One of the biggest complaints, and hardest things to change, about a rental kitchen is the floor. When you own a kitchen you can put down new tile or wood floors — but even then you may not want to for reasons of cost. So, many of us are stuck with ugly, peeling linoleum tile, but here's one great option for renters and budget owners alike: Canvas floor cloths.
Floor cloths (or floorcloths) are a rather antique form of floor covering. They were in vogue in 18th century England, where they were painted with patterns that were either artful or imitated wood or stone. Early American colonists also developed their own art and patterns, as did other design movements like Arts and Crafts and Prairie. They are freshly back in style right now, partly as a lost craft enjoying a renaissance, and partly as a practical way to beautify a room.
These cloths are suitable for use in the kitchen, since they are meant to be placed on a hard surface like tile or wood (not carpet), and they can be swept and mopped. A little wax, applied once a year or so, helps keep them protected.
Because of floor cloths' roots in primitive and early American design, many of the floor cloth sources we've found focus on country motifs and bright primary colors. These aren't particularly in our style, but there are some sources that also carry Arts and Crafts cloths, and others that could suit a modern kitchen.
The one drawback to these hand-painted cloths is that they tend to be quite expensive — you could easily pay $1000-$2000 for a cloth to cover your kitchen floor. The flip side to that, however, is that they are relatively easy to make yourself. You treat an inexpensive canvas drop cloth with waterproofing oil, or shellac, and then paint it. The finished cloth is varnished and sealed.
Of course, the success of a homemade floor cloth would then depend on your own artistic ability! But we could imagine using simple stencils for a checkered pattern, or painting diagonal stripes for a chevron look. You could even cut a custom cloth to fit your floor and corners.
• Floor cloth instructions: Creating a Floor Cloth --- Four Ways at Rugmaker's Homestead
• Make Your Own Floor Cloth at HGTV
• Another good overview of floorcloths and their care at Painter Girl
• Canvasworks Prepared Floor Cloths - Shrunk, primed and hemmed floorcloths.
Do you have floor cloths in your home? Have you ever tried to make one?
Related: Color Under Your Feet: A Gallery of Painted Kitchen Floors
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
Nice illustration of a floor cloth, but COME ON FOLKS. The floors in this picture are GORGEOUS!!!!
view Skerlie B's profile
what kind of paint are we talking here?
Oil paints? Acrylic? I'd love to make my own floor cloths.
view adiaphane's profile
I should have read the links before commenting.
view adiaphane's profile
yes....is this floor supposed to be "ugly"??
view amarie's profile
No no - I should have commented on that - none of the floor cloth sites actually show their cloths on ugly floors, of course! But splendid hardwood floors or no - these cloths are good at covering whatever.
view Faith Durand's profile
Okay, it's a neat idea and apparently it was something people did...but I just can not see how durable this would ever be. It's seems like walking on a big floor painting, even if it is sealed--I've seen the damage people do to paintings. :/
view Kakugori's profile
My last rental kitchen had really beat up floors & I went to Cost Plus, bought a woven plastic rug (same texture as a woven plastic market bag), threw it down, voila. It didn't slip, was totally scrubbable, sweepable, roll it up & shake it out on the fire escape easy. For $16.99. I would have paid more for something not made in a sweatshop, but where is the middle ground? & I just feel like a canvass drop cloth would slip all over.
view bungalowbride's profile
More thoughts: A canvas big enough to cover your kitchen floor can be quite expensive, especially if the only place you can find it would be an art supply store.
And paint? Not real flexible. If you're thinking about doing this, please take some time to learn about your materials first. Make sure your base layer, paint and surface coatings are compatible. The linked sites do not really go into detail about this (nor is it something a lot of modern artists think about).
Also, a word of warning: This is bound to be smelly!
view Kakugori's profile
One of the linked sites, http://canvasworksfloorcloths.com, goes into it extensively and suggests and supplies materials. Today's low VOC paints, aren't very smelly at all and the right products will not crack or fade over extended periods of time (decades- not kidding!) Yes, you have to be careful in choosing the right materials, but a well made floorcloth is well worth every penny, and fun to make too! Canvasworks is holding a series of classes in October if you want to learn all about it (http://canvasworksfloorcloths.com/wordpress/?cat=8).
view canvas's profile
I have made dozens of floor cloths over the years in different designs. I have some art training but I never spend a lot of time on them--looser styles look just fine on the floor.
1. Buy thick cotton duck cloth at a fabric store. Alternatively use a medium to heavier weight canvas from an art store.
2. Cut it a bit bigger than you need--it shrinks a little. I used to hem the edges but the paint stops fraying so I stopped hemming.
3. Prime using a typical latex primer.
4. Paint a design using typical latex paints. I find it is good way to use up samples.
6. Coat with two coats of water based polyurethane.
7. You can now use it.
If you don't like the design you can repaint. I've done some of mine three times and it just makes them better as the extra paint makes them feel smoother.
They can also be cut up and used as place mats or framed and hung on the wall.
I use them for inside door mats in the winter as they are easy to clean.
view Urbanist's profile
Considering the cost, the difficulty with cleaning and other issues, I don't think this is the best solution to the problem at hand. I don't rent, I own, but we are years away from being able to afford to replace the horrible, stained and badly-grouted terra cotta tile on our kitchen floor. Our solution was to get an outdoor rug patterned like a terra cotta-colored kilim (so the rug blends well with the tiles still showing at the edges). Outdoor rugs are durable, can be mopped or hosed clean and provide more cushioning underfoot than a flimsy piece of canvas would. And cheap! A 4'4"x7"4" rug was about $150 (although it IS possible to find very expensive outdoor rugs). I've gotten a similar-sized rug made out of old plastic bottles and in brighter colors at a college bookstore for about $60. It would also be good in a kitchen and be easy to clean. I don't know why more people don't use outdoor rugs indoors in places like the kitchen--a floor cloth is a lot more cost and bother and won't perform half as well (if that).
view lucybrown64's profile
Difficulty cleaning? When a plate of spaghetti (with lots of sauce) lands on a floorcloth, you scrape up the food, wipe off the floorcloth with a wet sponge and get back to cooking another batch of pasta! With a textured rug, you're scrubbing for ages, and even then I bet the sauce stains don't come out.
Don't think of floorcloths so much as "rugs" but more as protective floor coverings. One that is made properly will outlast the indoor/outdoor rug by years! AND you get the bonus of custom colors, custom designs and whatever size or shape fits your space.
Check it out at: http://canvasworksfloorcloths.com
view canvas's profile
Why not use a canvas drop cloth from a discount store? More often than not, my local Big Lots sells 9x12 canvas drop cloths. I think I paid around $10 for one, so the only real expense would be in paint, polyurethane and time. I think it would be amazing to create one of these cloths! And incidentally, it's all fun and games using the outdoor rug indoors until you drop the hot iron on it...bad, very bad...!
view cookie!'s profile
omg I wish you posted this a few weeks sooner. I thought I had this great idea of a wipeable rug so I made one - though using fabric sewn onto a canvas drop cloth, then covered with iron-on vinyl. It's sitting under the dining room table for easy wipe-up. I thought it was an original idea but I guess not!
now I will have to research your links to see what is out there - wish I knew about minwax sooner before shelling out for the vinyl =(.
view lovelyrita's profile
Regarding cost, ease of making and durability - 18 years ago I freehand painted a 4' x 4' piece of found painters canvas with left over acrylic artists paint, glued the edges under with elmer's glue, and put on two coats of poly without bothering to sand. It still looks great even after living in various kitchens and living rooms over the years and it's never needed mending. Heck, I'm scuffing my feet on it right now while sitting at the desk.
Maybe I'll make a couple more for the hallway. Nice article, thanks!
view kjb's profile
You could probably make a better one out of oilcloth and some sort of plastic/rubber material to keep it from sliding.
view twitteringbirdie's profile
We've had a handpainted canvas floor cloth in our kitchn for 10 years. They are extremely durable and easy to clean, as the other comments have pointed out. Plus, it's also easier to custom match to the room and decor than anything else. Or if your not artistically inclined to paint one yourself http://arteffexinc.com/ can design a custom handpainted floorcloth for your space.
view poppadop's profile
I can't believe I never heard of these or thought of it myself! What a great idea.
view Kaete's profile