I sat down to write this blog post a few times. I’ve been attempting to create a Pros and Cons list around painting a wood staircase. I cannot find Cons. The only con I can truly come up with, is if you’re just not into the look. But I a am so into a painted wood floor.
Let’s get my pro’s and con’s lists out of the way:
Pro
Easier, Quicker, Cheaper than sanding, repairing, and staining old hardwood.
Easier, Quicker, Cheaper to fix after the fact if new blemishes and gouges appear.
Endless possibilities with colors, patterns, stripes.
The right color sets a whole mood in a room. Can brighten and/or add depth to the room.
Bold Confident choice.
Con
Someone will have to comment one for me, because I can’t fathom it.
We are well past the shabby chic trend, but somehow the painted floor holds up for me. My first painted floor didn’t happen until 2018. I was renovating a house in Berry Hill, the house was built in the 1940’s and had been added on to and chopped up a number of times, including the add and chop I was doing. We were looking at 3 different wood floors in a now open concept. The hardwood in the older part of the home had actual plywood patches on it. Our contractor at the time suggested we rip all the floors up and lay new hardwood. I was shook, this quick reno was turning into a new build. I suggested the painted floor, and asked to keep the hardwood patchy. The result was a stunning, textured but fresh looking cottage floor.
I didn’t have an opportunity to paint another floor until 2019, we started construction on some townhomes that would be used as short term rentals. In the townhomes, we were planning to use LVT on the floors upstairs and downstairs. LVT floors can look amazing, there are great products that look like real wood and hold up much better. The downside to multi level homes with LVT is the stairs. Did I do real wood on the stairs? Would it match? Did I do LVT on the stairs, would that look cheap? I found myself compromising the entire look of the chic new townhomes for LVT on the stairs when it hit me - I could do a cheap wood tread and paint it!
Not only did we end up painting the stair treads, but I found some rugs I loved (and cheap) on Amazon. We ordered a few for each staircase and installed them like carpet down the middle!
I love this look in our townhouse. It took a very basic floorplan to the next level for me. When I’m decorating the short term rentals, it’s important to have even the smallest something to be more than basic.
This past year I’ve been helping a client manage a short term rental home while he was on tour, and after covid hit, he hunkered down with his partner in Boston. I had been managing with a remote client anyway, so this was nothing new. After a few months on the market during Covid (and still doing well!) He decided it was time to sell the house. While the house has been a great STR asset - a historic home on the lake - we realized it would need some fluffing before the for sale market.
I helped this client purchase the home 4 years ago, it was perfect except for one detail. The old pine hardwood stairs were so chewed up. It’s been a rustic characteristic for the rental market, but he would need to refinish them for the sale. Now I had to convince someone else that there are no Cons to painted floors. I am so happy he went with it and trusted me. The floors in his home downstairs and upstairs are completely fine, free of the usual blemishes.
Before of the wooden stairs in the historic home. They are so blemished, dented, dinged, scratched and scraped up!
Truly, I thought by the time I was finishing this post, I’d come up with a Con. I can’t. What are your thoughts on painted hardwoods that need help?
THE AFTER! WOW! The work was done in less than a day for less than $800. It makes a huge difference!
