26 Brilliant Painted Floors Ideas That’ll Add Instant Charm
Create instant appeal underfoot with a coat of paint.
Calling all DIYers: We’ve got your next project right here. Tired of your boring brown wood floors? Or, are you looking for a way to infuse a little fun into your porch or powder room? Then, say hello to painted floors! This easily executed look is at home everywhere from quaint cottages to grand estates and is a budget-friendly way to charm up a space. “Painted floors are the ultimate, fresh, open the windows, blow away the cobwebs, scrub the floors, Little-House-on-the-Prairie rustic floor covering,” says Annie Sloan, paint and color expert, and inventor of Chalk Paint. Check out our quick DIY tips below to get a head-start on the painting process, then scroll through our 26 favorite rooms with painted floors for inspiration.
How to Paint Your Floors Like a Pro
Keep It Budget Friendly: Refinishing hardwoods can cost thousands, but armed with the right tools — think painter’s tape and a good foam roller—you can upgrade your floors for less than $200 by painting them instead. This project is all about good ol’ sweat equity, but if you envision a more elaborate pattern and want to hire a professional to do the job, just search for a “decorative painter” on sites like TaskRabbit or Angi.
Pick a Time-Tested Pattern: We love a classic check, but there are so many places to look for inspiration. “I've used everything from cereal bowls to magazines to create a repeat geometric pattern,” says Annie. New York-based designer Anthony Baratta recommends looking to vintage quilts for pattern inspiration. “They repeat similarly to painted floor patterns,” he says.
Just don’t forget to right-size the pattern in smaller rooms. In a 20-square-foot bathroom, for example, you’ll need to go smaller with checks and opt for six-inch-squares over the standard one-foot. In a spacious entry hall, go for two- to three-foot squares.
Use the Proper Materials: Whether you’ve schooled yourself on how to paint a room or tried your hand at painting kitchen cabinets, you probably haven’t painted a floor. (Although if you’ve painted stairs, you’re already a step ahead.) Don’t worry—painting floors isn‘t as hard as you might think. The most important thing to know: Do not paint floors with regular wall paint. Paint manufacturers such as Valspar, Behr, and Benjamin Moore all offer super durable porch and floor paint products and sealers that will keep your painted floors, well, painted. Atlanta-based decorative painter Hayden Gregg prefers a floor wax such as Minwax's Paste Finishing Wax to seal everything in. “It dries super hard and allows the floor to patina naturally,” he says.
Next, you’re going to want to make a painting plan. Smaller projects like a solid color in a bedroom can be tackled in a weekend. Expect to spend a few more days on larger spaces or more intricate patterns. And if you’re planning a floor-to-ceiling paint party, paint your floors after you paint everything else. You don’t want drips from the ceiling and walls messing up your masterpiece underfoot.
How to Care for Your Painted Floors
Once your floors are painted, only minor upkeep is required if you’ve properly sealed them. The stronger your seal, the longer your paint will last. Vacuuming or dust-mopping your floors regularly will help maintain their pristine look. For deeper cleans, you’ll need to follow the instructions of your preferred sealant to know which products you can use or should avoid. A good rule of thumb is that it’s best to spot clean messes as they come up and avoid using large amounts of water as this can damage both your paint and the wood. While only you can decide how often (if ever) you want to repaint your floors, it’s a good idea to take stock of their condition once a year and touch-up small nicks or scratches.
For more ideas on upgrading your home with paint:
Mix it Up with Stain and Paint
Take a cue from Country Living Design Director Maribeth Jones’s cheery country kitchen and use a mix of perfectly distressed paint and a natural wood stain to achieve that been-around-forever feel.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint: New White by Farrow & Ball
Wallpaper: Fruit by Morris & Co.
Cabinet Paint Color: Sudbury Yellow by Farrow & Ball
Mimic Your Porch
In this collected sunroom-turned-nostalgia-rich sleeping porch at Wisconsin's Camp Wandawega, durable painted floors in a soft gray hold up to the great outdoors and colorful decor.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Light Gray Porch & Floor Paint by Valspar
Hudson Bay Blanket: For similar, Frontier Wool Throw Blanket by Faribault Mill
Pair Vintage Finishes with Bright Whites
White walls, ceilings, and floors create a clean backdrop for vintage wood pieces, such as the dining table and Swedish Mora clock, to shine in this airy California cottage. Homeowner Maria Carr of Dreamy Whites primes her floors first with Farrow & Ball floor primer, then lets the dry really well before painting for the best coverage.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Strong White by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: The 20 Best White Paint Colors For Every Room in Your House
Try a Timeworn Look
To give her Birmingham mudroom a touch of timeworn charm, Alabama-based designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas worked with a professional decorative painter, but DIYers can re-create her weathered look with a hand sander. Opt for fine-grit sandpaper in spaces that need a more delicate touch. If you DIY this look, be sure to wait at least three days for the unsealed paint to dry before distressing, then finish with your preferred sealant.
Go Green
Green painted floors provide this kitchen with a clean-but-stylish base to pile on the collected, colorful, and campy antiques. In high-traffic areas such as the kitchen, picking a deeper color can help hide small scuffs and scratches.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Cypress Vine by Behr
Red Pendant Lights: Hampton Bay Warehouse Pendant from Home Depot
Embrace Retro Style
A fresh minty green-and-white checkerboard floor adds graphic punch to this casual dining space. The color choice and pattern has a ’50s diner appeal.
RELATED: Here’s Everything You Need to Host an Equestrian-Themed Party
Mix Moody Blues With Rustic Browns
The deep blue-gray painted floors in this modern-style barn space were inspired by the surrounding coastal views. Designer Hadley Higgins chose a similar shade for the cabinets to complement the warm wood tones of the rustic space.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Lead Gray by Benjamin Moore
Cabinet Paint Color: Blue Toile by Benjamin Moore
Color Drench Your Space
For a fresh spin on a classic palette, try color drenching! Cover the walls, floors, and ceiling in a single color (yes, even white counts!) to create a cocoon-like effect with a design edge.
Paint a Plaid
Embrace a classic country blue-and-white color palette from ceiling to floor—literally. In this breakfast nook, plaid painted floors set the tone for the rest of the freshly decorated room. Tip: Pick a light and dark shade of your “weaving” color to get a similar look!
Go All-In on Theme
Take a note from the design team at Anthony Baratta and dive head first into a theme. Instead of going for a basic checkerboard pattern, Anthony used the pattern’s white blocks to showcase hand-painted nautical motifs.
Go for Aged Appeal
During the early 1800s, American Shaker communities used color in consistent fashion with yellow ochre being the preference for painted floors. This Maine cabin of writer Kathleen Hackett gets a similar look with a sun-baked yellow on the dining room floor.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Citron by Farrow & Ball
Play with Pattern
The avocado green floor pattern is original to this charming Michigan cottage. The homeowner, designer Kate Marker, loved it so much she hired a specialty painter to copy the existing design onto newly added floorboards after expanding the space. Instead of paint, the pattern is achieved using different shades of stain.
RELATED: 25 Best Green Paint Colors That’ll Liven Up Any Room
Create a Cohesive Palette
Don’t feel confined to just one color for your floors. In this cozy attic space, the bedroom and adjoining bathroom both get the painted floor treatment, but in different, complementing shades of blue. Stick to shades in the same color family to more easily connect spaces and create a cohesive palette.
Get the Look:
Bedroom Floor Paint Color: Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball
Craft a Calming Palette
Love the look of painted floors but want to create a room that’s a bit more subdued? Stick to a soft, quiet palette such as the gray shown in this airy breakfast nook.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Platinum Gray by Benjamin Moore
RELATED: 20+ Beautiful White Kitchen Cabinet Ideas to Update Your Space
Style Up Your Stairs
To add interest—and to skip the cost of a runner—homeowner and designer Christina Salway painted the steps of her New York farmhouse a crisp white and then added a wide stripe of slate blue paint bordered by deep brown stripes on the outer edges.
Get the Look:
Wide Stripe Paint Color: Stonybrook by Benjamin Moore
Thin Stripe Paint Color: French Press by Benjamin Moore
Weather Your Whites
To get the weathered look of painted hardwood floors in the attic studio, homeowners Natalie and Tim Hamm painted inexpensive subflooring white and scraped “gaps” in with a flathead screwdriver.
Bring In Bright Colors
Turquoise and lime checkered floors make for a bold statement in a colorful kids’ bedroom designed by Alison Kandler. If you plan on mixing bright colors in a similar manner, stick to a few key primary colors and then mix and match their shades. Creating a primary color palette to grow from allows for maximum color layering without looking mismatched or busy.
Look to Nature
The fresh green hue on this low country kitchen floor of homeowner Lauren Northup is a nice balance with the bright white walls and lower cabinets skirted with cheerful blue-and-white-checked fabric. The look is reminiscent of the grass green floors in the entry of Monticello.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Arsenic by Farrow & Ball
Go for Graphic
In this creative foyer, a graphic chevron pattern is achieved by alternating a darker stain with exposed unstained wood. If you go for a bold pattern, opt to keep the colors in the room neutral.
RELATED: Tour More of This Massachusetts Home That is Filled with History
Give It Some Shine
Designer and HGTV star Brian Patrick Flynn chose a high-gloss finish on his kitchen floors as a bold contrast to sleek matte-finish black cabinets.
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: For similar, Stone White by Benjamin Moore
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she covers design and decorating trends, home features, and gift guides. She also produces home features and styles content for the print magazine. When she isn’t working, can often be found digging around antique shops for the perfect find. Follow her adventures on Instagram!
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