We’ve discussed before the pros and cons of painting wood trim, brick walls, and fireplaces. A fresh coat of paint can dramatically improve the look of a surface, but one major downside is that it hides the material’s natural texture, grain, and character.
What about hardwood floors? I can’t take credit for the transformation pictured here — it was done by a previous tenant of my loft. My unit has hardwood throughout, but the boards are unsealed and have a somewhat rustic, worn appearance. I like them, but they’re harder to keep clean than painted surfaces.
The bathroom, however, tells a different story. The floor there has been painted a soft light gray, with decorative black swirls layered on top. Fortunately, the former tenant chose a relatively neutral palette that works well with many bathroom styles and perfectly complements our current black, white, red, and gray scheme.
One practical advantage of painting the bathroom floor is that the paint acts as a seal. Painted boards have fewer visible cracks between the planks, which makes the surface easier to clean and maintain. That combination of aesthetic appeal and functionality is exactly what I like in a project.
Would I paint every hardwood floor in the loft? Probably not. The darker, unpainted wood elsewhere in the apartment has its own charm and natural beauty that I don’t want to lose. But in a small, high-moisture room like a bathroom, painting the floor is an interesting and sensible option.
What do you think? Would you paint hardwood floors, or is that a DIY step too far?