I’m Floored

I believe the retail cost of beautiful flooring has become outrageous. I blame it on businesses wanting to get rich off of needed remodeling and DIY enthusiast. Most basic home builders do not add beautiful flooring to the selection in their design centers. They just want to build quick and sell fast. I'm in favor of buying older homes and giving them a makeover. Most of them were once built by builders using basic materials too and many previous owners never bothered to upgrade built-in things after moving in. Why contribute to urban sprawl when our cities have plenty of neighborhoods that need some good old fashion TLC? I live in a townhouse that was built in 1978. The previous owner did manage to do some remodeling after she inherited it from her parents, the original owners. She was an interior designer and antiques collector-dealer and a lot of what she did to this townhouse is exactly what I would have done, with one exception. She had sisal carpet installed on the master bedroom and bath vanity area floor, a little over a year before we purchased it. I know this because we have the information and receipts for every project she completed. I love sisal and sea grass flooring, but I cannot understand why people install any type of permanent carpet in a bathroom. I decided it was time to remove it, even though I’m unable to spend any serious amount of money at this time to put something in it's place. I pulled it up and cut it off from the larger part that extends into the master bedroom. What remained was the floorboard as my canvas for a beautiful idea...

After thoroughly sanding the floorboard, my first plan was to use some left over Benjamin Moore floor and porch paint from a previous patio project and distress it. I figured to just live with that until I can have some gorgeous tile installed. I am infatuated with cement tiles that are in neutral colors painted with moroccan designs and look aged. I also love the effects of plaster on fresco paintings. I have priced tiles that would create the look, but who really wants to spend six to eight hundred dollars on tile for such a small area and pay more for someone to install it correctly when paint is available and the look can be created for under a hundred dollars and a weekend? Not me! I was going to settle with using the B&M floor and porch paint, but after rolling some on it looked hideous. Then the painting idea became clear and I ran out to buy an all purpose primer, knowing there won’t be a need to ever see the wood color again...

The next day the two coats of primer was dry, using a roller I layered on one coat of Amy Howard's One Step Paint in Selznick Grey...

Here's where the real work began. Next, I started stenciling the entire area using the small Chez Sheik Moroccan pattern by Royal Design Studio and Amy Howard's paint in Luxe Grey. A third of the way into stenciling I made a mistake and didn't line up the stencil properly. The pattern on the floor was 1/4 of an inch off. The perfectionist side of me was disgusted. My first reaction was to paint the first grey over it and wait for it to dry to repeat the lighter grey pattern, but my humorous side said, "GIRL, go grab a beer and keep on rolling!" And I did just that...

Now with a little beer buzz I felt relaxed enough to not worry about mistakes. I finished stenciling, then placing the same template over the pattern I dry brushed it with Annie Sloan's Country Grey. Following that step I painted a border using the Selznick Grey and after that dry brushed the entire floor with Amy Howard's paint using the color Linen...

It wasn't finish though. I let it all dry for an hour and then with my electric mouse sander, using 220 grit paper, I began sanding the floor to give it the aged and plastered look I desired. When I was satisfied with the sanding results I cleaned off the debris using clear water and a sponge, plus went over the dampness with a dry towel. I thought about putting a clear coat of sealer, but I know from experience that Amy Howard's paint does really well by using her Light Wax. I applied the wax and buffed in a sheen, ending the project with this beautiful design...

I'm so floored with the result and money saved that I want to do my bedroom, upstairs hall and stairway too. This is now a wonderful little vanity space to sit in...

~ next time, I may try it with a glass of wine ~