10 Rooms With Amazing Painted Floors

Whether you're designing a room from the ground up or giving an existing room a well-deserved refresh, color is one of the most important factors. Enter, wall paint—the easiest option for updating a space. But, can you add it to the floor? Sure! One of the most unexpected design applications is painting a floor. From stained wood to carefully painted stencils, the process can add pop to an otherwise drab space. A painted floor can also be a more cost-effective alternative to a rug and provide you the durability that can last the lifetime of your home.

Sometimes, when a room is small, the right color added to a floor can make all the difference. In an attic bedroom, low ceilings and an angled roof pitch make things feel even more cramped. For this reason, painting the walls is likely not the best answer for the space. But, by using an energizing shade of blue on the floors, the room appears bigger and takes on a new sense of life.

Branded markings on a hardwood floor have an undeniably vintage look to them. It conjures up an industrial feel that adds a whole other dimension to a room. The only thing better than etched branding on your floor is not having to burn it on to get the effect. Here, homeowners trade fire and iron for paint and stencils to create a wonderfully eye-catching effect. The painters even used different shades of black, allowing some of the brandings to feel weathered and faded.

One of the best ways to represent a complete color story is by incorporating two items in the room that offer the same shade. So, if there's a color that you truly love, use it. For instance, this room features a lovely gray painted wooden floor that perfectly matches the dining chairs and provides a lighter counterpoint to the dark blue walls. Painting the floors this color, and then adding in accent pieces of the same hue, offers a way to connect the two for a layered, comfortable look.

Traditionally, entryways don't have a lot of room. So while they offer an important canvas for decor, it often takes some creativity to achieve the exact look you want for a first impression. Painted floors provide a no-fail option for this situation, as color is a perfect way to set the tone and doesn't take up any extra space. Pair a painted floor with a tonal wall color—like a black floor and a light gray wall—to make a big impact using very few elements.

Stairway landings are another unexpected area where paint can have a profound impact on a space. A patterned landing provides an opportunity to include bold colors that contrast neutral walls. You can also work within similar shades by enlisting a more subdued checkered pattern on the floor for a bit of personality.

You don't have to cover an entire floor in color to achieve an iconic design. Instead, enlist the help of stencils and paint to create a cost-effective alternative to tile or stone in front of a fireplace. Here, paint and stencils create a precisely drawn pattern that meshes beautifully with the ornate detail of a white mantle. By covering just a small fraction of the floor in paint, the whole room gets a brand new look and feel.

No one can deny the beauty of rugs. They are colorful, comfortable, and often, very expensive. So, if the look of a rug is something your room desperately needs, but the price is clearly out of your budget, paint offers another option. However, you'll need to be an artist or hire one artist to get the look of an intricately patterned rug. The result will yield a show-stopping design element that most certainly will start conversations.

Make your outside space an extension of the indoors. Your patio or deck should feel just like another room in your home, complete with all of the comforts you would expect if it were surrounded by walls and a ceiling. And while outdoor rugs provide a cozy segue from in to out, they don't hold up for more than a few years, given their exposure to the elements. Instead, a painted outdoor floor—either on wood or concrete—gives your newest room a kick of color and can be hosed off and wiped down easily.

Many times, painting the floor takes a backseat to the fear of adding too much color to a large area. But going big with a single color underfoot actually makes sense when the rest of the room is checkered with different design elements. This room comes together beautifully with the color blue on the floor, combined with white cabinetry, and exposed stained wood ceilings.