At first glance, this fabulous bathroom floor is sure to turn some readers green with envy for the wonderful tilework. A closer look (and a peek at the blog of the owner) reveals that this floor is neither tile nor linoleum, but a creative and unique DIY application. Can you guess how these homeowners created this one of a kind bathroom floor?
If you guessed screenprinted art paper, then you are definitely a DIY design expert. When Rachel and her husband couldn't agree on whether to cover their paint splattered plywood bathroom floor with tile or linoleum, Rachel decided to try a low-cost DIY using a favorite screenprint pattern. She papered the floor with thick lining paper and waterproof PVA, then tiled the floor with thick art paper already screenprinted with the pattern. The last step was laying down three coats of the waterproof PVA to seal the floor, though Rachel is considering adding a layer of boat varnish on top as the PVA sometimes clouds after contact with water.
Check out Rachel's blog post about the floor for more photos of this fabulous bathroom project. Well executed and unique, this inexpensive project has a design impact far beyond its cost, and certainly serves as an inspiration to other DIYers looking to create one of kind applications in the home.
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Totally doing this as soon as I have my own bathroom to work with.
This is one of those things that will only work on a perfectly level surface...
...without looking at the link, I suspect that they used leveling compound on the plywood before applying this.
beautiful job. well done.
Off I go to try the same on my bathroom floor!
Thanks! This is just in time to solve a problem I'm confronting.
I've just stripped the carpet out of a hall (elderly pet problem) and I don't want to put down new flooring just yet (continuing elderly pet problem).
I'm going to paint the subfloor then use paper to create a runner effect. Quick, fun, and cheap solution.
Once the pet problem is not longer an issue, I'll have the subfloor replaced and put down wood, which is what I've really wanted all along.
Off to find suitable paper for a runner...
I personally love the feeling of walking barefoot over hardwood or natural stone like travertine, but I certainly applaud the OP & give her kudos for being so creative!!
How does something like this hold up over time though? I'd be interested in seeing it a few months later after wear and tear.
The floor is beautiful, but what caught my eye is the apparent bar set up in the bathtub. Or maybe that Bombay Sapphire bottle is filled with shampoo?
not very keen on the pattern or the colour, but the concept is quite brilliant. i'd love to know how it wears over time. (probably, i'd guess, will need revarnishing every year)
The effect is beautiful, but...how do you wash your bathroom with water and soap regularly without this thing peel?
@annarama: bathtub gin? tee hee.
love the floor!
And here I was guessing it was shelving paper with adhesive backing...
LOVE it -- especially with the pattern on the mat draped over the side of the tub. So unexpected. Well done!
Its pretty. It will be interesting to see how it holds up. AT do you have a mechanism to keep track of such things?
@Dulcibella I hope you're not looking forward to NOT having an "elderly pet problem." If you know what I mean...
I really like this- I don't think I'd try it in my home, though.
With a really, really old house- everything is crooked. I find that geometric designs only enhance the crooked/uneven floors and walls.
I'm sure glad they didn't use mod podge, which is what I thought at first glance. It definitely looks like a paper project and not tile.
And I'm not sure PVA was any better a choice for a bathroom. Cute though. At least for now.
I suspect, however, that they'll be recovering it fairly soon.
TBC...
lol at the bathtub gin comment
It looks lovely, but I worry about the durability in a room that gets steamy
i love this idea. we just pushed our rental limitations as much as possible to remodel our bathroom (take a look http://jakeandtobi.blogspot.com/2010/07/before-after-bathroom-miracle.html ), but we couldn't think of anything to do with the floor. brilliant!
jakeandtobi.blogspot.com
Well this is just a mess waiting to happen. Completely impractical in a bathroom of all places...lovely though. I will give them that.
what is PVA?....the bathroom is awesome!
what a totally unique idea! love it
Do you think I could do this in my kitchen? I'm in a rental where we can do whatever we want, but the linoleum kitchen floor is a patched-together DISASTER. It is perma-gross. I would really love a cheap way to cover it, and have been considering painting. This looks way cooler, but I *do* worry about mopping and wear and tear, since it is a very high-traffic area. I would be up for yearly varnishing (though maybe a few coats of oil paint and varnish are a more reliable idea).
This is certainly a lovely and creative option, but I'm finding it very hard to believe that all those layers of PVA plus the multiple screen printed papers really cost significantly less than a piece of vinyl or linoleum flooring.