Print < Pretty Painted Floors

A cottage kitchen with a mom and two girls. All white walls and cabinets. Floors painted with a muted white stripe throughout.

Have Fun With Stripes

The Big Idea
Paint vertical or horizontal stripes to give a small room the illusion of more space. In this kitchen, 5-inch-wide bands that are the same color as the lower cabinets add depth and a custom, unexpected touch to a classic gray-and-white color scheme.

Notice the Details
Scuffs and scratches create a timeworn feel, suggesting a sense of history. To speed up the process, the stripes in this kitchen were sanded after the final coat of paint. If you prefer the real thing, skip a polyurethane topcoat and let feet and paws make their mark.

An entryway with a detailed painted floor in a square pattern in colors of off white, cream, and camel, outlined in black.

Try a Graphic Pattern

The Big Idea
Make a statement right at your home's entrance by welcoming guests with a painted floor that's bold and geometric. It's a gutsy move, but small spaces like foyers or hallways can handle a large dose of pattern -- and even look larger with an expansive repeat. Plus, painting the floor is a clever way to add personality to a space that's often overlooked and under-decorated.

Notice the Details
Dark baseboards have long been a decorator's trick to help define a room and ground a bold color scheme. The ones in this entry, painted black to echo the graphic lines of the painted floor, fool the eye into thinking a border extends the room a few extra inches.

A rustic cottage living room with a white checkered painted floor.

Opt for a Classic Checkerboard

The Big Idea
Try a variation on an old favorite by choosing a painted floor that's both fresh and rooted in tradition. Update the classic checkerboard pattern with overscale diamonds and an unexpected color combination. The rustic simplicity of the floor has a sophisticated look that’s surprisingly modern.

Notice the Details
Pieces of furniture with clean lines and simple shapes don't compete with the floor. Basic linen and cotton fabrics in soft, muted shades blend into the background, and a minimal approach to accessories draws all eyes to the pattern.

A cottage bedroom with a plaid painted floor in white and deep yellow.

Painted Floor with Plaid Pattern

The Big Idea
Take inspiration for a painted floor from fabrics in the same room. In this bedroom, a wing chair covered in a favorite yellow-and-plaid fabric echoes the floor’s gingham motif. While a repetition of pattern may sound a bit staid, it actually establishes a simple and cohesive look.

Notice the Details
A singular approach to color enlivens small spaces. Limiting a palette to only two or three shades, such as the yellow or blue with white in this bedroom, pulls together disparate elements and makes a strong visual statement.

A cottage bedroom with red, white, and green accents and a green painted floor.

Choose a Single Shade to Paint Your Floor

The Big Idea
Just as color warms up walls, it can do the same for your floors. Whether you choose a vibrant shade or even a simple coat of white, a solid wash of color lends a classic look that only gets better with age.

Notice the Details
The color of the painted floor is cleverly repeated throughout the room. In this bedroom, the same shade of green is painted on the window sashes, with a similar hue on the desk chair.

Pretty Painted Floors

Rejuvenate your tired floors and give them a timeless look with a fresh coat of paint.

Have Fun With Stripes

Try a Graphic Pattern

Opt for a Classic Checkerboard

Painted Floor with Plaid Pattern

Choose a Single Shade to Paint Your Floor