Basement Painting

Basement Floor Paint

I’m having second thoughts about using Benjamin Moore’s ‘olive tree’ for the floor paint. Maybe I should go a shade or two darker? Brandon said the basement color palette was looking a little Easter basket-like, complete with the green Easter grass on the floor! I think going a shade or two darker might be the way to go to keep things from floating off into pastel territory.

The other two greens (‘mossy rock’ and ‘okra’) are both from the Martha Stewart line at Home Depot, but I’d have them matched in Benjamin Moore’s floor paint. I’m going to use IKEA’s Stockholm Rand rug for a little punch too. As you can see, this paint decision has been weighing heavily on Eleanor as well.


(unedited photo here)

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  • Jas
    January 25, 2011 at 4:39 pm

    All the colours you have chosen are lovely. I prefer your original selection.

    My partner and I renovated our basement last year and were planning to paint the floor grey. We picked up the the paint chips just to make sure and simply holding the dark grey in the space immediately made it cave like. We went with an oatmeal (the wall colours we chose were darker than yours) and are extremely thankful that [I] had the good sense to pick up the paint chip. I agree with Jessica that it did not wear well in the laundry area. I think its the humidity, as everywhere else it looks great.

    You’re little helper is adorable!

  • Lonely Wife Project
    January 25, 2011 at 4:47 pm

    I love the okra, but I’m sure anything you choose will look gorg. Especially paired with that striped rug!

  • Ellen
    January 25, 2011 at 5:17 pm

    I think the original choice of olive tree is by far the best! The others seem far too dark, making the space look dull.

    Can’t wait to see the finished product!

  • gayle pickering
    January 25, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    i vote for the olive. I agree that you need something darker – love our choice of colors! As one of my teachers once said (of course i can’t remember where, but the advise still stands) always make your “base” darker. which would be your floor. the darker color “anchors” it, so go with your instincts and use either the olive or the okra. Of course the okra is darker, which i personally like, but it’s hard to tell without being in the actual room/lighting.

    and i LOVE the vignette you put together with Eleanor. Very cool. great job!
    and congratulations on a magical time in your life.

  • gayle pickering
    January 25, 2011 at 6:36 pm

    ok so i meant to say i vote for the mossy rock or okra. and i love Your choice.. never type after dinner..

  • Amanda
    January 25, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    All will look nice, at first my vote was okra.. but the longer i look, i think the mossy rock is the winner.. as is looks nice though too…Can’t wait to see the finished product!

  • Stephanie
    January 25, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    I vote for Mossy Rock! The Okra might be a little too dark since it’s a basement and (I’m guessing) doesn’t get great light. Love the rug w/ the green floor!

  • Karen
    January 25, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    I like the Olive color best I think. Love that rug!

  • Sara
    January 25, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    The olive tree looks the best in the mock-ups. As others have said, okra looks too dark and drab.

  • Amanda Wright
    January 25, 2011 at 8:30 pm

    I vote for none of the above. Haha! What about a deep rich brown for the floor? It might be more versatile if you want to change the wall colors later. After all, pink loves brown! : )

  • Desiree Fawn
    January 25, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    Hmm……. have to go with mossy rock ;)

  • Christine B
    January 25, 2011 at 9:23 pm

    I like mossy rock but it is just paint you can always change it if you don’t like it. Can’t wait to see the finished results!

  • Jaime
    January 25, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    Mossy Rock! I think since the walls are so light and it seems so bright that med color will make it nice and cozy with out being too dark! (I really love the Okra too!)

    You have amazing taste in colors!

  • Suzanne
    January 25, 2011 at 9:36 pm

    I agree with the Mossy Rock votes. I like that color.

  • jane
    January 25, 2011 at 9:55 pm

    Okra for sure but you are a design goddess so I am sure anything would be perf!!

  • Alyssa
    January 25, 2011 at 11:11 pm

    i think the okra color is a perfect dark floor color! that’s my vote! but i’m positive it will look beautiful either way! :)

  • Kristen
    January 25, 2011 at 11:26 pm

    Deciding on a floor color seems like such a harder decision to make than the walls! I’d be a wreck trying to pick. I guess I’d say to you…don’t second guess yourself!

  • melissa
    January 26, 2011 at 12:07 am

    Mossy rock is awesome!

  • Béa
    January 26, 2011 at 2:04 am

    such a cutie!

  • Franziska
    January 26, 2011 at 5:20 am

    first I thought okra is too dark, but in the pictures it looks like it isn’t.
    I’m really excited about the light you have down there. Perhaps you can show in another post how you made it to bring sooo much nice light in there.

  • lins
    January 26, 2011 at 6:46 am

    I like mossy rock the best.

  • ARTiculateART
    January 26, 2011 at 7:21 am

    All the colors are quite lovely. It’s such a hard pick! I guess if I had to, I’d pick the okra.

  • SFDC
    January 26, 2011 at 8:05 am

    I agree, it has a bit of an Easter-basket quality. I vote for a dark grey instead, like BM Iron Mountain.

  • Katie
    January 26, 2011 at 8:27 am

    If you really have that much light down there, Okra. But don’t switch out your wall colors to anything darker.

  • Camille
    January 26, 2011 at 8:52 am

    I didn’t love the original color but I love Okra!

  • Ann Marie
    January 26, 2011 at 9:20 am

    I really like Mossy Rock.

  • Ashlea Walter
    January 26, 2011 at 9:43 am

    That photo? Ridiculously cute! Mossy rock.

  • Jaimie
    January 26, 2011 at 10:24 am

    Personally, I like Okra. I think an espresso brown would look good too.

  • Julianna
    January 26, 2011 at 10:27 am

    Okra, Okra, Okra!!! It makes a much nicer contrast to the walls. LOVE the Okra! Olive Tree is too yellow. Great site, by the way : )

  • Meegs
    January 26, 2011 at 11:40 am

    I vote Okra, definitely.

  • Megan
    January 26, 2011 at 1:03 pm

    I like Mossy Rock. It’s a bright enough green to still be like grass but not pastel or too yellow. I think Okra is too dark and drab.

  • Margaret
    January 26, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    Mossy Rock :)

  • Tara Jane
    January 26, 2011 at 1:43 pm

    My vote is Okra! I like the contrast. We had a really hard time at Lowes getting them to match the paint chips with the floor paint. Make sure to compair the dried paint to the chip.

    Good Luck!

  • Julie Anne
    January 26, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    I really like the darker okra, but could completely see the mossy rock working.

    It’s hard to choose wihtout seeing them in the different lights that will be in the room….

    Love your progress, overall! It makes me finally want to do our unfinished basement this summer.

  • Little Edie
    January 26, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    i think all of the choices are fab … but oh do I love little Eleanor as Rodin’s Thinker.

  • Melissa
    January 26, 2011 at 11:41 pm

    Okra! :)

  • Hallie
    January 27, 2011 at 12:16 am

    Yesterday I voted for Okra, but today I’ve changed my mind and am voting for

    OLIVE TREE!

  • tammy
    January 27, 2011 at 6:15 am

    Stick with your first choice! in my experiences i always end up going back to it anyway LOL

  • Jessica
    January 27, 2011 at 12:27 pm

    I’m trying to decide on wallpaper myself @ my blog.

  • Sarah Jane
    January 28, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    I love that rug! I talked about it not too long ago in a “stripes” post on my blog. I hope to have it someday too…just don’t know where yet! Love the green floors. Are you painting cement? We ended up going with laminate wood floors in our basement because we didn’t want to scrape up the asbestos-infested glue! I think it turned out pretty nice, though!

  • Anita
    January 28, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    Your basement is amazing! I am in love with the color ideas. I liked the original one best but my second pick is the Mossy Rock. Can’t wait to see it all finished!

  • Kimberly L.C.
    January 29, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    Okra for sure.

  • Natalie
    January 29, 2011 at 8:04 pm

    I think it’s definitely a good idea to go with a darker green…oooh what about a nice charcoal gray instead? That would really give it some contrast! :)

  • Making it Lovely
    January 31, 2011 at 10:09 am

    I went with Mossy Rock. It looks great!

  • Basement Bathroom Accessories | Making it Lovely
    February 1, 2011 at 11:24 am

    […] on the floor in the studio, play space, and tool/storage areas, but I chose Martha Stewart’s “Mossy Rock” […]

  • Kathy
    February 3, 2011 at 10:07 pm

    Hi
    I justed watched an old episode of Sarah Richardson’s Design, Inc. They painted a would floor
    Glidden Green Grove Floor Enamel 3636. It was beautiful.
    Kathy

  • Lukewarmluxe
    March 8, 2011 at 9:03 am

    I’m so glad I found this…I’ve been trying to make my mind up on whether or not to finish painting the laundry room with the mossy oak. I love the color but I kept stopping and looking at it like, do I really want a mossy green room? I think it looks so much better on the floor than it does on the walls! Good job on the room!

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