Monday, June 4, 2012

Work with what you GOT-Painted Kitchen Floors

FLOOR UPDATE:  (4/15/2015)
I know you have all asked for update pictures and I have FINALLY gotten around to snapping some iPhone pictures to share.  The floors are now 3 years old and while they are dirty in these pictures (sorry), they are still holding up really really well.  I am very pleased with their duration of numerous gatherings and 3 toddlers constantly running, playing and dragging toys along them all day long.  I would still recommend this method and am pleased with them each time I look down.  


We have an update in the ever evolving kitchen.  I recently painted the linoleum kitchen floors (another Pinterest inspiration) with regular old house paint.  It was a fun process and not one that I was sure was going to "stick" but it did and I am so happy.  Before I go into detail about the "how to" here are some kitchen evolution shots...

Picture 1:  How the kitchen looked when we moved in

 Picture 2:  How the kitchen looked after we painted the kitchen cabinets white and installed new Ikea counter tops, added a white subway tile backsplash, and painted the walls.

  Picture 3:  How it looks now, after the painted floor project
I am so in love it with it.

So now for the HOW TO...

Let me start with saying that painting linoleum is not for all linoleum.  Peel and stick or slick linoleum will not work for this process.  We had old, worn linoleum that was installed in one big sheet.  My sister-in-law tried to paint her peel and stick bathroom linoleum and the paint is just peeling right off.

Here is the process:
Step 1:  clean floors really well and let them completely dry (I used a degreaser and mopped the floors)
Step 2:  Paint the floors with the Base/Bottom color.  I used Behr Paint and Primer In One-FLAT.  Here is a picture of the paint cans. 

Step 3:  Stencil the design.  I bought a Martha Stewart stencil from Michaels and used the same Behr paint in a different color. I used a small foam roller to keep the paint even, make sure you don't load the roller with too much paint or it will bleed under the stencil and make a mess.  As far as the placement goes, the old linoleum had squares in it so I just used them as a guide and did every other square.
Step 4:  Let paint dry and then apply poly urethane.  I used a water based poly and followed the instructions on application.  I applied 4 coats of poly just to be safe.
Let dry for 2 days to be absolutely sure its cured and DONE!!!  We have had these floors painted for about 2 months and they still look absolutely gorgeous.  

In case you are wondering about paint colors, the colors are:
Base:  Glidden GLN40-Wood Smoke, I had it color matched so that I could use the Behr prime/paint
Stencil:  GLC13-Crisp Linen White, also color matched to Behr Prime/Paint 
Color Codes:

Here are a couple more shots of the floor taken just this morning.


Please email me or leave a comment if you have any questions about technique or process.  And leave a link if you did this yourself, I would love to see others work.

:)

77 comments:

Hilary said...

It looks amazing, and by that I mean your whole kitchen including the floors. Great job turning what you have into something so lovely!

Anonymous said...

You are so inspiring!! Now I know what I can do to my fugly floors! Thank you so much for sharing this!

Mel said...

Fantastic update to the entire space. That's my kind of update :)

You wrote that you used flat paint, but your floor is so shiny; did you use any top coat for protection?

Anonymous said...

Wait...the floors look SHINY! Did you put a sealer or poly on them?? How do you wash them?

Theresa Fletcher said...

VERY impressive :) great work!

Carla P said...

Just gorgeous. My husband is very sick and I have not been able to come up with the extra money for new flooring, so this will be an answer to prayer! You didn't walk on it for two days? I don't know if i can do that or not, but I'm going to give it a whirl. Thanks for showing us how.

Unknown said...

New follower! This project turned out amazing! Great Job:) Jamie
wellnessandfamily.blogspot.com

Sally P-G said...

Hi ladies! Thanks for your comments. To answer the questions above, yes I did coat the floors with 4 coats of water based polyurethane, I followed the instructions on the bottle. Also, I mop it with regular floor cleaner, sometimes pinesol, sometimes lysol. It is holding up really well.

Sally P-G said...

To answer Carla P, after the poly coats dry for about 8 hours you can quickly and lightly walk on it barefoot but to be safe we didn't walk on it with shoes or for 2 days

Kristy said...

So glad someone else has already tried this! I pulled up the nasty carpet in my house's upstairs bedroom to find old linoleum. It's in good shape, but it's still linoleum. I was hoping to find a good DIY fix, even if I end up adding new flooring later. Thanks for sharing this!

Claire @ a little something in the meantime . . . said...

Wow! What a difference! Now your floor looks so fresh and modern! Too bad we have lots of seams in our linoleum.

Visiting from your Better After feature :)

alaroway said...

Wow I totally want to do this to my kitchen floor too! How to do go about cleaning painted linoleum? And would you recommend if I have a large lab (90 lbs) and a soon-to-be crawling baby...?

Comeca Jones said...

Looks gorgeous! Cant beat the cost!

beth said...

Just. Beautiful.

Peggy Jean said...

Wow that is beautiful!! I love the stencil and can't wait to go to Michales to check them out myself!

-Peggy

Anonymous said...

WOW! WOW! I had no idea you could paint lino!!!! GREAT job, its so cute, and at such a great price. Now I'm really inspired to get to work on my house.

Connie@Connie Nikiforoff Designs said...

I too painted old linoleum in our kitchen. However I didn't do a stencil because I wanted it all one color. It held up for years and I didn't even use a poly topcoat! Every do often, if I thought it needed a little "perk me up" I'd just repaint. It took very little time and it'd look brand new again! People always would say "Wow! Love your floor! What is it?" When I'd tell them it's painted linoleum, they just couldn't believe it! It's a great way on a small, small budget to get a "new floor" in virtually any color your heart desires.

Cait Geddes said...

That looks amazing! Love you colour choices.

Cookie said...

nicely done indeed!

Sarah - Ugly Duckling House said...

I've painted my linoleum floors as well using a $20 product from Rustoleum. See here for the full tutorial. It's made for sticking to laminate counters, so I tried it on the floor and it stuck even better than the counter (tried that too)! No protective coating, no prep other than a good cleaning. For the cost, it's definitely worth doing if you can't afford to redo the floors for a while. And love the stencil!

Amber said...

The floor looks like vinyl, not linoleum. Is it really linoleum, or are you using that as a generic term for floor covering? I'm sure that my kitchen floor is vinyl, and I wonder if it would work as well.

Christine E. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Infra Dig said...

I have the same question as Amber. My kitchen floor looks almost exactly like your "before" picture, but it's sheet vinyl. True linoleum is "a floor covering made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil (linoxyn), pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a burlap or canvas backing;" (Wikipedia definition).

I think I will try this process with the Rustoleum product Sarah F. recommended, as I know it will work on vinyl. So excited to make my kitchen and bathroom floor look nicer until we can afford to replace them!

Becca said...

Fun to see what you came up with! I did a stencil on our linoleum flooring in our bathroom as well, it turned out so good. I used varathane diamond floor finish and it is holding up fantastic,

Kimberellie said...

gorgeous! thanks for this tutorial! I hope one day to have a crappy kitchen floor I can paint!

L said...

You. are. amazing.

My boyfriend and I are closing on our house on the 12th and the kitchen floor is 1970s patterned gold sheet linoleum. I'll be sure to post a picture after I paint the crap out of it! :)

Lindsy said...

I HAD to tell you how amazing this is!! You are a genius. I wish with all my heart I could do this to my apartment floors....you know I just might, it would be worth it even if I didn't get the security deposit back.
I hope to see many more fab ideas in the future!

Sophie Heinicke said...

Totally nice! I thought I was looking at a different kitchen. Hehe! The floor paint created a totally new look for your kitchen. It really brightened up the room. :D

Sophie Heinicke

Elinor Haswell said...

From the floor to the ceiling, the kitchen looks great! That stencil design you applied on the floor could be ideal on walls, too, but nonetheless, the floor instantly became the main attraction of the kitchen! =) The term you used “kitchen evolution” really suits the outcome.

Louie said...

Wow. Good job! Your floor’s new style made the room look more organized. It exudes a refreshing appearance. After all, it’s one of the important things to consider in a kitchen, keeping things organized and free from clutter, which reflects how an individual works in the room.

Louie Cunningham

Michelle said...

Oh my gosh! Your kitchen could practically be my kitchen! I've been dying to try painting our floors. Your post is really persausive!

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

This is great...I just pinned it, I am painting a bathroom floor in a rent house, and wanted to stencil...yours turned out great...way to go!

Gabrielle Jeromy said...

Linoleum flooring may look so simple, but it will look extraordinary with a bit of creativity. The stencil design is impressive! It looks the same with some of the high class hotel out there. =) That’s the magic of painting jobs – everything can look different in a whim!

sulung74 said...

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Becca@Removalists Melbourne said...

Wow, That is very impressive! The pattern you use on the floor is simply awesome, it looks much better than before. I also like the white color theme in the kitchen.

Lisa @ Lisas Creative Designs said...

I just started painting my kitchen laminate floor using the same technique. Your floor is so pretty. I may add a stencil to mine too. :)

Floor Protection Film said...

Thanks for the clear instructions. As someone who has been involved in floor refinishing, I have an appreciation for how much work this was but it sure was worth it. The floor looks beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Hi I'm wondering how your floor is holding up now?? Any retouches? It's so pretty!

Sally P-G said...

we are coming up on a year and the floor still looks great! It is holding up very well and it is so easy to clean.

HS sweetheart said...

They look beautiful! I will definitely be doing this in my bathroom as we cannot afford new floors right now. How many coats of the base paint did you do?

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Anonymous said...

Well there is a clear distinction of the kitchen looks after it got painted and the most important thing was the floor design that attracted me.
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All Floors Inc. said...

To remove paint on linoleum flooring once it's dried, the easiest solution may be to cut an entire new square for the section which has the paint on it. This is clean, precise and easy, plus it won't cause more damage to your flooring like other repair methods might.

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The Farm-Marm said...

I'm not sure if this was posted in the comments anywhere, but I figured it might help someone else...I've been researching painting my ugly VINYL flooring for a while. I have seen several posts where they SANDED their floor first. lightly. Then cleaned and primed before painting and sealing. I would recommend a really good sealer. One for floors or even marine grade! Good luck ya'll!!

Paula Swasko said...

This is absolutely outstanding! As far as the peel and stick floors, would you suggest a light "sanding" and primer to see if that would work? Or is it all the cracks and crevices that are the problem? Dying to try this on my laundry room floor, but its all peel and stick...any thoughts?

Anonymous said...

This project is absolutely amazing!! Do you think a light sanding on peel and stick floors would do the trick? Or do you think all the cracks and crevices are the issue? Just curious, as I am ding to try this on my worn laundry room floor, and it's all peel and stick...thoughts?
Thanks!

Laura said...

I LOVE this and have been looking at different methods to do it, how is yours holding up 2 years later now? and which poly type did you use? Has it yellowed at all? Thanks!! I only hope mine is as beautiful as your!

Unknown said...

This is so lovely! I cant believe that Idea would look like this! I wish I could have a creative Idea just like yours! I hope I can maintain my kitchen just clean and beautiful just like this one rather than mounting some splashbacks!

Kris said...

Your stenciled floors are lovely! How are they holding up now, two years and change later?? I'm thinking about trying this but would love to know what to expect in longevity, first. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

The floor looks great! How has it held up over the last two years? Thanks for posting these pictures - super helpful.

Caroline said...

I'm curious to know how they are holding up in 2014 as well! I actually have the SAME exact kitchen floor, so I'm really curious!

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Ashley Mckinney Paulin said...

As question as some others how has this held up over the years? I want to have a timeline of when to replace the painted flooring with my desired flooring.

Unknown said...

I am wondering what, if anything, you used to seal the floor....I am guessing it would be some sort of protective top coat of a clear sealer. I didn't see it mentioned though. Can you tell us what you'd recommend? The floor looks great. Thanks for any info on a top coat and/or sealer!

Unknown said...

Looks wonderful!!!! We have some dings and dents in the linoleum.....any tips on how to fill them and make the floor look as smooth as yours before you painted??

Unknown said...

I Love this Idea!! Thank You! I have a older trailor house and the Kitchen is Huge and the Flooring is Ugly and Out dated and I have consider getting new but that will cost more then I have. Even considered the Pallet Idea, But that is a Awful lot of work for the size of this Kitchen. I am wondering How long it takes to totally dry though, I have a Dog and 2 cats and we spend a allot of time in our kitchen..

LADY M4CK said...

I just did my bathroom. I used your tutorial and another to guide me. Thank you!! I'm stealing your stencil pick for when we do the kitchen. We started with our smallest bathroom just in case I ruined it. lol

I'd love your feedback!

scgatormama.blogspot.com

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Unknown said...

I know I'm late but I have a few questions. I've been researching others and they suggest floor paint. I just wanted to clarify you used regular wall paint and did an poly top coat? Your floors are beautiful by the way.

kitchen painting said...

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Amrita Sharma said...

I really thought this was so helpful! I'm thinking about getting my kitchen flooring replaced. I've really been attracted to the idea of Vinyl Flooring. Thanks for this article with awesome ways to keep your floor nice!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love it! I always wondered if you could apply poly over a painted surface to preserve it. I have a rental home with similar flooring & would like to try this on it. How has it held up with sliding/moving appliances around on it? Would that scratch or dig into the finish?

Jennifer said...

Did you put a gloss on after the stencil to make it so shiny?

Sally P-G said...

Yes I used water based poly as a top coat.

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