This stenciled patio floor is done by Sten Source.

The finished floor looks pretty spectacular and certainly would brighten any dull patio.

 

Frogs, bugs, lizards and butterflies were added to the floor to bring it to life.

 

The Stepping Stones were stenciled first and then the flagstones next.

So if you have a bare cement area and feel inspired – get your stencils and some paint and create your very own masterpiece.

I love painting.  it’s so fun and I especially love to paint the walls of my house.  I love it so much that sometimes, after all the walls are painted, I look for other things to paint, too!  If you think about it, a floor is like a wall, too, because it’s the last flat surface of your room, the only one that appears at the bottom of your feet.  But it can be treated like a wall, too, and is definitely paintable.  This works best if you have concrete floors, but wooden flooring is fine, as well.  If you have tiles, painting the individual tiles will look better than trying to paint one whole image onto the entire floor itself.

There are different ways of painting your floor.  Stenciling is a rather popular option, as it lessens the pressure to paint a masterpiece on your own.  Also, the designs will be more uniform and consistent.  Another possibility is to just free hand it, which may seem difficult at first, but if you already have something in mind, it might actually be an easier solution than stenciling.  A third option would be to combine the two, stenciling and then modifying the stencil paintings after.

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For those of you who have pet’s such as a cat or a dog, isn’t it annoying when your pets shed fur all over the place?  But because they are our best friends, it’s not so bad to put up with it.  But what about when your rug sheds?  Now that’s something that is not acceptable.

It is best to prevent a shedding rug from the beginning.  When purchasing an area rug, there are two things one must consider: the quality of the material and how the rug is made.  First, buy a rug that is made up of high quality fibers.  This isn’t to say that you have to buy an expensive rug, because there are definitely affordable rugs out there that are still made from high quality threads.  Look for rugs that are made from natural fibers such as wool, instead of synthetic fibers.  Second, consider how the rug is made.  Hand-knotted rugs are a better choice and the way they are constructed causes minimal shedding.  Hand-tufted rugs, on the other hand, don’t have as secure a foundation as hand-knotted rugs and are more prone to shed.

Another solution of prevention is to be sure to wipe down your shoes before entering the house.  Dirt on your shoes, or dirt that falls onto the carpet in general, will not only cause your carpet to be dirty and potentially leave stains, but will also act like sandpaper and cause the fibers of your carpet to tear and shed.

What exactly is a contemporary rug?  Like contemporary art, there is a very broad spectrum of how a contemporary rug looks.  These rugs add more of a louder personality to your home, so if you already have a lot going on wall or furniture-wise, then you might want to look at calmer floor prospects, instead.  However, if you want something that will make a room in your home pop, then this is the right type of rug for you.

When looking at contemporary rugs, try to keep an eye out for big, geometric shapes that is guiding to the eye.  That is, if it’s a rug made up of a lot of squares, take note of the color of each square.  Are they mostly the same color?  Are there any sporadic bursts of colors in different areas?  You want your rug to be able to move the viewers eye around the room so that they can get a feel of your home and feel more comfortable.

If you’re going for the less geometric path, there are still many options, but the trick is to not over do it.  There are some rugs that are very illustrative and have a lot going on, and that is not what you want.  A rug that has too much going on can be uncomfortable to walk on–you want to be able to see where you’re walking without thinking you’re trampling over something!  Base how much is going on in the room before you choose your rug.  The plainer the room, the more wild your rug can be.  But if there’s already main pinpoint decorations in your room, then lower the volume for your floor decor.

Flowers and nature hold a lot of beauty, though, and they never fail to brighten up the Spring days after a long, dull Winter.  Al my life, however, I’ve never been able to appreciate them much because of my terrible pollen allergies.  So what does one do to appreciate floral beauty when they can’t even stand next to it without sneezing?  Turn it into floor-al beauty!  That’s right, flower shaped rugs are a piece of home decor that can liven up your living room, bed room, bathroom, or any room in your home without making anyone’s eyes itchy.  They are fun and bright, creating both a playful and colorful atmosphere that can brighten up anyone’s day, just like an actual flower.

Take a look at these floors.

 

 

Parquetry – right?

WRONG!

These floors are actually painted!

Courtesy of Billet Collins these amazing floors have been hand painted. Billet Collins is recognized as one of Washington, DC’s most influential decorative painter – and with floors like this is not surprising.

I just know I would not have the patience to do one of these but I wonder if I could convince someone else in the family that it would be ‘fun’.

Floors like this certainly do make a statement and if you are looking after a unique floor then this might just be what you are looking for.

 

Lace floor stenciling by http://moroccanmaryam.typepad.com/my_marrakesh/

 

 

Lace floor in yellow from http://wideopenspaces.squarespace.com/wide-open-spaces/lace-floors.html

 

 

And this time lace outdoors – lace on your pavers. This lace pedestrian crossings by studio ooms (guido ooms and karin van lieshout)

 

Something a little special is this ‘antik russian denim’ carpet by michaela schleypers, shown at bruggemuseum-gezelle

 

 

The making of lace floor decoration at the opening of the kantlijnen show

And below the finished floor.

 

 

Artisan Concrete – stencil your cement or concrete floor for a unique look.

 

 

It’s child play to stencil your floor in a lace pattern – http://designamour.com/2009/02/16/amazing-lace-how-sweet/

 

 

And I even managed to track down a dirt lace floor from http://theredthreadblog.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

Do you ever feel like you’re looking for a floor mat, but every single one you look at seems to be either too big or too small?  Is it so much to ask for something that will fit perfectly into your kitchen or bathroom?  Mint Furniture doesn’t think so.  To rectify this nonsensical trouble, they’ve come out with a floor mat product that can be stacked and combined at your own disposal.  It’s a stackable floor mat made out of many little squares in which you can arrange on your own, creating that perfectly sized floor mat for your home.

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There always recycle this, and recycle that.  Did you know there was such thing as recycled flooring, as well?  The benefits of recycled flooring is pretty obvious, but there are also different types of recycled flooring options.  You can get recycled flooring that is either made from all different kinds of leftover material or you can actual reuse material that was once used as flooring on its own.

Trying to figure out what kind of flooring to get is a tricky process, because some sources will tell you that recycled flooring is either more expensive or it’s more economical, but it’s really dependent on what you are looking for.  If you buy, say, recycled rubber flooring, then it will probably be less spending.  But you also get what you pay for.  This is not to say that rubber flooring is low quality or  anything, not at all.  But inexpensive flooring will look slightly different from virgin flooring.  So, if you want a more old-homey type feel to your home, then go with that type of recycled flooring.

So if it’s the case that new flooring might be the same price as recycled flooring, or even more costly, then what’s the point?  What is the difference, and does it really matter which you buy?  The answer is yes!  And I will give you two reasons why.  First, even though it’s recycled and reused flooring, it is still as long lasting as your virgin flooring, and even more long lasting.  When installing the flooring, you aren’t removing it from one floor and reinstalling right away, and it is refine-able to make more durable.  So with that said, you don’t have to worry about it not lasting.  Second,  IT’S ECO-FRIENDLY!  I know that this term has been thrown out a lot, so many not many people knows what it means.  But by buying or using recycled flooring, you are saving one less flooring product from being manufactured, which already does a lot.  Be preventing the manufacturing of flooring products, less gas is used which means the cleaner the air we breathe.

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ZigZag flooring also know as chevron flooring certainly makes an impact – is a new trend in chevron flooring taking place? And would you use it in your home?

 

Taking the monochromatic look to extremes is this image of Mary McDonald’s from Domino Magazine.

 

 

This one from http://www.lonnymag.com/ is a particular favorite of mine. I love the more casual zigzag as opposed to the normal formal format.

 

 

By Miles Redd a study of zigzag in the formal. Never in a million years would I dream of putting this floor and that large print together – but somehow Miles can get away with it.

 

 

 

This one using Ann Sacks Tile’s I’m going to call “overload”.

 

And a softer take on the zigzag works well in this entry by Alicia B Designs

 

 

It’s a rug – well no it’s Chevron striped mosaic rug set into painted cement floor. This stone rug can be installed indoor or outdoor and comes from Real Mosaic.

 

 

Stop it’s hurting my eyes! Image from http://www.fromtherightbank.com/ 

 

Gracewood Design brings us this painted and stenciled flooring. This I think is stunning!