apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'd consider deck tiles or go all the way and do hard wood floors.

http://www.ezydeck.net/

Have you considered painting the floor black?

It is very hard to tell what the floor looks like from this picture.

Nonetheless, from what I can see and what I would say is, do not, under any circumstances, paint a brick floor. Painting brick can work in some places when it is on a wall but it should be a last resort. It sounds like you are thinking that cleaning white floors would be a lot work. A smooth white floor will show a fair amount of dust bunnies but a textured white floor would be hell to clean not to mention, it just wouldn't look good.

If your furniture is vintage 50's it should go quite well with a brick floor.

What about carpeting with something like sisal? It seems appropriate for a room like this with lots of windows and no walls.

I'd vote for rugs. Don't paint the floor. How about sisial or area rugs. Use the floor as a focal point, instead of something to hide.

i painted my old hardwood floors white two years ago. i still love it despite the slavery factor. yet, brick surface with it's groves and cavities will be beyond any one's dedication to the style. do not do it. try to consider less radical solutions as bamboo or sisal rugs. you can find large bamboo rug inexpensively, in great variety of colors and change them as they wear off.

pour a white resin over it.

Has anyone heard of tinting brick? These are unsealed. Also, what does it mean to pour resin over it?

Thanks for the comments!

Jenzoe, can you throw a larger photo (or three) up on flicker for us to see?

Flor would give you lots of options... would it work on top of brick?

I'm not sure about painting brick - I haven't attempted it myself, but I go with others suggesting a rug solution. This way if you are unsure you can just move the rug.

Is $$$ a factor? If not, I would have a terrazzo floor put in.

Brick is a porous material... It needs to breathe when used in exterior applications... If it is painted or otherwise sealed, it can be harmful to the long-term structural maintenace of the brick (and mortar joints).

I am unsure as to how this applies to interior brick, but to be on the safe side, I'd get some carpets that are appropriate to the period of your furniture and throw them over the existing brick without sealing or painting.

You might look at some old interiors mags for flooring and carpeting ideas.

Good luck.

keep the nice brick for heaven's sake.

I'm with most of the others here. The paint idea isn't really a good idea for many of the reasons already stated, but add that it will eventually flake and wear off, which can look really bad so keeping a fresh coat is a must to keep it looking nice and that may well be more work than it's worth.

As others have said, this brick is most likely laying directly on the ground in a sand bed w/ gravel/sand tamped down in between the bricks as a mortar and sealing it in this fashion is definitely not a good idea.

I'd be hesitant to incorporate the brick as is unless you consult w/ a pro to find out whether it's a good idea or not due to the moisture factor of the ground when you incorporate the porch space into the main living space.

And I agree that the brick as is will look fine w/ the vintage 50's furniture.

Have you considered a floating floor.

Here is an additional photo.

What is a floating floor?

http://carloskutz.blogspot.com/

Here is the additional photo

bricks? no.
the wood posts? yes.

on a related tangent:
what are people's takes on painting a standard (read: crummy) wood floor in a rental.
i think it will help increase the perceived size of my small studio but i dont want to forfeit the deposit out of hand.
anyone had any experience with that? recommend a type of paint that the landlord may forgive me for?

jenzoe, i know you say you loathe the brick, but from a thermal comfort and energy savings standpoint, the brick is a great thing to have in new mexico. it's a heat sink that will help regulate the internal temperature of your space. provided you keep direct sunlight off it in the summer, it'll help keep your room cool, and if you let the sun onto it in the winter, it'll release the heat later in the night. along that line of thinking, i wouldn't cover it with wood floors, and i wouldn't completely cover it with rugs. some throw rugs wouldn't be amiss, though, in the places it really matters.

I like the brick, especially with 1950's furniture. I vote "no" on doing anything major to change it and "yes" on the idea of a bamboo or sisal rug.

what are those beams made of and whats on the walls? I'd say consider painting those white, ditch the dated ceiling fan and put in some really pretty modern hanging light fixtures and I think you'll mind the brick less...

I like the idea of floor coverings like sisal & bamboo or flor tiles because with such a large room, the floor coverings will create micro-rooms or gathering areas within the larger space.

I like the suggestion of painting the wood -- black or white, or even metallic for an industrial look with the brick. Industrial and MCM go great together, IMO.

Thanks for all your great suggestions. Yes... we are getting rid of the porch posts, changing the adobe (meant for outside) to plaster, blowing out that wall where the window is to open up to the kitchen.

Sounds like I should just accept the brick. Grrr.

Saw the other photos and I agree with you on the brick, but putting down a large natural rug might be the cheapest/fastest option until you could put down more 10' plank flooring, if that's what you're hoping to do. It's a lovely space though, great courtyard, too.

I have not read the above postings yet so I have no idea if someone has already asked. But is that the Golden Girls' crib?