lonelyapricot's Profile

I live in a 100-year-old apartment with the original wood floors. I know that sounds glamorous, but trust me, it isn't. I moved here from many states away, and wasn't able to check out the apartment firsthand before moving in. The photos seemed to show wood floors in their original condition, but when I got here the unit I was actually set to live in had painted-over floors. It's the ONE thing I don't like about my apartment, which I've now lived in for 2 years. I don't like it only because the paint job is sloppy and my landlord used wall paint so it peels off all the time, is an ugly dark brown that you would associate more with a state parks cabin in the woods than an apartment in the city, and also, the floor boards are uneven which makes it difficult to mop. I really hate the dark brown color, as it shows all kinds of dirt, so I know I wouldn't go black. I want to repaint, and would love to do white, but I don't think he would approve it solely based on the fact that whoever moves in next probably wouldn't want white. I think I could talk him into gray, so I might try. The floors have tons of peeled-away spots and scuffs after 2 years. I take care of them as well as I can and am not rough on them, but latex wall paint isn't meant for floors (duh). I'd really love to redo them in a glossy paint meant for a deck or other floors. Lots of great ideas here on Apartment Therapy, as for the type of paint to use and how to go about it! Thank you.

To everyone who consistently says they hate this look: sometimes you move into a place that already has painted-over floors, or maybe floors in horrid condition. These examples looks are great. I'd rather have any of these compared to what I have now. Those of you who complain about this look, please consider what someone may have started with, and that they had little choice unless they were fortunate enough to have the funds to lay down a whole new floor. I would never argue that these look better than a nice wood floor in good condition, but if your wood floor is already covered in paint, and poorly, these look wonderful.