# Downplay floors



## Lexieann5399 (Nov 26, 2015)

My husband and I have purchased a house that has Mexican tile floors. I can't stand them. I am curious how you would paint the walls in a way that would downplay the floors until we can afford to have them covered. The floors are in *every room* in the house.


Thanks in advance!


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

Welcome to our board

I love the look of those tiles....but....the color could have been a little better.

I don't think there is much you can do to the walls to distract from the floors.

Once you get your furniture in and stuff on the walls, I think the floors will be less of an issue.

Well placed rugs will also help.


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## ryansdiydad (Aug 16, 2015)

Lots of rugs or.. If you are really desperate and it is temporary anyway paint them.. 

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro...techniques/sw-article-pro-resuscitateold.html

We looked at a really cool house that had those tiles like that in every surface in this huge kitchen.. and similarly bad tile in a huge bathroom.. The amount of work seemed huge.. So we bought something else and ended up putting even more work in to it.. Looking back I wonder what we could have done with that house..


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

ddawg16 said:


> I don't think there is much you can do to the walls to distract from the floors.
> 
> Once you get your furniture in and stuff on the walls, I think the floors will be less of an issue.
> 
> Well placed rugs will also help.


this. and once you have all of your stuff in there, you may end up likeing it.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

To me the color is attractive, but paint nor area rugs will never correct the cobblestone feel to the foot.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I love the terra cotta...it's much nicer than wall to wall carpeting.
One you get the furniture and area rugs down and view the room
in its totality, I think you'll really like it. It's a nice solid looking
floor that will go well with all colors...it's like a canvas load it up with
nice area rugs and nice furniture and you'll soon discover it's an asset.


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## Lexieann5399 (Nov 26, 2015)

*All valid points and ideas*

Thank you. :smile:


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## charlesCABP (Oct 16, 2015)

Have you considered adding skirting boards and architraves? We had an old house before, the floor looks just like this but what my father did was to put skirtings. It did a great job taking away the hideous look of the floor. Try considering it.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

There really is not much to do with that type of tile. Rugs can help, maybe change the paint scheme. Above all, leave that tile there. it can be toned down by some rugs to help deafen any echos you may get from people talking, etc..


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## MaineLL (Jun 23, 2013)

I agree. It is ugly. I had it in a bathroom in a house I bought. Contractor I had doing some work was a family member of the previous owner. He told me it was expensive tile. I didn't care. I thought it was ugly. We took it out shortly there after.


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## arthcamacho (Dec 3, 2015)

Hello there,

I noticed about the floor dilemmas that you have. Well it is unpleasant, I agree. Back in the days, when I was a kid my father tried the same thing but couldn't afford to finish covering/changing the entire (ugly) flooring of the house coz it was too expensive. What he did was just to add internal house designs just to 'match' it all up. There were lots of skirting boards and architrave then all of sudden the house looked good.

If you're planning to paint the walls to match up the floor color, maybe you can try to consider giving internal designs on the house.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

MaineLL said:


> I agree. It is ugly. I had it in a bathroom in a house I bought. Contractor I had doing some work was a family member of the previous owner. He told me it was expensive tile. I didn't care. I thought it was ugly. We took it out shortly there after.


That is normal for Fired clay tiles. They are not ugly. Just that the light paint color is what makes your eye travel to the floor.

Once they change the wall color, put down rugs, put up pictures & drapes, put in the furniture, your eye will rarely travel to see the floor as this huge attraction visually.

This is where the proper interior decorator comes in handy. I would not rip out those tiles, since the place is intended to be South West style.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I agree with gregzoll, When you put down area rugs it with be a big improvement.
Don't focus on the comments of the posters that think your floor is
ugly, it's quite the opposite. It is rich and looks like leather. 

I recommend first start with the rug and gather inspiration from there. 
From the rug choose the colors for your upholstery and window treatments. 


Another thing I noticed is your fireplace is dark. I would think about
lightening up the finish on the mantle, as well as some spot lights
to light up the fireplace. We have a stone fireplace as well, we have the opposite
of you -- a lighter stone and darker mantle. My point being contrast will
liven the FP up. You could strip the mantle and finish it lighter. 

Have you given any thought to a leather sofa?
If so choose a lighter leather like a tan or buckskin. Keep in mind 
that they always look lighter in the store because they light them up with
spotlights from above.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I just noticed that you said the floors are in every room of the house.
I like that uniformity. 
The walls throughout the house should be light. 

Can you post more pics of that room?


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## richietile (Nov 15, 2014)

Greg is correct, w/light colored walls your eye goes straight to the floors. Try a dark color and the floors will disappear! (or a least be less noticeable.)
Any dark color will work. I would google Mexican floor tiles and see what images pop up that appeal to you. Good luck!


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## fortunerestore (Mar 6, 2014)

Though there is not much you can do to it, yet you can consider placing rugs for protection. And yes, you can think for adding those skirting boards and architraves. To the floor like this, you can put skirtings easily and it simply takes away the hideous look of the floor.


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## mariav (Sep 23, 2015)

Rugs/Carpets will do the trick, and of course some furniture to divert the attention. But since the floor's are in 'every room', I agree with you. You really have to paint the wall. I suggest you search for lots of photo inspiration and take a look at it which one will work for you. Try not to paint the whole area at one time, just try to test it in the most latent part of your house to avoid additional cost.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I found a Mexican terra cotta floor in a bathroom on the Internet.

It shows how nice light creamy walls will look with this floor, rather
than dark walls...Rich wood furniture is also a plus with lighter
walls ( look at the vanity) 

Stop thinking of downplaying this floor, but rather embracing it. 
As I said in a previous post, start with the area rugs. The Rug is
very important.


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## Lexieann5399 (Nov 26, 2015)

*Solution found!*

I found a painting worksheet that said to take the elements that can't be changed and find the base colors. Then choose colors that work with them in the way you want. I chose blues and grays. Now I love the way it looks.


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## Lexieann5399 (Nov 26, 2015)

*Here is another room*

Gray worked well here.


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## Lexieann5399 (Nov 26, 2015)

*I don't love the floors, but I like the way they look now.*

This color actually made the existing orange doors look good.


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