Friday, January 11, 2008

Lies My Decorator Told Me

OK, I've never actually hired a decorator, but I've read a lot of books and watched a lot of TV shows. And one piece wisdom that keeps being repeated is that painting a floor is the option of last resort. It's what you do when you can't afford anything better.

And why do they say it's such a bad option? Because it doesn't last. That the finish is fragile and won't stand up over time and, for Pete sake, if you're going to go to all that trouble at least make sure that you put multiple layers of varnish over top the paint to give it a fighting chance to last the week.

Well, I'm here to tell you, this just ain't so!


Remember this floor? I painted it at my side door - the main entryway to our apartment - a couple of months ago. I meant to varnish it right away, but, as sometimes happens, life got in the way and I haven't gotten back to it (am I the only one who gets distracted like this?).

So it's been walked on, had slushy boots deposited on it and been subjected to quite a bit of wear and tear.

I washed it today. Not a scratch! It looks just as good as the day I finished it.

I will, eventually put a couple of coats of varnish on it, to make it easier to wash, but any of you wondering how long a painted floor will last? Till you get good and sick of it, is my estimate!

5 comments:

Janet said...

Barb,
Stop on over and enter my giveaway.
Janet

Janet said...

Me again. I just noticed you have an ad for the Mendon Country Gift Barn which is not far from here. I haven't been there in years as I "outgrew" the Country thing.
Janet

dr.d. said...

Yes, they lie.

When we bought the house in Mitchell 8 years ago, the floors in almost all rooms were covered with a ghastly powder blue broadloom. Had to go -- Stephen's asthma as in high gear until we get it all ripped out.

Underneath -- plywood over the original broad plank floors. We planned on restoring the original floors, but like your plan to varnish, life got in the way.

But in the interim we painted the plywood -- in the master bedrooom we painted it red, the others on off white on which Stephen drew lines which make it look like planks.

Eight years later, and we are leaving soon, but the floors -- no varnish, no urethane, just paint -- look like we only did them yesterday.

Designers lie.

Barb McMahon and Alan Mailloux said...

Thanks for the testimonial!

"Varnish the foyer floor" has moved way down the To Do list...

Anonymous said...

I love that look! You did a great job, and I totally agree, decorators LIE! Not just about floors but lots of things, I think.

Thanks so much for this testimonial (and great to the see one in the comments too!).

Love it, thanks!