• Home
  • Cleaning and Organizing
  • Privacy Policy

Pinterest Addict

Pin - Plan - Do!

  • Pinterest Addict
  • Pins I’ve tried
  • Popular Posts
  • Before & After
  • Our House
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy

Painting Floor Tile

Painting Floor Tile

Not many people know that painting floor tile is a perfect way to live with the tile you have, even when it’s a color you don’t love.

When we moved into our house, this was what our entrance looked like. Isn’t that rose colored tile spectacular? Okay, I didn’t think so – you might disagree. But we weren’t ready to replace the floors yet, so I had to come up with a plan to make it work for now.

Painting Floor tile - Front entrance

Before – Front Entrance

I was so happy to have a “real” entrance way, and I couldn’t wait to update it. Over the last year, it’s had a few different looks while I was trying to figure out which direction I wanted to go with the house.

One of the first things we did was to paint the inside of the front doors black. I loved that it gave a little bit of drama to the entrance way. Soon after, we literally tested six different gray colors for the walls, like this one…

Painting Floor tile - This gray was too purple

This gray was too purple…

Funny how on the paint chip, it was the most grey-grey I could find. Once we put it on the walls, it looked lilac. We finally decided to paint the walls Sherwin Williams’ Mindful Grey and the trim in Sherwin Williams’ Snowbound. This gray was perfect!

Painting Floor tile - Sherwin Williams - Mindful Grey

Sherwin Wiliams – Mindful Grey

It was the perfect shade for this house – grey, but a creamy grey, not a blue-grey. Notice the brown circular table and the short umbrella holder in the above pic? Well that changed too…

Painting Floor tile - Front Entrance

Entry way – with rug

The grey/black/white Ikea rug was put there to cover the reddish colored detail tiles. I could paint the walls, doors and trim. I could replace the furniture. But I couldn’t get rid of those tiles without ripping out the entire floor, and we couldn’t afford to do that, because the entire house – minus the bedrooms – has this tile through out. So, we covered it up with the rug.

Only problem is that we have four dogs that go charging to the door when someone knocks, or they think someone might be there, or if there is a frog on the glass door. And then the rug is no longer flat and perfectly covering the ugly tiles, but now is a big pile in front of the door, the shelf is pulled away from the wall along with it and the knick knacks are hanging on for dear life.

We tried the rubber grip pads underneath, but they didn’t work. They became part of the pile, bunched up at the door. We tried velcro strips, but they lasted about two visitors before they too came right off the floor. So, we had to get rid of the rug. Or train the dogs to ignore the front door. And that wasn’t happening.

Painting Floor tile -

Front entrance, without a rug. Ugh.

Oh, yeah, this lovely detail border was around the fireplace too. The only option left was to paint the tile.

Painting Floor tile - Fireplace tile before

Fireplace tile before

Since we were painting floor tile that would get foot traffic, we had to make sure the paint would stick. So, I went to my Sherwin Williams store, and they recommended X-I-M Primer. They tinted the primer to a shade just below what the paint would be. I chose Gauntlet Grey, which was a few shade darker than the Mindful Grey on the walls. Other than to wash and dry the floors, there was no prep needed for the tiles – BONUS!!

Painting Floor tile - X-I-M Primer

X-I-M Primer

I used my Purdy 1″ brush and when about painting each tile by hand. I love Purdy brushes. They are seriously the best brushes out there! (no, they didn’t pay me to tell you that – I just love them)  But painting the floor, one with a bazillion separate tiles, was painful. I watched four episodes of Mad Men on Netflix while I painted the tiles around the fireplace, and another four while I did the ones at the entry area. And then repeated the process but this time with Enamel paint. But it was worth every aching muscle to see the results!

Painting Floor tile - Fireplace - After

Fireplace – After

Painting Floor tile - Gauntlet Grey tiles

Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray

I love that it brought down the pinkish tones in the tiles, and brought out more of the grey.

Painting Floor tile - No need for a rug

No need for a rug now!

And finally, a shot from the same position of the original… I am in love!

Painting Floor tile - Painting Floor tile Entry way tile update

Now… off to find new artwork for that wall!

 

Well, since I don’t want you to have to scroll up and down, here’s a before and after for both the entry way and the fireplace.

Painting floor tile - Before and After

Tile Update Before and After

I so love this update! That tile was one of those things I noticed every time I walked by it. It seemed to call out to me – “you still haven’t fixed me!” In our old house, where oranges and cream reigned supreme, this tile would have fit right in, but not here. I’m so pleased with how it turned out. Now, I just have to paint the gold on the fireplace glass, and we can call it a day!

So, have you painted floor tile before? If you did, did it hold up to foot traffic?

Thanks for stopping by!

Eliesa

Psst… want to know how this held up over the last year? Check out the follow up post here. 

 

 

«
»

Before & After, house, This worked for me! 59

Affiliate Disclosure

**Pinterest Addict is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com There may or may not be affiliate links included in this post, which means that I may get a commissions if you decide to purchase anything by clicking on the links. I only recommend products that I use and love myself, so I know you’ll be in good hands. Buying anything from these links will not increase your price at all, but it will help to support my Pinterest habit. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Sunny says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    OMG= What a DIFFERENCE!!!! As you said- worth every aching muscle of it!!! <3

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 26, 2012 at 4:26 pm

      Oh, Thank God someone else can see the difference 🙂 LOL! Every time I walk by, I get all happy to see little grey tiles looking back at me 🙂

      Reply
  2. scottiev says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    You should be happy!! This is INCERDIBLE!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 27, 2012 at 11:24 am

      Thanks Scottie!

      Reply
  3. Kim says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    Funny… I really liked the original color of the tiles. Down here in Texas, that is a fairly popular color. But I have to say, I LUUHHVV the painted tiles. Your entryway is very dynamic. You did a fabulous job.

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 27, 2012 at 11:23 am

      Funny how just a few years ago – and in our old house – those tiles would have worked great for us! I just didn’t like them in this house. Thanks for the kind words 🙂

      Reply
  4. Chrissie Whitley says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    I like how you said you watched eight episodes of Mad Men while doing the painting. I painted the great room of our old house a few years ago and I can still point out what I was watching at different sections of the walls. Gone with the Wind, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Golden Girls, Teen Wolf (80s movie), etc. I always find it funny that I can do that. It took days to do because of 19′ ceilings Thank goodness for DVDs, Netflix, and Cable!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 27, 2012 at 11:20 am

      Netflix is a savior because I can watch on my phone when I’m not close to a TV! I listen to a lot of books on CD when I am in my car – especially on long car trips. If I happen to go back to wherever I was while listening to a book, it always comes back to me as part of the memory. For instance, I was listening to a Brad Meltzer book while driving to work in Palm Beach a few years ago. It just happened to be the part of the book where he is describing a car chase, happening on exactly the street I was on at that time! I haven’t been able to drive that way since without remembering those few minutes of the book. Weird how our minds work, huh? I love that it’s not just me 🙂

      Reply
  5. Stefany says

    July 26, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    Love your entryway! It’s a lovely improvement!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 27, 2012 at 11:15 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Kathy says

    July 26, 2012 at 8:21 pm

    What a stunning & beautiful difference painting the tiles has made!! Great job!! Blessings!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 27, 2012 at 11:14 am

      Thanks – I am really happy I did it!

      Reply
  7. Michele says

    July 27, 2012 at 9:36 am

    I love it! It looks amazing! Great job!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 27, 2012 at 11:12 am

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  8. Alyssa says

    July 27, 2012 at 12:15 pm

    Looks great! I love the change!

    Reply
  9. Mrs. Major Hoff says

    July 27, 2012 at 5:30 pm

    It really looks fabulous! It made it look a bit more elegant. I’m digging the black table too. Perfect! Have you thought about using the black high heat paint to paint the gold on the fireplace? I have a friend doing that now.

    Reply
  10. Erin says

    July 27, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    The tile transformation is beautiful. It clearly had to be done, but boy it sounds like it was tedious!! I laughed reading your gray selection troubles. I should have tried six colors in my house since now I’m stuck with what I call “Accidental Lavender.” So when it came time to paint the outside of our house, we tried 12 different grays. Twelve! In fact, we almost went with Mindful Gray 🙂 It looks perfect in your place.

    Reply
  11. breida @ breidawithab.com says

    July 29, 2012 at 11:06 am

    Hi Eliesa! I think your entryway looks AMAZING!! I am all about grey right now – the floor tiles would have made me nuts too – it was worth the effort! I think it’s so funny that you mentioned the metal on the fireplace because I was thinking the exact same thing!!
    nice work!
    breida

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 30, 2012 at 10:42 pm

      Thanks, Breida! Headed out tomorrow for the high heat paint. Not sure if I’ll go with black or nickel or silver… I guess I have to see what colors they offer.

      Reply
  12. Kim (TheMoney-Pit) says

    July 30, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    That looks soooo good. I love it!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 30, 2012 at 10:39 pm

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Tisha @ Delectable Home says

    July 30, 2012 at 10:41 pm

    Such an amazing transformation! I love the new look!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 30, 2012 at 10:43 pm

      Thank you! It’s changed the whole feel of the entry area – funny how something so small makes such a difference!

      Reply
  14. Freida says

    July 31, 2012 at 12:10 am

    What an incredible job you did! Oh how my knees and back were aching from just visualizing you doing all this…but, yes, it was definitely worth it! I’m so glad to know there is a successful way to accomplish this!

    I’m also wanting to paint my interior doors black…such a classy look! From just these few photos of your home, it looks like a designer’s showcase! I can’t wait to see what all I’ve missed in your previous posts!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 31, 2012 at 12:15 am

      You are very sweet, thank you! To be honest, the rest of the house is still half way done, and completely unsettled! LOL! It’s coming along much slower than I would like, but it’s getting there. I am contemplating black doors all around, but I’m afraid it would make it too dark.

      Reply
  15. Lori says

    July 31, 2012 at 7:13 pm

    Eliesa!! The tiles came out gorgeous!!! Awesome and creative! You have a beautiful home. 🙂

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      July 31, 2012 at 7:20 pm

      thanks, Lori 🙂 It’s a work in progress – just like me!

      Reply
  16. Stacey says

    August 2, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    Commitment. That’s the word that kept coming to my mind as I read this post. It takes true DIY blood flowing through your veins to go through the time, effort, & tediousness it took to complete this project(s). All the setbacks & hurdles didn’t stop you from achieving the vision you had in your mind. It is a very beautiful transformation to say the least! I was noticing your tiles seems to have some texture to them? I have a white subway tile back splash that I would love to give a new look to. Since removing them & adding new tiles is not in the budget right now, I have been looking for painting options. Do you think this primer would work on super smooth, glossy tiles? I’m kind if nervous about the wear-ability of painting them. Thanks and once again, absolutely beautiful transformation!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      August 2, 2012 at 11:37 pm

      I am not sure if it would work on them, but I am going to paint the granite backsplash in my kitchen this week, so I’ll let you know how it works out. Or you could ask someone at Sherwin Williams – they are always so helpful and patient when I ask my million questions. Thanks for the very kind comments. It was definitely an outcome well worth the effort 🙂

      Reply
  17. Traci says

    August 6, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    Tile is about the only thing I have not painted but I am ready so I have a few questions for you. Did the primers smell? and How is it wearing? We have four dogs too so you might be one of the few bloggers whos floor gets as much wear and tear as mine does.
    Thanks for sharing, the floor looks fantastic.
    Traci

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      August 6, 2012 at 10:03 pm

      Hi! The primer didn’t smell too bad, and the smell only lasted until it dried. It’s only been a few weeks, but I haven’t had any signs of wear so far. I was thinking I would see it sooner than later – before it cured – but nothing yet. I am so glad we aren’t the only ones with four dogs – they are worth every bunched up rug 🙂

      Reply
  18. Micah Doerr says

    August 13, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    I have a row of 4″ blue tiles fairly high up in a small shower. Wonder if this would work for painting them? Not so sure, since they would be getting wet. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      August 17, 2012 at 4:09 pm

      I’m not sure how it would hold up to water yet. I just painted the backsplash in my kitchen with the same stuff, so I’ll let you know how the area behind the faucet holds up.

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        July 19, 2013 at 7:36 pm

        How did the kitchen tile work out? I was thinking about trying it in mine….thx

        Reply
  19. Kogita says

    October 16, 2012 at 10:29 am

    Wow fabulous and very much an intense labour of love. I would have gone black but the grey is more gentle and not in your face as black would have been. How is it holding up with traffic though ??? I am considering spray painting my bathroom tiles but a wee bit wary of the floor tiles. My floor tiles are the same sandy dreadful colour as yours : (((
    Congrats …. really love your entusiasm

    Reply
  20. Lisa Deak says

    November 10, 2012 at 8:42 am

    I love all your projects and appreciate the great descriptions and before and after photos. The entryway looks amazing and I love the colors you chose. I was wondering, how in the world did you not get any paint on the grout? Was the enamel paint the same color without the primer? Did you need to seal it? What happened if you got the paint on the grout? You sure are a busy gal…my kinda girl!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      November 13, 2012 at 5:58 am

      Hi Lisa! Thank you!! I used a small brush, and about a hundred q-tips dipped in mineral spirits to clean where I got the paint on the grout. It was tedious and time consuming, but it paid off in the end 🙂 The paint is the same color without the primer, but I don’t recommend going without it since that is what makes the paint stick to the tile (and the granite I used it on, too!) I didn’t seal it, and I haven’t had any problems with it so far – the paint is sticking perfectly!

      Reply
  21. Stacy K says

    January 24, 2013 at 3:10 am

    Love this!! It looks great! I have green tile around my woodstove I’ve been wanting to paint but wasn’t sure about doing :)) Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  22. Christi says

    March 13, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    Love the change, it looks so much classier than when you moved in! No that you are getting to about the 9 month mark, does it still look as great? Have you had it start to peel or scratch? We are looking at a house with green tile in the master bath. I would love to replace it, but that probably won’t be an option for quite some time. I’m just afraid after spending all those hours painting it won’t hold up!

    Reply
  23. AR says

    April 10, 2013 at 10:27 am

    This looks GREAT! I have been adding black to our home, room by room. However – there are so many blacks! What color and finnish did you use? TIA!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      April 11, 2013 at 1:55 pm

      It was a dark grey – but I don’t remember the name. I gave what was left to my friend – I’ll see if I can find out from her what it said on the label.

      Reply
  24. Lisa says

    June 15, 2013 at 4:47 pm

    Can you give us all an update on how the paint is holding up? Also, how your painted backsplash is holding up. Thanks

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      June 15, 2013 at 9:05 pm

      Great idea! I’ll update this week!

      Reply
  25. Carolyn's funky furniture says

    February 25, 2014 at 1:44 pm

    Eliesa, What a fabulous update! The original ones looked good but this is over the top. Thank you for such a detailed posting, I have some tile around my whirlpool that I would like to update, so this was a big help. I paint a lot of wood (funky furniture) and know a lot (learned by trial and error!) about that, but the tile is a different story. So glad I happened onto your blog! Have a fabulous day!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      March 1, 2014 at 7:53 am

      Thanks! I didn’t know anything about painting tile before this either, so I am super glad that it worked out for us! It’s still holding up incredibly well to all the dogs, cats, foot traffic, wet shoes,etc. Let me know how it works out for you! 🙂

      Reply
  26. Teresa Heitkamp says

    March 14, 2014 at 10:00 am

    I would love to paint the 12×12 tiles around and in front of my fireplace. They are builder beige and since I have painted the fireplace white have no “umph”. Do you have any suggestions?

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      March 14, 2014 at 1:09 pm

      Find a color you love and paint them!! Our tiles by the front door, which gets a ton of foot and paw traffic, has held up amazingly.

      Reply
  27. Jeannie says

    October 14, 2014 at 2:02 pm

    You have definitely inspired me to paint my kitchen floor. I have small square tiles and was thinking about painting 4 of them (in a diamond pattern) the same color. My hope is that it will give the illusion of bigger tiles. This would, of course, involve also painting the grout. Do you know if you can paint the grout? Do you think it would look good? I appreciate any input. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      October 14, 2014 at 3:56 pm

      I didn’t paint our grout, but I would think it would work. Just make sure to clean it really well, and then prime it. I haven’t had any problems with it peeling or anything. Good luck! Come back and tell me/show me how it turned out 🙂

      Reply
  28. Jamilyn Boze says

    January 25, 2015 at 11:25 pm

    So You used the primer and an enamel paint ? Can you elaborate on the enamel. I have the same pattern but in green on my floor and I would love to paint it!!

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      January 26, 2015 at 9:11 am

      I am almost certain it was Sherwin Williams All Surface Enamel. It comes in a green can. (I don’t have the can anymore, I gave it to a friend of mine) It held up like a champ. In fact, when they were taking out the tile, they did the entrance way later. So, they trampled through the front door with all kinds of tools, wheelbarrows, etc and it still was in great shape before they took it up.

      Reply
  29. Lesleigh says

    February 5, 2015 at 9:19 am

    Love your posts took your advice on painting tiles bathroom
    Was so outdated when we bought this home
    finally today I painted the bathroom and our ensuite shower tiles also above the basins and above the basin in second toilet oh what a differance it looks stunning thank you for all your wonderful blogs

    Reply
  30. Elisabeth Makey says

    June 28, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous update!! Congratulations! I loved your tutorial on painting outdated granite too! I had that idea myself and thought I’d see if anyone actually did it! Yours looks beautiful. You are very talented!

    Reply
  31. Carol says

    February 27, 2022 at 4:52 pm

    I know you don’t live in this house anymore and this post is pretty old, but I have to ask if the Sherwin Williams enamel is the latex or oil based. On their website the greenish can is latex and red is oil. And both paint versions have bad reviews! I’m afraid to paint my floor accent tiles if it will be a disaster. Mine is a similar color to your tiles before they were painted and our walls are also Mindful Grey.

    Reply
    • A Pinterest Addict says

      May 6, 2022 at 11:15 pm

      I’m so sorry, but I honestly didn’t remember so I went back and looked at old photos from that time frame… it was the oil based enamel paint from Sherwin Williams in satin. (Red can). I know I missed this comment – it’s been a while since I’ve checked in here. I hope you see it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tutes & Tips Not to Miss {71} says:
    August 6, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    […] How to Paint Tile by Pinterest Addict. If you have tiles you don’t care for, be sure to check out how you can paint right over them. […]

    Reply
  2. Painting the Doors Black | Pinterest Addict says:
    August 24, 2013 at 10:34 pm

    […] I did paint the inside of the front doors black a looonnggg time ago – you can check them out here in the post about painting the floor tiles. I was especially worried about it in the hallway to […]

    Reply
  3. Dark Floors, White Walls says:
    June 2, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    […] in the bedrooms. If you don’t remember what it looks like, here’s a picture from when I painted the floor tile at the front door and around the […]

    Reply
  4. Painting the Kitchen Cabinets - Pinterest Addict says:
    May 22, 2016 at 9:55 am

    […] you remember, I used Gauntlet Gray for the tiles by the front door and around the fireplace. It’s the perfect gray for our house because it’s a big more of […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Hello! I'm Eliesa, and I am a Pinterest Addict. I love finding new ideas and trying them out. DIY, Decor, Diets, and Recipes - it's all fair game. Follow me, and find out which pins are all they seem to be.

Be the First to Get the Latest!

unsubscribe from list
© EP; A Pinterest Addict, 2011 - 2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All images are property of Pinterest Addict unless otherwise noted. You may not use these images without prior written consent. Excerpts and links may be used with written permission, provided that full and clear credit is given to EP; A Pinterest Addict with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. This blog is not, in any way, officially affiliated with Pinterest.com. They don't even know I exist. This is all a one-sided affair, in which I am most definitely getting the most out of our "relationship".
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 · Darling theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 ·