The original DIY renovation plan for my powder bathroom did not include doing anything to the tile floor. But after applying wall moulding, putting up wallpaper, and even painting the ceiling, it was clear that the floor did not match the elevated look of the rest of the room. Not only was the grout seriously dirty, but the tile had a dated look and clashed with the color tones of the newly designed space. So, I decided on a whim to paint my tile floor to look like a dark stone slate tile.
As some of you might remember, a few months ago I painted my dining table to look like marble. So I figured how hard could it be to paint tile to look like slate? Turns out, this was so much easier than the painted marble! It all comes down to 4 simple steps: clean, prime, paint and seal.
1. Clean
I started by following the specific directions from Zep to clean the grout, with the hopes that I could revitalize it. This included applying the substance to the grout, letting it sit and then removing it with a wet towel. Later, I vacuumed and mopped to clean the whole area prior to painting.
2. Prime
Next, I primed the tile floor with ZINSSER white primer that works on all surfaces, including tile. I decided to use a primer to help with paint adhesion, but I’ll have to get you posted on how it lasts over time. So far so good! Before beginning to paint the tile floor, I let the primer dry overnight.
3. Paint
While the grout cleaner certainly worked, I wanted a fresher look. I decided to try out a grout paint pen. I first bought the color ivory, but after painting the tile a dark color, I decided the contrast was too strong, so I redid the grout paint with the color grey.
As for painting the tile, I used a black acrylic paint, which is a durable paint for rooms with high traffic and moisture. I mixed it with white chalk paint I had on hand to get a second matte grey color. Using a combo of the black and grey paint colors, I used foam brushes to apply the paint in a non-uniform way to achieve a natural stone look. I referenced this YouTube tutorial by Reality Daydream for my painting technique, but you will likely end up adjusting your technique as you go depending on how you want it to look.
4. Seal
Once satisfied with the look of the painted tile, the final step of this process is to seal it with a top coat. As I mentioned, I wanted a natural stone look, so I opted for a matte finish without any gloss. After researching a few products, this Rust-Oleum top coat is by far the most recommended and most suitable top coat for a tile floor. If using this product, the drying process is as follows:
- 24 hours for light foot traffic
- 72 hours to replace furniture
- 7 days to fully cure
Overall I’m super happy with this quick and affordable project to transform the dated tile in my powder bathroom. If you’re interested, you can follow me on Instagram to follow my next project! Hint…there might be another BIG bathroom project coming later this year, more to come!
Would you ever paint your tile floor? Comment below!