Decor can add a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to a bland and boring space. Unfortunately, decor and renovations can also be pretty expensive in both labor and materials.
Susanna, a “mother with a passion for budget friendly decor” has been chronicling herself renovating her family’s new split-foyer house in her blog Living the Life of Riley.
While perusing Joanna Gaines’ Instagram account, Susanna saw a picture that inspired her.
It was a photo of feet on a beautiful, tile floor.
Unfortunately, she explains, replacing the tile in her home was not an option for her family.
“Fast forward to last month, and I was still drooling over this tile so I did what any reasonable person would do— I went on Pinterest.”
Here Susanna saw an article that sparked her creativity, ultimately resulting in one gorgeous DIY bathroom floor.
Here’s what you need:
- DecoArt’s Chalk Paint in Everlasting & Relic (Hobby Lobby)
- Minwax’s Polycrylic (if using white paint, be sure to buy water based, and not oil based.)
- Foam roller
- Larger paint brush for base coat
- Smaller paint brush for detailing
- Painter’s tape
- Stencil
Before beginning, you’re going to want to make sure that the floor is completely clean and free of debris. Once you’re done, move on to Step 1.
Step 1: Base Color
Use the larger of your two paint brushes to apply the base color onto the tiles. It’s best to do the grout lines first to ensure that you get every little hole.
When done, let dry for 1 hour before applying the second coat.
Let second coat dry for 2 hours.
Step 2: Stenciling
If your base color is too dark, it can be hard to see the border of the tile squares. If needed, mark off the corners with pencil before beginning.
Use the paint roller to paint your stencils, but try to keep extra space between the ones you’re painting— if you paint them side-by-side, you can smudge the paint.
By splitting the tiles up, you allow the first section to dry before you come back and fill in the spaces. So, do as many stencils as possible without overlapping, then let them dry for 1 hour before returning and stenciling the others.
When all the stencils have been finished, let the floor dry for 2-3 hours before continuing to Step 3.
Step 3: Details & Sealing
Using a small paintbrush, go back and fix any stenciled edges that are not completely crisp. Susanna assures us this makes a big difference.
Now, for the most important part: sealing.
Susanna used a total of 5 coats of Polycrylic to seal the floor, allowing 2 hours of drying time between each coat.
After the last coat, let dry for 24 hours before moving everything back in.
“It took me a whole weekend to finish, but it was SO WORTH IT!” the blogger writes.
I have officially been inspired!
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