Recently, a reader wrote to say she was contemplating painting her floors white and asking us how we liked ours. Friends were warning her off them, saying they are a pain to take care of. We wrote a number of posts about the specifics of pale or white painted floors — designer Laura Handler’s is a revelation — but our essential take is this:
We view painted floors as a canvas that can be embellished or changed as needed, and we’ve posted MANY examples of cool floor patterns you can paint on top of a painted floor, to shift the look or disguise wear or damage. The simplest and most liberating treatment might be Jackson Pollock-esque spatters, as in this wonderful green floor where the splatters are random and minimal (and enough to cover a rough patch).
Or you can go to town, as in this kid’s room….
Paint blotches make for a daring Dalmation pattern…
Paint just a few boards to “repair” a damaged area…
…or get into elaborate patterns a la Matthieu Lavanchy…
…or do a complex, Richard Woods’ish design…
…or use big flowey stencils…
…or more graphic ones...
Paola Navone painted “rugs” directly onto her floors…
If your painted floor gets scratched, dinged, worn, messed up, view it as an opportunity.
Top photo via SF Girl By Bay
