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Painted Rugs on Floorboards

 

from improvisedlife.com
from improvisedlife.com

At a barbecue recently I was asked about painting the floorboards in a hall where the planks continued into the sitting room. We decided that this might be tricky as it would necessitate painting a straight line across the boards to create an artificial ending point. And then I remembered an idea I had seen before of painting a rug onto the floor.

from marieclairemaison.com
from marieclairemaison.com

This was an idea I was keen to do in our kitchen under the kitchen table. I wanted to paint a faded Persian rug and have one corner lifted with perhaps a mouse’s tail peeping out. I thought it might be quite amusing. In the end we didn’t do it because it makes it complicated if you decide to move the table.

from apartmenttherapy.com painted rug
from apartmenttherapy.com painted rug

But it’s an idea that hasn’t gone away and I suggested to Henri that she could paint a rug on to her hall, which would be decorative, practical and resolve the problem of where to stop painting.

paint freehand or use a stencil
paint freehand or use a stencil

So this post is for her. Now, the usual rules will apply if you’re painting on floorboards, which is that they will need a bit of  sand so that the paint sticks. Then use proper floorpaint as it will need to be hardwearing.

from fauxbell.com
from fauxbell.com

Then it’s up to you what you do. You can use a stencil if you fancy a geometric pattern or go freehand.

from twodecorativepainters.com
from twodecorativepainters.com

Andrew Dunning, the creative director of APD Interiors, has the following advice to make sure you get a really good finish:

“As with any painting, preparation is the key. You must ensure the floor is as clean as possible before you start, so thoroughly wash it and then allow to dry completely. Now apply a coat of suitable primer and allow this to dry overnight. You can now apply your floor paint.”

He suggests you do a few thin coats rather than one thick one as the thin layers will dry with a harder, and therefore more durable, finish. And, yes, if you allow the proper drying time, this will take a few days to complete but the end result will last longer and require less maintenance.

from House Beautiful
from House Beautiful

And, I’m weeping slightly as I type this but Andrew is a professional so he knows what he’s on about, and he also said: “After painting the final coat you ensure should leave the floors to dry out completely before you use the room. Your paint manufacturer will give advice on the recommended time but this can take up to 7 days.”

from diyshowoff.blogspot.com
from diyshowoff.blogspot.com

If you are using a stencil this will make it easier to build up several layers of paint and get them in the right place. If you are painting on floorboards it will need to be more precise than if you are just doing a freehand outline on concrete. So it’s probably best to undercoat the entire area where you plan to create your rug and then you can lay the stencil over the top, or, for the steady of hand, go freestyle from there.

enigwonen.nl - painted stair rug
enigwonen.nl – painted stair rug

I love this painted stair runner – particularly the tassles at the bottom. I know a few people who have painted their stairs like this – it’s much cheaper than paying for a carpet, although remember that it won’t resolve the noise issues.

painted stairs from paintedtherapy.blogspot.com
painted stairs from paintedtherapy.blogspot.com

This rug below is a great example of what you can do if you don’t mind a slightly wobbly edge and are prepared to have a bit of fun with your idea.

frenchbydesign.blogspot.com
frenchbydesign.blogspot.com

In fact the more I look at this pictures, the more I think my hall is crying out for a trompe l’oeil rug. What do you think?

improvisedlife.com
improvisedlife.comd rug

When it comes to paint, Andrew is a fan of Little Greene who make floor paints in most of their range of colours. For a cheaper floor paint he recommends Leyland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

8 Comments

  1. It’s funny, I came to this page and didn’t look too much at the title at first, I scrolled down the page and I was like “hmm nice carpets these are”, then I realized these were actually painted, I could not believe! Amazing job, I have a restaurant in Thailand with a concrete vynil floor, I am definitely going to try to make a test! Thanks so much for the idea, I’d never have thought about it without you.

  2. I have done a few of these especially in America where they have really good concrete floors (and weeks of dry weather!) and you can do them on patios with concrete stain or Skimstone.
    A few years ago I did a trompe l’oeil rug with the corner folded back (like your example) and the client had me go back and paint that corner out. It was driving her crazy that she couldn’t straighten it. LOL!
    I do especially love the monotone rugs you found, very smart!
    You can also paint lino too.

    1. That sounds fantastic. I have wanted an outdoor rug on my deck for ages and couldn’t find one suitable – sometimes I should take my own advice – I’m going to paint one.
      As soon as the rain stops.

  3. I love them all – and they look great in monotone colourway! Nice collection of trompe l’oeil rugs!

    1. Thank you for stopping by to have a look. I’m really thinking of doing my hall floor. I think it’s slightly too narrow for a runner and I worry that it will just be slippy and cause accidents. I think painting is the way to go and then you can just mop it clean.

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