Show Stopper: {Stenciled Floor}

So if you have been following along for a while, you know how much we love our home. You also know how many updates we have put into our home. Our home is wonderful, but there are definitely some things that, in my opinion, are a little outdated and could use a little updating. The tile floors in our laundry room definitely fell into this category before I stenciled them. I am too embarrassed to tell you how long ago I did this project, because this blog post is incredibly long over due. BUT- better late than never, right?!

If you are looking to update your tile floor, but ripping out the existing tile isn't really in the cards, stenciling is a great way to update. Paint has come a LONG way, and they actually make paints specifically designed to hold up on tile floor.

First things first, you'll need a stencil. I'm sure there are some super crafty people out there who have some super crafty tools that would allow them to make their own stencils. I, however, am not one of those people. Crafty... eh, some would say, but not nearly ambitious enough to attempt to create my own stencil. So, here's the stencil I used. I highly recommend this company. They worked with me to create a custom order that would fit my tile perfectly, and I have used them multiple times in the past.

Other than a quality stencil, you will definitely want to use a foam roller. You'll also want a water based top coat to apply. I should also note that I am partial to using chalk paint. I personally have never used a tile paint (though people swear by them). I use a chalk paint because its quite a bit thicker than regular paint and so it will give nice coverage.

Alright, so now that we've got all your supplies covered, let's get on with the project!

STEP 1. Cleaning your floors is one hundred percent a necessity. It's super important that the floors are cleared of any debris or dirt before you apply the paint. {NOTE: An optional step is to put a solid color base coat down on the existing tile. For example, lots of people may have painted the tile in our laundry room white before they stenciled. I didn't mind the color of our existing tile and thought it went well with the color scheme in this room, so I chose to forego this step}

STEP 2. Start at an easy starting point. What do I mean by this? I would recommend starting your painting at an edge where the tile fits fully. At some point, you will likely need to trim down the stencil for the tiles that are cut, unless of course, by some crazy miracle, you happen to have a perfectly symmetrical room. Man, that would be awesome. Super unlikely, but awesome. So, as you can see, I started at a point where the tiles were full size and worked my way down. Now you may remember from my previous post on chalk painting that it dries pretty quickly. So, you will likely be able to get corners and hard to reach spots after you paint the main area. When rolling the paint on, ensure that your stencil is secured in place (I used painter's tape). You will also want to make sure that you apply enough paint. Too much and it will bleed, but not enough and it won't provide great coverage. I recommend testing out your roller on some scrap cardboard before starting on the tile.

STEP 3: Not my most favorite step, because it is arguably the most difficult one. For the tiles that are not full size, you will want to either a) bend the tile to make it fit (not preferable for me) or b)cut the tile to size. Now you will want to make sure that you work from the biggest tiles to the smallest here so that you don't end up with a stencil that is all cut up before all your tiles have been painted. Be strategic about it. {NOTE: these stencils are NOT flimsy and CAN be wiped down and dried periodically. Do not hesitate to take the time to do this if the bottom of your stencil needs cleaning}

STEP 4: Once the paint has fully dried (and a 24 hour drying time is probably sufficient), a top coat (or three or four) can be applied. I rolled mine on with a foam roller. I highly recommend doing a minimum of two top coats, especially for high traffic areas. This room accesses our garage and is our main entry and exit on a daily basis, so it got four top coats. Super tedious, but oh so worth it.

STEP 5: Let it sit. If you are anything like myself, you will want to walk on that bad boy as soon as it's dry. However, I can assure you that patience is your friend, and in this instance, the longer that you let the paint sit, the stronger it will become.

This is a project that does take some time, but you guys... it's a show stopper. The end product looks like custom ordered ceramic tile, and it saved me a TON of money. Super worth the time if you ask me!