I've always dreamed of owning a home with white floors, and right now, they're definitely having a moment. A few fabulous homes with white floors that come to mind are Jennifer Harrison's, Erica Reitman's, and Gillian's of My Life In Colour.
In the main house, we have hardwood floors and we plan on keeping them natural, but in the studio, I knew my dreams could be realized.
Before you pick up your paint brush, I want to walk you through my step-by-step process. *Please be advised: I do not claim to be a professional! I'm just sharing my method* I've highlighted the key steps in the video below!
ONE: If your floors are already painted, you'll need to determine what type of paint was used. If they're not painted, you can skip this step. To determine what type of paint was used, you'll need rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. Make sure the area you test is clean. Put some alcohol on a paper towel and rub it on the floor. If paint residue comes up, the paint is latex, if nothing comes up, it's oil. If it's latex paint, you'll paint over it with latex, if it's oil paint, you'll paint over it with oil. TWO: Lightly sand the floor
THREE: Vaccum FOUR: Give the floor a good wash. Make sure there isn't any leftover dust or debris from sanding. I used a Swiffer to clean the floor as I didn't want to saturate the floor too much.
FIVE: Let the floor dry thoroughly.
SIX: Vaccum, again.
SEVEN: Buy your materials - Primer (I didn't use primer, but for those of you painting over wood floors, you'll want to prime them first) - Floor paint (refer back to step ONE). I used Benjamin Moore Super White floor paint. - Paint brush - Roller - Paint roller cover. Make sure you use the right nap for your surface. I used a roller cover for smooth surfaces, but it you're painting hardwood floors you might want to use a roller cover for semi-smooth surfaces. When in doubt, ask someone at the hardware store. - Roller extender. This is a wooden stick that attaches to the end of your roller so you don't have to bend down and break your back. CRUCIAL STEP EIGHT: make sure that you paint your way to the exit! Start at the side opposite the exit so you're not stuck! NINE: Apply the first coat of paint. I painted the edges with a brush first and then I rolled on the rest. CRUCIAL STEP TEN: let the paint dry COMPLETELY. I would wait at least 24 hours between coats. If you have patience, wait as long as possible and stay off the surface while it drys. I left mine for several days in between coats. ELEVEN: before applying the second coat, you should lightly sand the surface, but guess what? I didn't! This was mostly out of laziness and my awareness that this floor will constantly be in need of touch ups! TWELVE: clean the surface and vacuum. I did do this :) THIRTEEN: repeat steps EIGHT-TWELVE until you've achieved your desired look. I applied four coats of paint. My last and final piece of advice on this topic is white floors = dirty floors. No matter how clean you are, they show everything. So if you're super anal, white floors might not be for you! I hope this was helpful! Have you painted your floors? Did I miss any steps? Did I do it all wrong? I'd love to hear from you!
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