Any real floorcloth (i.e. canvas) will be hand painted I think; I've looked for commercially made floorcloths at a lower price point, and couldn't find any. Floor mats? Yes, woven, flat vinyl, etc. but I don't think of them as floor cloths. I've made my own floorcloths and used on in my old kitchen in front of the stove, but I don't have the area/facilities to make a large one. It was fun to make, though.

Can you just paint the floors? Wouldn't a floor cloth be hard to keep in place?

I had a handpainted floorcloth in front of my sink. Even with a poly coating, they wear very quickly and badly.

" Wouldn't a floor cloth be hard to keep in place?"

I put grippy pieces on the back (like shelf liner material), but you could also use a non-slip pad like with any floor rug.

Thanks for the feedback.

Yayagal, I was hoping to get something that I could try out and see if I like it. Hard to do that w/ paint.

anglophilia, how quickly is quick? More than year?

Toronto, thanks your comments. The chiliwich ones aren't cheap (like 675 for 8x10).

Do you think using one of those bamboo "rugs" would work? I have oak cabinets so I think it would be too dark.

what is your floor currently? post a pic

Here's a strange but interesting idea: What about cork yoga mats? Would there be a way to connect 2 of them...Cork is naturally antimicrobial..

I see some lovely screen printed ones on etsy...

Beth, I tried to protect you guys from the horror, but here goes

pennydesign, hmmm...cork. I want to cover a large part of the room. Hmmm....

Yes...too big maybe...

Well, I say learn to love the retro vibe. Or wait till it bugs you enough to tile.

Spicher and Company has a great line of vinyl floor clothes made in the U.S. They wear wonderfully. I have a furniture store near me that has displayed the same ones for years now with no curling, tearing. They are not cheap and the styles work best for a retro, farm-house vibe. They will send samples for a fee or find a retailer near you that has them on display.

https://www.spicherandco.com/home.php?cat=1398

I would just get a few indoor outdoor area rugs. One for the main kitchen, a smaller one for the dining area and a runner for the hall. Hopefully that would cover enough of your offensive floor to make you happy :)

Home Depot and Target usually have a good selection this time of year.

Oh yes, it lasted longer than a year, but considering what I paid to have it hand-painted, I would have liked it to last indefinitely! It's been gone for so long - can't really remember how long it actually lasted before it moved to the basement and then the trash.

I agree with Beth. Paint and stencil it. The painting takes no time at all to complete. the stenciling can take forever depending on....you. But the outcome would be fab.

As a temporary measure, you could use PORCH PAINT to paint your floor -- it's designed to withstand walking on it. You could start by painting the floor a solid color and later have the option to add some kind of pattern, perhaps with a different shade of the same color.

You could recover with real linoleum not vinyl. Real linoleum is made of linseed oil, and hemp. It is naturally antibacterial and used in hospitals for that reason. It is supposed to be tolerated by people with chemical sensitivities. You could get a large rug sized piece to cover some of the floor if you are not ready to just cover the whole floor. If you paint the floor you will have to see if products that are no VOC or low VOC exists that can adhere to old vinyl tiles. This is an interesting problem. Please let us know what you decide to do for your floor.

There are paints that will adhere to plastic -- may well adhere to vinyl or linoleum, too.

I made one and it is holding up well. It is painted on vinyl. Second picture (red) is one I made for a friend.

Hi everyone, thanks for all your comments.

Beth thanks for posting all those pics. They are gorgeous. I'm not sure I'm up for the challenge. And I don't know about spending a lot of time on this. I may still remodel my kitchen within the year but today my floor is getting to me, hence my thought of just buying something to cover it up. Last weekend I tossed down a large blue rag rug and it helped. Part of me thinks that's a bad idea, but who knows? Maybe that's my fall back. It's something I own and if it gets stained, no big deal (and I could get another rug for under the table and a larger rug to cover more of the area by the back door).

BTW, my floor is "embossed" (if that's the right word) so after it gets painted it won't be smooth. I googled. Here's a pic. Some website said don't bother to try to make it smooth.

My cabinets are oak (and flooring in dining room is doug fir) so I won't do brown. Is there any hope for painting this. (?) Wouldn't I have to repaint again in time, like when I go to sell the house? I think I'm blinded by the ugliness to see it creatively.

@Anglo, yeah, I've seen some of those handpainted floorcloths. They are beautiful and $$$. I thought one said their cloths last 20 years (or maybe more) so I can see why you'd be disappointed. For me, I guess I'm looking for a quick fix but something that could last 2-3 years, if needed.

d_gw, I like your idea. I looked into the indoor/outdoor rugs and unfortunately we're back to the offgassing problem. One eco-home website evaluated the indoor-outdoor rugs, and in their opinion, the VOCs aren't a big deal if you use them outside. But I don't want them in my house.

weedmeyer--those are amazing. I love them. Do you have a sense of how long they took to make? I would use canvas and I saw that some places sell canvas that is pre-primed (and maybe the edges are finished. ) I would probably be happy with even a simple design, maybe a blue rug with a cream stripe around the edge, since I'm weary from the existing floor.

hmorton, thanks for your ideas too. I had briefly considered marmoleum as a replacement. Now I'm looking into something stopgap. Your comment made me wonder if the local marmoleum dealer ever has remnants. That might be fun (?) to toss some remnants around and I could go with bolder colors than I would if it were actually installed. I saw they also sell cork. So...I will try to stop by this weekend and see if they have any interesting ideas....

Thanks again everyone. If you have other thoughts, I'm all ears.

girl_wonder: it actually took quite a while because I designed and cut the stencils myself and they were multi-layer stencils, but there are many companies that sell pre-made stencils. Cutting Edge Stencils and Royal Design Studio are the two that I have looked at, but I wanted a certain thing in a certain dimension. If you had a pre-made stencil, it would probably take around 5 hours or so? You need to prime your canvas and then do the painting and then finish it with a sealer of some sort. I used polycrylic. Not sure what you could use to seal it that would be VOC.

If you are considering remodeling in a year or so, save your money. As adorable and creative as all that paint/stencils, etc., add up to hundreds of dollars when all said and done. Or, rip the floors up now and put down some hardwoods (my preference) or real stone.

weedmeyer, thanks for all that info. Those rugs are beautiful, so I think it was worth it.

Laura, thanks for the tip on the costs. I hadn't gotten that far. I can't do hardwood. (the subfloor would have to be rebuilt because there a slight gap between the boards; tile is ok since we have to put down a backer board. Plus I'm one of those weirdos who still thinks wood and water don't mix). For replacement, I am leaning toward porcelain tile.

God, maybe I should just throw down my 6x9 blue rag rug and consider a couple smaller ones and call it a day? Seems crazy.

Honestly? You have a wonderful kitchen, and your floors seem to be in good shape. If you were to declutter, removing unnecessary items from the counters, front of fridge, etc.; and then take your color cues from that sunflower print, you'd have a brand-new feel to your kitchen. Not a pro, just a make-do kind of homeowner. If it were mine, I'd put down some kind of washable cotton area rugs, maybe even rag rugs made from old t-shirts. I'd use the bright pops of color from your sunflower print, paint the walls a more neutral color, and throw in some blue accessories for good measure. I see yours as a kitschy & colorful kitchen with a fun,vintage vibe. You really have a great kitchen space. Happy Houzzing!

Just put down a peel and stick black and white vinyl tile. THE WHOLE THING. Use 12 inch......both colors, If the darn thing is 200 sq, feet ...........at 18 bucks for a box of 20/20 sq feet.......? A couple hundred bucks and some elbow grease.

https://www.amazon.com/Home-Dynamix-1052-Vinyl-12-Inch/dp/B003D36CQ2/ref=pd_sim_60_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B003D36CQ2&pd_rd_r=WAPC7GRJNEW5399J6YGG&pd_rd_w=aAKQK&pd_rd_wg=bEVbD&psc=1&refRID=WAPC7GRJNEW5399J6YGG

You can paint an embossed floor. Get a busy stencil and you won't be able to see the embossed portion. This isn't a floor but i painted and stenciled fabric with an embossed design and it worked just fine. I think the fabric is called brocade or something like that. I just painted and then stenciled. A floor would be much easier because it's flat.

I have also stenciled floors. I spent a total of about $120 on this floor. So nothing close to the amount of money in the post above. The most expensive portion was the stencill which I paid $60 for from Royal Stencil Designs.

My choice would be non-toxic, low voc, washable throw rugs, especially if you may be remodeling. https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/choosing-a-non-toxic-area-rug/

Ilikefriday, I was hoping you would pop in...Damn that chair gets me every time...And the embossing is preferable (to me) to a flat surface..

Here are a couple pics when I had the blue rag rug down a week ago.

The rug is a good idea but that particular color doesn't relate to the kitchen at all. I would try to find one in a more natural color or a pattern that incorporates some of the kitchen colors. Plus, plain navy shows every spec of lint and dirt. It would drive me crazy in a kitchen.

I have a 100% jute rug (ordered here on Houzz in Feb) in my rental kitchen, really like it. I didn’t notice any smell from it at all (but I’m not knowledgeable about off-gassing, so it may not work for you).

It’s been very easy to keep clean, I just vacuum it and spills wipe up easily. It’s not at all rough on bare feet, either. I took these pics as soon as I unrolled it .... it only took a couple of days for the edges to lay completely flat. I love that it doesn’t move around at all.

It comes in many sizes, I paid $49.60 for this 4x6. It also comes in other colors.

pennydesign - Thanks! I kind of like the embossed look more too because its easier for the paint to adhere. And this place is addictive. I tend to spend more time here when I am working on projects it seems.

Just paint it. I have painted vinyl before and it held up very well. It was in a beach house years ago that took lots of abuse with salt water and sand! Lasted years before we finally got a new floor. Lightly sand and prime and use BM latex floor paint. Add a design if you want; the underlaying pattern won’t matter much and will just add texture to the design. If it wears a bit in areas just touch it up until you replace it.

Maybe paint AND add a rug to the high traffic areas? I've painted a porch before (faux tile look) and it's held up very well for 4 years...that was cement, though so it was porous..

This will cost you one way or the other....time or money. Depends on whether you have one more than another. You might have to paint your kitchen in stages, though unless you move out for a while (paint should have curing time and we all need to get into the kitchen unless you temp move necessities out to the garage). Also, I would want to get under the appliances, but that's just me.

Miz_G - I LOVE your counter top, what is that?

I used to have a dark green rag rug, do you think that would be better than the blue? (I think it's up in the attic).

penny, thanks for the point about moving the appliances and needing to avoid the kitchen while the paint cures.

Miz_g, thanks for posting that. Yes, jute itself is low VOC. But I goggled and some places put latex backing, which is not low VOC. But I can keep looking.

Lisaw, we’re renting (moved here in Dec), so not sure what exact tile it is. I had Silestone in the house we sold, and thought, oh, no, tile counters! Surprisingly, I really like it. :)

girl wonder, it’s all jute, no latex at all. I’m glad to hear low VOC, though! I was sure expecting it to have a funky smell, but none I noticed (and I have a sensitive odor detector). :D

ETA: Love those painted floors! Very cool.

Girl_wonder, you've been agonizing over this kitchen for a while now...You know my thoughts from another thread...It's a great kitchen with good cabinets...why not just bite the bullet and get it tiled?

You'll be so much happier...Then all you have to do is pick a paint color and some (in my opinion) very colorful subway tile...

girl,,,i understand doing the stenciling would be a lot of time, but you could just roll on a solid color, and then do a large stripe or two in another color. wouldn't take you more than a few hours and a few gallons. it's ok that it's embossed,,if you do a light shade it won't be as prominent. look at these

honestly, you're going round and round here. Your choices are: paint it, or get some rugs, or do the 18x18 linoleum tiles on top of it, or rip it up.

don't care for that blue rug because the dingy yellow floor is still visible.

get the porch paint, put on some music, invite some friends over, get some pizza and beer, and have a paint party.

still too much work? then just do a solid color. you can still put down your rug on top of this, but it will look much better.

Yes. !!!! Because the no money involved no work involved solution does not exist. .

Oh wait! It does! Live with the floor you have:)

Unless the floor cloth -- rug -- can be laundered, would not want it in the kitchen.

Saw the pic of the textured floor. Your floor may not be your preference, but it would be better to live with it as is rather than paint it. With that texture, I doubt any paint would wear well and it would look truly awful as it gets scuffed up..

One last thought for the budget conscious. Spring is remodel season for those with a budget for it so ...

Don't forget to make frequent stops at the largest Habitat for Humanity Restore Store near you because people donate all kinds of items that could be used for remodeling ... some used that have been removed and some new where more than was needed was purchased -- or it just wasn't the right thing but wasn't returnable (or someone didn't want the hassle of trying to return it.

I have painted many a floorcloth in my time and they are very durable if done right. They can be cleaned with a damp mop. There are examples of these in existence from colonial days when they were made from sail cloth. Floor cloths today are even made on vinyl! Here are some lovely ones. As for painting your floor, if you do the prep , do the priming and use the proper paint as suggested it will look fine and serve you well until you are ready to change it. Here are some vinyl floor cloths, at least you won’t be tripping over rugs! If you went this route I would still paint the perimeter!

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Penny, where to begin? I had planned to do a big remodel of half of my house. The bids came in super high (one was 40% higher than the same GC's estimate based on only the floorplan); my preferred GC said all the subs and materials are super $$$, sometimes going up in a month. And part of it was specific to my olde house. Still my architect was pretty disappointed and said this is happening with other clients, that this year bids are sky-high due to demand. Anyway, I'm regrouping to decide what makes sense, and I may decide to just move in 2-5 years. I decided to be a grown up and start with the deferred maintained first and then do the fun stuff of remodeling. So with this thread, I was hoping to come up with an easy and not expensive way to cover these floors. Plus honestly I feel like I need a vacation from thinking about my house. Friends are visiting this weekend--thank goodness! ;) Thanks for all your help and good ideas. I really apprecaite it.

lynartist - how is floorcloth installed? So interested and a great idea for those than can't rip out what they have and re-do the floors. I've never seen or felt it in person but will check it out someday....

Laura, it’s just like a rug. They are beautiful aren’t they!

Easiest would be peel and stick large vinyl tile squares to completely cover it. For two hundred bucks and a big Exacto type knife and a day of labor. It doesn't get any cheaper. All gone in a day.

I think that your floor is fine. My choice would be to paint the cabinets white and replace the hardware with simple chrome. Replace the curtains, something light, perhaps white or a yellow gingham check. This will provide a fresh, appealing look and help to integrate your otherwise open and pleasant kitchen.

I love the suggestions about painting and stenciling the floors. Very inspiring.