apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I had the sweet loft to go with the concrete floors... they were definitely easy care (Swiffer was all I needed) however the high gloss made them super slippery when feet were wet from shower or rain. Even my cat thought so!
Katy
http://fengshuibyfishgirl.com

Yes! I've been meaning to paint my cabin dining room concrete floor, but felt like it needed a kick. These are great options.

What type of paint do you need to use for concrete? Just interior paint? And what's the best gloss?

I absolutely love the words on the (scripted) floor.

There are special floor paints, IIRC.

I like these, i was wondering how to get that shiny finish like in picture 3. Any tips?

You can also mix pigment directly into the (wet) cement instead of painting it after it dries into concrete.

When I saw #7, I thought, wow, that's amazing, but it would be so time consuming if I did it or expensive if I got someone else to do it. Then I saw the next picture with the little girl helping, and it filled me up. Yay for design that doesn't take itself so seriously that the most significant style element can't be a fun family project.

Those floors may be cool, but the chair in the first picture is to die for.

We have a room in the basement that has a door leading to the backyard. I'm about to start converting it into a potting shed-style room.

There is carpet in there right now which was glued to the concrete. I wonder how I can get the old adhesive off?

Yes to the cool chair in the first pic. Any idea of a source? I'd trade an ovary for that chair.

love that black and white floor!

http://www.makemineeclectic.wordpress.com

I like the first one and the green one a lot. Some friends of mine built their own home and they saved a fortune on floors by doing DIY stained concrete throughout the house. It looks gorgeous, and even the kids were involved, so it's something the whole family can be proud of creating.

where did that chair come from :)

Love the look but aren't they cold in the room and bad on your legs and feet?

I have a concrete patio outside that is so ugly. is there an outdoor paint /varnish I can use there to recreate this? the lace stencil with a floral motif outside would be awesome I think...

i pulled up the carpet in my home, which has a sort of industrial vibe and stained the floors white. i used an opaque driveway/ garage stain from home depot since it was a little cheaper than say a true concrete paint. then i sealed it with 4 coats of low-lustre polyurethane. and if i may offer some advice, do not use a paint roller. use a "lambswool applicator" for both the stain and the sealant, and you will get a smooth, seamless, professional look. i think my floors look amazing. now if only my dog would learn to not run on the floors...

Chair, chair, chair, chair??? What's the story with that first chair? It's incredible.

I love the calligraphy on the first one - and oh that chair!

Here is a company that sells paint and stencils for floors, check out the galleries, I love the blue paint with white flowers for the bathroom-
http://www.sunnys-paint.com/painting/room-ideas/floors/

I'm with mckate. Where is that chair from!?!?! It's gorgeous!

"What type of paint do you need to use for concrete? Just interior paint? "

Heavens, no.

You'd use deckpaint - Just tell the person at the paint store (Not the Home Depot/Lowe's) what you're doing/what you're using the paint for and they'll recommend the appropriate products for you.

The Chair!!!! THE CHAIRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Please?

We have dark brown concrete floors but they are not sealed properly and even water leaves marks on them. So gross, they never look clean but since we are renting and it is a apartment complex I can't do much to fix them... I wish I could.

Do you have any suggestions with what to wash them or do something simple to improve their condition? Thanks.

The white concrete floors are amazing!

LOVE concrete au naturale, but I'm loving the white!!

I love concrete floors any which way. I work in an office with all shiny concrete floors - I always have to be careful not to fall on my face when I wear heels.

I would love to have concrete floors at home, although it might be a bit cold for bare feet. I wonder if you can do radiant heating under concrete floors?

Also, how about contrasting a polished grey concret floor with feminine florals?

Here it is:
http://donkeehouse.com/?p=291#more-291

Forget the paint and use a true epoxy product.
I'm a fan of Epoxy Coat - http://www.epoxy-coat.com
I went with their Light Gray (a somewhat bluish white) and I absolutely love it.

Here are some images of my loft.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/liquidstereo/634684280/in/set-72157619104070876/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liquidstereo/3380367193/in/set-72157619104070876/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liquidstereo/1463094571/in/set-72157600195882099/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liquidstereo/634684312/in/set-72157600195882099/

I'm about to do the rest of the apartment. I've already prepped the floor and am hoping to have everything done by Friday.

Cheers!

oooh, how very fun to see my floors here!

The script floor was done with the help of Melanie at Modello Designs. I wrote the text, picked the font and sent it to Melanie. I told her I wanted it to be laid out in a page format and gave her the measurements of the room. She figured out how to best lay it out within those parameters and created a custom stencil for me that is laid out like a sticker puzzle on the floor. I can't recommend Melanie enough and her prices are reasonable for what she offers. http://www.modellodesigns.com/

As for the chair............it was an ebay find (I'm a thrifty as well as a crafty girl). I customized it as a desk chair by slip soddering wheels onto the bottom of the legs.

i love the concrete!

I ADORE Maryam's room, but it is the lace patterned floor that really seduces me... so perfectly beautiful.

The script floor is fun! i also love those plain painted floors...but i'd need a good collection of rugs to go with them, to keep feet warm and to keep everything from being too cold looking. seriously, great ideas here.

oh yes - just adding my little pool of drool on that chair :)

Chair?!?

For those of you asking about the chair, we have a winner:

http://florianpappinc.1stdibs.com/itemdetails.php?id=200353

This is NOT what I was hoping for because I love it and want to get four to use as dining room chairs but at least it's findable.

The painted floors are lovely! Can anyone tell me about the white shelving in the first picture?

I love concrete floors. I've decided to pull up the carpet in my condo. I have concrete subfloors but they are not really smooth. Any suggestions on how to get them smooth? or paint that would smooth them out?