’m the owner of the kitchen floor Anna mentioned and linked above:) The pattern on it is stained and varnished, not painted. The reason I did it was because the floors leading in and out of the kitchen are oak and the kitchen floor is pine. I wanted the wood to match colorwise but didn’t want to stain the whole floor.
The product I used is great, it’s called ZAR oil-based stain. It doesn’t soak into the wood as quickly as other stains so there is time to fix little mistakes when they happen. The colors I used are called 138 Spanish oak and 139 Country white.
I have a painted floor in my house too. It’s in a room we don’t use much downstairs. That floor shows wear and tear more than the kitchen floor so if I were you and was going for it I’d use the stain method. I stained my floor about 6 years ago and it still looks good.
one traditional way of making painted wood floors that are easier to keep looking clean (because the color areas are irregular) is spatter painting. a relative of mine had this in her house in edgartown on martha’s vineyard and it was really great. on the whole I think painted floors/painted woodwork generally can look lovely, and if the woodwork is something you don’t want to touch for various aesthetic/historic reasons, painting the floor a light color could be a good way to lighten things up.
I really like painted floors – and I’m sure you’d choose a gorgeous color or pattern! I say go for it!
Sounds like the stain is the way to go. I re-stained my banisters and dark color and painted the spindles white. While the spindles get virtually no wear, they need touched up already. The stain on the banisters, however, looks great. It was a gel stain with easy clean up.
I don’t have a decisive opinion on painting wood, or painting wood floors, other than well, it’s the kitchen, it’s going to get a lot of wear, and without really doing any research, I’m going to guess a few days without being able to go in your kitchen. That will be true no matter what flooring option you go with, though. How to choose the right paint, how to pick the right color.. it’s a big job. I looked at the kitchen so far and sort of think the wood does nothing for it. It’s like the opposite of that striped rug from the dining room in there. For a very “active” sort of room, it’s kind of a void surface currently (not meaning as wood, but wood that needs refinishing in the first place). I like the checker pattern in that really dark photo, or pick up some of the green. Have you already returned the rug, why not put a rug in there instead? Kitchens are so fun and easy-going and forgiving of eccentricities that don’t go in or with the rest of the house.
I have a 1927 tudor home that had painted floors in it when we purchased it. The painted floors were in the office/guest room and they were a chipped mess! They were painted brown and white stripes, like you are thinking about doing. You should be able to see the pictures of the old owners bad taste in this flickr set http://www.flickr.com/gp/53516116@N00/72ks9b
I think it’s a fabulous idea! I plan to whitewash the wood floor in my bedroom this summer. The wood is in pitiful shape and I know painting it will really brighten my spirit!
maria
no guts
no glory
go for the paint.
How does it affect resale? If you are thinking of moving in the short term it might be something to consider.
I can’t remember — what does your floor look like now? Is it plain hardwood? If it is I would say, don’t paint it. Get a nice large area rug if you want some color.
This is the kitchen as it is now:
I don’t think I want a rug in the kitchen. That seems gross to me (sorry)! I know I spill and drop a lot in the kichen, and I want a nice hard floor that can be cleaned easily.
Luka, resale is something to consider, but we’re going to be here for a long time (we think).
I’m going to go take a picture of the floor’s poor condition so you all can see what I’m talking about…
Here’s the area by the stove where the wood is completely different:
This is where we put the garbage can (we bought a rectangular one to best hide the floor):
And here’s the general state of the floor all over:
