Floor stencils can transform a room in a day – and for under £100. Here's how

Floor stencils can update tired-looking floorboards on a budget: this on-trend design can be done quickly in four easy steps

Floor stencils: Sofa with patterned painted floor
(Image credit: Rustoleum)

The least expensive way to update your wooden floors? With floor stencils and paint! Yup, you can learn how to paint tiles, easily and, while this decorative hack from Rustoleum may seem like it needs the steady hand of the true artist, with a stencil and some patience, this amazing mosaic effect is so easy to achieve. If you’re looking to revamp tired floors or inject pattern into a simple space, grab a few tins this weekend and let your floor become your canvas.

If you want to try your hand at more DIY hacks, check out our other weekend projects

Painted stencil floor with a sofa and side table

(Image credit: Rustoleum)

You will need

Step one: prepare your floor

Sanding wooden floorboards

(Image credit: Rustoleum)

If you have wooden floorboards, sand them down. For both wooden and concrete floors, vacuum and wipe them clean before painting. 

Step two: apply your base colour

Painting floorboards with a paint roller

(Image credit: Rustoleum)

Paint the edges of your room in your base colour (Chalk White used here), cutting in a couple of inches. Take your large roller and paint at least two coats onto the main floor area, starting at the furthest corner and moving backwards towards the door. The thinner the coats, the more hardwearing your floor will be.

Step three: position your stencil

Painting a patterned floor with a stencil

(Image credit: Rustoleum)

Measure your floor to find its centre. Use masking tape to position your chosen stencil at the middle so it doesn’t move around while you’re painting. 

Step four: paint your stencil design

Painting a patterned floor with a stencil

(Image credit: Rustoleum)

Apply a small, even amount of your second floor paint over the stencil (Anthracite used here). Remove the stencil, reposition and repeat until the whole floor is covered. Leave to dry and there you have it, one stylishly patterned floor for under £100. 

Floor painted with a stencil pattern

With a few simple steps you can create this on-trend patterned floor using a stencil and two different chalky finish floor paints from Rust-Oleum

(Image credit: Rustoleum)
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Amelia Smith
Content Editor

After joining Real Homes as content producer in 2016, Amelia has taken on several different roles and is now content editor. She specializes in style and decorating features and loves nothing more than finding the most beautiful new furniture, fabrics and accessories and sharing them with our readers. As a newbie London renter, Amelia’s loving exploring the big city and mooching around vintage markets to kit out her new home. 

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