Do you hate the color of your entryway tiles? Or is your kitchen stuck in a '70s rut? Don't let expense prevent you from updating your space. These budget-friendly — and creative — floor treatments will add style to your home without stressing your bank account.

"Brown Paper Bag" Floor


Stained concrete floors are one of the hottest looks in home decor, but they can be impractical to install. This faux-concrete treatment is a perfect way to cover worn or unattractive vinyl flooring but also works on subfloor as long as you prime or seal it first.
  • Clean the floor thoroughly. Trisodium phosphate, normally used by painters to degloss and degrease surfaces, works well for this purpose. Rinse well. Let dry.
  • Tear (don't cut) postal kraft paper (two rolls will cover the average floor) into irregular but manageable sections. Scissor-cut only the pieces that you will line up against cabinets, walls or the floor edge. To add texture, crumple each torn piece tightly, then smooth it out.
  • Pour a small amount of polyurethane onto the floor where you will place your first piece, and smooth it out with a brush or your hands (which I prefer). Lay the piece of paper down and apply a little poly on top of the paper. Think of this as decoupage for your floors! Now continue to lay down paper pieces, overlapping them, and smoothing out bubbles and wrinkles as you go. Your hand is the best tool for this.
  • Once you finish covering the entire floor with paper, let the poly dry. If you want a darker finish, dab wood stain on your floor with a soft rag. Then, to protect your new floor, add 4 to 6 additional coats of poly (wait 1 hour between applications). Once your last coat is applied, allow the floor to dry hard, at least overnight or longer if possible.
  • If your floor starts to dull, clean it and add a maintenance coat of poly. Repairs are easily made with another torn piece of paper bag laid right over the existing treatment. Seal with poly.
  • Damp mop when necessary and it should last you years!

Painted Floor With a Border


Rather than just painting your floor, why not paint and then add a custom border on top? This treatment will work on wood floors, vinyl and also tile.
  • Thoroughly clean the floor with trisodium phosphate and then rinse well. Apply painter's tape to the baseboards.
  • Apply several coats of a high-quality specialty primer. I like Kilz or Bin. Let dry, and then roll on the acrylic latex paint of your choice. Best to stay with neutrals here, folks! Apply as many coats as necessary to cover, and allow to dry well.
  • Using painter's tape, tape off a 4- to 6-inch-wide border around the perimeter of the room. If you have an open floor plan, just follow the walls; the border will actually help tie all the rooms together. Paint the inside of the border area a color that complements your background color, and allow to dry.
  • Now the secret: Roll 4 to 6 coats of water-based polyurethane, such Minwax Polycrylic, over the entire floor, and allow to dry thoroughly. Recoat once a year, or if you notice the finish getting dull. Voilà! A custom floor for the price of a little paint.