My friend Calder dropped me a question about my feelings on white painted wood floors.
I thought others might be interested in this discussion as well, so, feel free to jump in.
Certain design trends appeal to me much more than others. I love seeing what other designers are
putting together. But, I have to say that I am not one who is a big follower of ' trends'. Anyone can
duplicate a catalog page, but, my true passion is coming up with something that is fresh, that hasn't
been seen in every blog or catalog and isn't what everyone else is doing.
So, when I get asked my off-the-cuff opinion on a trend, my response is totally different
than obtaining my advice on their specific project as their designer. I could easily answer with
'I love white painted floors! I think they are fresh and totally change a rooms feel.' But, I feel strongly
that there are lots of facts to be obtained before simply giving a blanket statement.
Case in point:
Friend: In decorating, how do you feel about big graphic letters?
Me: I love them! I think they are a fun way to add whimsy to a space.
Friend: Great! look what I just bought:
See, not exactly what I thought she meant....
I often hesitate in giving 'blanket' design advice. With that said, I have absolutely no
problem in sharing what tickles my fancy. But opinions and advice are different. Meaning,
without taking everything in to consideration--the age of the house, the style of the house,
the clients decorating style, the location of the house, the amount of sunlight, the amount
of usage {ie. guest room vs. living room}, etc...all of this plays into an overall design decision.
So, with my disclaimer out of the way...let's talk about white painted floors.
If you follow my blog on a fairly regular basis, you know that I post a lot of beautiful white interiors.
I love light walls with white slipcovered furniture. But, you may be surprised to know that my preference
on what I think works best with the above-mentioned is dark stained floors. I loooovvve what this does
to really ground all the white.
In past homes, I have had my fair share of painted floors. They have ranged from white to inky
black. When my son was a newborn, we lived in a 1920's bungalow. I painted the walls in his
nursery with a 'cow jumped over the moon' mural.
His floors were painted white {with a dark blue border} and I painted a 'rug' in the middle.
{it was the 90's people, cut me some slack}. The floors were in awful shape and had developed
some cupping. So, painting them was a good easy fix.
{I hate that these pics don't show the floor..sorry}
After I finished the floors, I felt it necessary to coat it with clear polyurethane for added
protection. Very few polys can be used over white paint. Over time they discolor. I knew this,
and did a lot of research to make sure I used one that would not cause discoloration.
I can't remember the brand I used, but, I do remember that it cost $50 for the gallon!
That was a big chunk of change for a young couple trying to make ends meet!
And guess what---it turned orange. Yup, slowly, over time, it grew more and more orange.
Apparently, the cupping on the boards allowed some of the {expensive} product to puddle.
I was so disappointed, but I learned a lesson--don't use poly over white. Period.
Shannon would you paint the floors white in your current home?
No way...
I have 3 dogs that shed like crazy. I have to vacuum daily {vacuuming painted floors means
special care}. This also means that there are 48 claws running on the floors every day. We have
a gravel drive and that gravel makes its way into the soles of our shoes which get tracked
across the floors. And, did I mention that our house sits just feet away from a good size creek ?
A creek that {3} dogs use to cool off in in the summer, right before running back, sopping
wet, into the house... sigh...
So, let's wrap it up-- I love white floors. I love the crisp background they create. I love their reflective
quality and the amount of light they bounce around a room. But, before I would recommend them
to a client there would need to be a lot of consideration.
How do you guys feel aboutwhite floors? Do you have them? Would you take the white paint plunge?
I would love for you to comment below!
{all pics via pinterest }
