HOME FRONT:Tired of your old floor? A coat of paint will give it a new look, writes Zita Spring
THE FLOOR IS the part of a home that we're in contact with most and, as such, its importance as a design feature should never be overlooked. World-renowned interior designer Ilse Crawford describes a great floor as "the spine that holds a place together". However, while it's all well and good for world-renowned interior designers to splurge on top-notch flooring, the reality is that these days many of us will choose an option we can afford.
Solid wood floorboards are by far the most desirable flooring option for many Irish homes, but they don't come cheap. One popular budget alternative is semi-solid wood flooring. If you live in an old house, another possibility is to restore the original floorboards to their former glory - provided, of course, they are in good condition. There is also an increasingly popular flooring trend that allows almost anyone to achieve a fabulous, high-end look at a low-end price - painted floorboards.
When we moved into our 80-year-old former council house, I was eager to get rid of the laminate flooring in the bedrooms. When I yanked up the laminate in the spare bedroom, I uncovered the original solid wood boards. They had a certain rustic charm to them and were in good condition, so I decided they were ideal candidates for painting.
While floor painting is becoming an increasingly popular trend, there is no fear of it being a passing fad that should be approached with caution. Scandinavians have been painting their floorboards for generations and if there's one thing they do better than anyone, it's create timelessly chic interiors. I was advised to use the specialist floor-paint manufactured by Farrow & Ball. These provide opaque coverage with a light sheen, and benefit from the company's characteristic depth of colour.
Farrow & Ball's Dublin HQ is at 14-15 Cornmarket. Sarah Brady, assistant manager, confirmed that people are increasingly choosing to paint their floors, as it's an inexpensive way to transform a whole room. White shades are the most popular choice, but dark, moody hues such as Farrow & Ball's Mahogany and Down Pipe are top picks for those who want to create a sophisticated, dramatic look.
I knew that I wanted to use a warm white shade, so Brady whipped out some colour samples and pointed out the subtle differences among the many shades of white.
I eventually settled on one called White Tie. The 2.5-litre tin set me back €80, and a tin of aluminium-based primer (which by all accounts is vital for an impeccable finish) cost €31.
The amount might seem a little steep for "just paint", but it's an economical price to pay to transform a whole room.
The floor transformation was completed with indecent ease over three days. The first step was sanding the rough, grubby floors until they were smooth and ready to paint. Before sanding, we made sure that any protruding nails were punched into the floorboards so that they didn't snag on the sander. Floor sanders can be hired from tool-hire companies and, provided you know what you're doing, you can whizz around a floor in no time.
After sanding, I vacuumed and cleaned the floor vigorously and filled any cracks, holes and open joints with flexible filler. This step was followed by applying the silver-coloured Farrow & Ball primer to the floorboards and leaving it overnight. The following day I applied the first coat of floor paint, painting in the direction of the grain. Within a couple of hours the first coat was down and it was time to take an 18-hour break.
I applied the second - and final - coat of paint the next day and the job was complete. Farrow & Ball recommend leaving floor-paint to harden for two weeks before resuming normal use of the room, which obviously is not ideal for rooms you use every day. Consider painting the floors of such rooms in sections - or before taking a holiday, if you're lucky enough to have one planned. With the savings you're making on flooring, maybe you can afford one.