GinnyPW's Profile

We recently painted the parquet floors of our kitchen and living room white and have been extremely happy with the results. The room went from feeling dark and yellow to clean, crisp and bright, and the cost was ultimately much lower than putting in new wood floors or refinishing. The floors do show dirt more a little more quickly but it's easy to wipe away.

The toughest part of the process was figuring out what type of paint to use. Oil paint was recommended for its durability and gloss, but I was hesitant given its toxicity (especially since I was pregnant at the time) and because it tends to yellow. Latex is less toxic but not nearly as durable. After doing a lot of online research and speaking to technicians at Benjamin Moore and some local paint suppliers, I decided to use a Benjamin Moore waterborne epoxy, which is both durable (it's often used for garage floors and the like) and relatively safe compared to oil. The painting process involved cleaning the floor with a special Benjamin Moore de-greaser, doing a light sanding and then applying 2 coats of the epoxy, which has two parts that have to be mixed and used within a certain time frame. The result is a glossy, pure white finish that so far has proven to be extremely durable. I was out of the house for the actual painting but my husband reported that fumes/odors were practically non-existent.

Photos of the painting process and end result can be found on the blog of Daniel Friedman, the designer who gave us the idea to paint the floors white in the first place:
http://danielfriedmandesign.com/2012/01/22/wheres-my-stocking/

Also, for anyone who wants to do this and lives in the New York area, the painter we used was Roy Hing at 917-572-5344. He did a terrific job for a reasonable price.