How to Decoratively Paint Your Ugly Concrete Floors
This is the story of my mudroom’s $80 DIY painted concrete floors.
Hi Guys! In case we haven’t met before, I’m Kristin: wife, mama to three, and owner of Postbox Designs where I solely focus on Online Interior Design. I custom design rooms for my clients over the country. Then I create all of the drawings, floor plans, shopping lists, step-by-step directions, and material samples they need for their room. But the best part? I mail their room-inside-a-box right to them.
They can order their entire room in an hour. From home, in their PJs.
If you want to learn more about how you can get your own Postbox, you can check it out at How It Works! So normally I’m sharing my client interior design projects on my blog. But today I’m going to share with you a project from my very own house. We took our unfinished breezeway and turned it into the mudroom of our dream.
In case you missed my previous blog where I went through the whole process of how we remodeled this very mudroom, check it out HERE!
But I have been asked a lot about the process of actually painting my floors, how it happened, and how YOU can do it as well! When we were remodeling our existing breezeway into a mudroom, we knew we had a tight budget, so we can to save somewhere. We actually found a lot of little places to save but the biggest one was flooring. My hubby wanted to tile the thing but (somehow) I convinced him that it would look loads better (and cheaper) to let me paint it. I may not have mentioned I was planning to paint flowers….but he loves it now so water under the bridge. He has been married to an interior designer long enough to expect these types of things. It was going to cost a couple of thousand dollars to install new tile.
But instead I did this painted floor make-over for less than $80.
So let’s recap, here was our before (shudder):
You probably can’t tell with the dirty, dirty floors,but our concrete was actually a smooth surface. If you have a rough concrete, it would not be a good candidate for this. I’m sure there are some Pinterest or YouTube ideas that could help you prep a floor to make it smooth, but I will leave that up to those experts! I did wait until we had drywalled our room until I started painting. I did decide to paint the floors BEFORE we installed our mudroom locker cabinets. That way I didn’t have to worry about painting around the lockers, and I had a nice open space to work in.
Painting Your Floors: The Tools You Need
Here were the tools I used, I got everything from my local Ace Hardware supply store, but here are some links to where you can find it yourself:
Varathane Polyurethane Interior Heavy Use Formula in “Crystal Clear” $14
Royal Interior/Exterior Porch Paint, Acrylic $29/ea now (mine were on sale for $20/ea)
**I bought three quarts of this porch paint, one in each of the following colors:
One in the untinted white
One in a custom gray color
One in a custom turquoise color
**I am SO sorry that I don’t have the exact color names for you, they custom matched it to a paint chip I gave them from another brand, so I don’t have the color names on the cans
Paint Roller covers (low nap), $5
Small craft brushes, three sizes, I already owned these
If you are tempted to save money and buy a standard interior acrylic paint: I beg you, please dont! I made the mistake when we first moved into our home and wanted a quick touch-up to these floors. I did paint the floors gray in porch paint. But then I spent hours stenciling a pattern in a standard white acrylic paint. After a month, all of my paint in the main traffic areas had worn off and it looked horrible. I had even added an epoxy clear finish to it. It simply didn’t hold up. Pay a little extra and go for something with the label “Porch Paint”
How To DIY Paint Your Concrete Floors Tutorial
Mudroom Painted Floors Step 1:
I cleaned my existing floors very well, and got rid of all dirt. Then I banished my children from the room for a week!
Mudroom Painted Floors Step 2:
I used a roller, and rolled on my new gray porch paint. You will need a minimum of two coats, possibly more depending on your surface.
Mudroom Painted Floors Step 3:
After it was dry, I cleaned my floors AGAIN. (I used Bona floor cleaner, but any gentle floor cleaner will work)
Mudroom Painted Floors Step 4:
I wanted more than two colors on my floor, but I’m on a budget here! So I took all three of my cans of paint and custom mixed them, creating five different colors of paint. All were different shades of turquoise, aqua, and gray so I could keep a simple color scheme. Confession time: I couldn’t find any containers so I used my kid’s old sippy cups to hold my new colors! (Don’t worry, I threw them out after I was done)
Mudroom Painted Floors Step 5:
I’ll be honest, I just used inexpensive craft paintbrushes I stole my kiddo’s craft closet! I used three different sizes to achieve different looks.
I used my biggest brush to create the shapes, then my smaller two brushes for the details. The smallest brush I used? You know those cheap little brushes that come wth kid’s watercolor sets? Bingo! The whole thing took about 20 hours, which I did over a week of naptimes and post bedtimes, and a LOT of chocolate chip cookies. But finally it was done:
Mudroom Painted Floors Step 5:
I cleaned the floors AGAIN! Just a little bit of dirt or debris will get trapped in your finish, and will leave it vulnerable to chipping. Plus it will make it more difficult to clean in the future. It is worth the extra step…I promise.
Mudroom Painted Floors Step 6:
I added four layers of my clear epoxy finish. I wanted this baby to last as long as possible! I rolled it on, it went on similar to paint, just a bit thinner. Let it dry the appropriate time in between coats. However, I personally just waited the minimum amount of time since I didn’t have the luxury of doing this project over a course of weeks.
My DIY Mudroom Painted Concrete Floors Reveal
Here are some photos after the finished product! We did this project about three years ago, so we have now endured three Michigan winters with three small kiddos and now an overgrown Labradoodle pup, so if you couldn’t tell: we are hard on our floors!
Mudroom Makeover Reveal
If you want to see the full remodel, plus get locker building tips, see the inside of the lockers, and so much more, you can check out the whole blog post on our mudroom makeover:
My Own Mudroom Makeover
So people have asked me, how has it lasted? Honestly, it has held up beautifully! When we were installing our cabinets, a couple parts of the floor did get a little roughed up if you look closely. But honestly, I’m a busy mom of three, I don’t spend a lot of time on my hands and knees looking for the imperfections! I can find plenty of those in the beautiful, messy life we lead! Those epoxy coats are really important to protecting your handiwork. If I notice that I am starting to see scratches in the future, I will probably add another coat or two. But for now, it is a tough but pretty floor. I clean up by sweeping it and cleaning it with Bona, it is honestly the easiest floor to clean in the whole house.
THE BEST PART IS: IT CAN TAKE ANYTHING.
My kids dump their wet snow clothes on the floor, track in mud, and leave puddles of water when the snow melts off their boots. Unlike tile or wood, there isn’t much that can hurt this floor. And if there is, I promise you, my four-year-old little dynamo will find the way to do it!
A Cheat Way to Paint Your Floors: Use a Floor Stencil
If you are thinking there is no way you could hand-paint your floors, then try out a stencil! It is the same steps, but it’s like throwing some training wheels onto the process:
This one is from Tory Burch in East Hamptons, if she has a painted floor, I think you should too:
This stencil was used over an old wood floor, and includes a tutorial:
And this one was made to mimic more expensive decorative cement tiles. I have seen tutorials of how to do this over your existing ceramic tile or even sheet vinyl.
Interior Design Freebies: A Free Painting Guide + Free Locker Building Plans
I hope this gave you some inspiration of how you can paint your floors on a budget! You can use this same technique on wood floors, tile, or vinyl floors as well. But before you go, I want to leave you with two sweet design bonus FREEBIES. If you are new here, you may not know I have a FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY where I keep dozens of design Freebies like Guides, Worksheets, Mood Board, and more. And if you popped over to this exact blog post you are probably looking to either 1. Paint your Floors or 2. Planning a Mudroom.
If you are #1: Looking to Paint your Concrete Floors you are going to love:
My “Paint Anything Guides” Part I and II
Painting over oil based paint? Laminate? Plastic? Find out How to Paint Anything and the Right Type of Paint to Use. Just click below to sign up to access:
And if you are #2 and are looking for ideas for your own Mudroom Makeover or Locker Design, then I have just the thing for you. In fact it is one of the Design Freebies I am the most excited about! It is my:
Free Locker Building Plans + Step-by-Step Mudroom Locker Design Guide
Again, you can just click on the image below to access for free! (P.S. If you signed up for the Paint Guides above, ,you are already in!)
Already a member? You can sign up with your password right HERE
Have questions on this project or anything you have seen here? Or want to find out how we can work together? I would love to chat with you! You can drop me a line at kristin@postboxdesigns.com and we can chat all about Y-O-U.
Amy says
Wow your floors are beautiful, incredible job.
PostboxDesigns says
Thanks so much, when they aren’t covered in the kid’s snow clothes, the floor always makes me smile!
Debbie says
What an amazing transformation. I love the floor. You’ve given me courage to tackle my basement floor
PostboxDesigns says
You should do it! I’m so happy with how it turned out and it is hands down the easiest floor to clean in the whole house! If you paint yours, I would love to see photos! 🙂
Mary says
You are so talented!!! This is beautiful; I thought it was a rug at first! I love the colors too! Great job!
kristin says
OK this is crazy GORGEOUS!!! I love this, thank you for sharing on Inspire Me Monday, I will be featuring you this week.. XO
PostboxDesigns says
Hi Kristin, Thank-you SO much! I’m such a fan of your site, so I’m honored!
Kim @ Sand & Sisal says
Your floors are simply stunning! I love everything about them! Bravo to you! Pinned & featuring them on my FB page!
PostboxDesigns says
Kim, Thank-you so much! I love hanging out at your link parties every week 🙂 so I’m thrilled that you like them!!!
Lisa Silfwerbrand says
Oh. My. Goodness. Your floor is just dreamy. I love the colours, the concrete, the look. It is just so pretty <3
PostboxDesigns says
Lisa, Thank-you so much! I like how they turned out and they are SOOO easy to clean too (there’s a mom for ya!) 🙂
Terry says
I am dying! I am sooooooooooooooooooooo loving these floors! What a fantastic job. I would never want to leave this room…at least linger in it a while longer.
PostboxDesigns says
Thank-you so much Terry 🙂 I joke that I could bring a sleeping bag in there and just sleep in my mudroom!
Beth Qualley says
Floors are gorgeous! I would love to follow your blog….thanks
PostboxDesigns says
Beth-thanks so much! I try to post on my blog a couple of times of week, so I would love to have you back! Or you can even subcsribe at my home page-I try to have sneak peeks and giveaways and freebies there!…have a great weekend! 🙂
Lizzie @ Living Pretty says
Love this! Almost makes me wish we had a concrete floor somewhere so I could have a go!
Sarah says
Oh ,my goodness…..these are the most gorgeous concrete floors I’ve ever seen! 😮 Absolutely stunning!!! <3
PostboxDesigns says
Thank-you so much Sarah!!
Stephanie says
Did you use a stencil? Which?
I read you post but wasn’t able to determine. So sorry if it’s mentioned and I missed it.
PostboxDesigns says
Hi! Actually I didn’t use a stencil-I free handed it, but you could absolutely use a stencil! Or if you are crafty you could make your own stencil 🙂
Corry Deale Strunk says
Hi,
Thank you for the great tutorial and your floor looks amazing!!!!!
My husband is finishing off a craft room for me and I want to paint or stain the concrete floor. I was thinking of staining them but just found under the dirt that there is a coat of grey paint on it. So, I don’t know if I can stain over that or not.
Your floor is an inspiration!
I followed you on Pinterest and liked your Facebook page.
Corry
PostboxDesigns says
Hi Corry, Thanks so much! And I’m excited for you to get your craft room, what every girl wants 🙂 Even if you don’t paint flowers like I did, it was so easy to paint over my concrete floors, and you could do something like stencils or stripes to give it some character. Just remember to add a sealer/floor protector over it (I listed a source in the blog post), otherwise it will scratch easily. My floor has lasted two years and has held up great…best of luck!
Courtney Decher' says
I just read your article and unfortunately already painted the floor with white interior paint. Was trying to be cheap and use what I had on hand. You mentioned that you had done this as well. Did you have to remove it all or can it count as a primer?? Thanks!
PostboxDesigns says
Hi Courtney! You are right…I did the EXACT same thing (also trying to just use what I had!), what I noticed is after a few months it simply starting to wear right off with the foot traffic. I just painted right over mine with my porch paint and did NOT remove it. I also did top my porch paint with several coats of clear polyurethane. That was three years ago and it has held up perfectly. Best of luck! 🙂
tonytwomey says
Damn Awesome, You explain well enough
Actually, I was looking for a blog which explain how to paint concrete floor so that I can share it with my customers and explain the services like you explained it on this blog . If you don’t mind can I share your blog on my website.
Your blog give words to my services. Thanks for this share.
PostboxDesigns says
Sure thing! I’m glad you liked it!
House basement says
It’s really inspiring me,Thank you for providing this.
PostboxDesigns says
You are welcome…I’m glad you liked it!
Ceci Capen says
Hi there
I’m about ready to paint concrete floors. I went to Ace and was going to buy the polyurethane as the finish layer. I told them what I was going to do and they said DON’T USE THE polyurethane you suggested. They said that they know of a couple of people used this product and it peeled off the floor. The paint person called Varathane and they also said NOT to use this over the painted floor.
Please……. I’m wondering what to do.
Thanks
Ceci
PostboxDesigns says
Hi Ceci,
Hmmmmm, I’m not sure! I would tell you to go with the experts and use a product they recommend. The polyurethane I used was what my local home improvement expert recommended and I’ve been really happy with it. It has been over 3+ years of traffic from 3 kids, a giant dog, and Michigan weather and mine has held up great! It has not peeled a bit. Like I mentioned in my post, it is really important to use exterior porch paint under it, and I did use several layers of clear poly of it. Since I’m NOT a paint expert 🙂 I would go with what they recommend and give it a try! I hope that helps! Kristin
i buy house fast says
Very nice article. Thanks for sharing this amazing post. You nailed it. Good job.
Janel says
Your design was so beautiful you should market your own floor stencils
PostboxDesigns says
Janel, You are too kind! I did it as a “temporary” look until we could figure something out, but we all love it so much…it is staying there forever! 🙂
Shayna Jordan says
My name is Shayna Jordan, and I go to a small Lutheran school in Lansing, Michigan. My partner Elijah and I are working on a project where we are renovating one of our teachers offices. We cannot do much with the floor due to a tight budget, but we stumbled upon this magnificent post and quickly found inspiration. We want to emulate the ideas and designs in this post, but we also want to have the ability to contact you for further ideas and questions. I hope all is well with you, and I look forward to contacting you.