Lately, I’ve been captivated by the idea of white floors.
Sure, they’re probably impractical, and a bugger to keep clean, but my goodness are they beautiful! (And I think they’d fare well in my no-shoes, no-pets household.)
Of course, I’ll be living in a rented flat for the foreseeable future, so I won’t have white floors of my own any time soon. For now, I’ll content myself with gazing at these lovely photos from Apartment Therapy…and sharing them with you.
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Wow, that looks so nice.
90% of my house is tile, but tan colored. My walls however are white!
touroxin, I love white walls too.
Are you minimizing visual clutter? There’s something to be said for minimalizing housework and maintenance as well.
That’s true, Milly. It’s really just an aesthetic preference, and I’m not sure how much extra cleaning they would require.
I love them. We are redoing part of our old farmhouse and the walls are going to be white (which makes every room exscept 2 now). The closest I can come to the floors though is pale yellow(faded from brighter, I think) in two of the bedrooms.
That sounds lovely, TrishB; I’d like to redo an old farmhouse.
I don’t like to discolor wood floors artificially. I feel closer to the wood when there is just the thinnest, “buffest” of layer of finish. White is nice, but not on floors. The pictures above remind me of one of those spooky mime/statuette performance artists. ;-\
LOL, Steve — to each his own! I do find “plain” wood floors beautiful, too.
Those look beautiful!
I’ve always loved the contrast of hardwood against the white walls of a room. Right now, in my apartment, I have some old vinyl white tiles, which don’t look quite the same as those beautiful white floors.
Hi Aspiring Minimalist! I’ve always liked the wood/white contrast, too; in fact, I really like darker (walnut) wood floors, especially if they’re old and weathered. But there’s just something about these white floors that really appeal to me lately…
It’s like seeing outtakes of John Lennon’s “Imagine” video. But I agree with Francine: It must be a bugger (I see London is having a good effect on you!) to clean. And especially with kids!
LOL, Jens — these British-isms are slipping in more and more often…
Looks very old-time Seattle to me. Is this common in Scandinavia?
Hi Val! I think they’re pretty common in Scandinavia, but I never realized they were popular in old Seattle — very cool!
I agree white is beautiful. I think white floors can be done if you have the right habits for them, if you’re the type of person who cleans up as you go and are a minimalist then keeping them clean shouldn’t be such a big deal.
I agree, nyxmoxie — I think I could handle them. I had light gray pergo-type floors in my former kitchen, and they weren’t too difficult to keep clean.
so much love for these photos! the first one is amazing
Glad you like them, Kate!
White floors can actually be surprisingly practical (and with a no shoe policy even more so). Unlike carpet, spills can be wiped up easily. And when the floor does start showing signs of wear and tear – you can always just re-paint it.
Great points, Sarah! I’m so glad to hear these positives.
our last house had white wood floors and they were so beautiful but terribly hard to keep clean. i really wanted them in this cottage but husband said, not just no, but hell no. i’m kinda glad we didn’t, these floors are a lot easier to keep clean and you can really see their age.
~janet
Thanks for sharing your experience, janet; always good to hear from someone who’s lived with them!
I love white painted floors, particularly wind plank floors. Those are great photos!
And, believe it or not, I love white shag rugs or carpets. I know shag is not popular, but in the right color, it looks and feels great.
Hi Victoria — I’ve seen some gorgeous rooms with white carpets; I’d just be nervous about spills!
I might go with transparent white finish on wood for a pale, but interesting look and less cleaning and up-keep
Cat’s Meow, that would look lovely too!
Love the look, but you’re right – they can be a b***** to keep clean! I fell for white vinyl flooring for bathroom and kitchen and they are a total pain – two minutes after cleaning they look dirty again. I still like white floors in utility areas but think I will go for white ceramic tile next time.
Frances, I once had a white tile bathroom floor (a few apartments ago) and loved it.
I LOVE white floors! Yours look great.
My mother (who was an artist and a Zen buddhist) painted the floor of her studio (my former bedroom!) white years ago, and it immediately gave the small room a light, airy feeling. Since it only has a north light–good for an artist studio but dark for a house–the room looks brighter and more cheerful.
Hi Suzanne! I imagine that white floors would brighten up a small room beautifully. Sounds perfect for an artist.
Thanks for the great pics…makes me want to RUN to the nearest beach. That is what white floors mean to me… ocean-side cottage, floor to ceiling windows all wide open to the gulf with sheer flowing curtains blowing in a gentle breeze, fluffy hammock and pink umbrella drink.. ah….anyone ready to join me?
Those white floors are absolutely gorgeous, I don’t care how difficult it’d be to maintain!
If one keeps a minimalist, simple home that is clean and free of too many things, it shouldn’t be hard to keep floors looking nice. Especially if it gives you great peace and tranquility every time you set your eyes upon it. That, I believe, is much more beautiful in one’s home than an ugly tile floor or old-looking carpeting.
Great pics! Personally, I prefer natural wood-colored floors though, but everything else (walls, ceilings, furniture) can be white! But then again, I might change my mind about white floors in the future. Maybe it’s just an acquired taste.
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If you can, go for it. I lived in a place with solid wood floors that were waxed white for a while, and it was absolutely gorgeous.. especially since I enjoy my solid wood dark furniture (from Grandma
[...] but as most long-term readers know, I *love* white (see my posts Minimalist Home: White Walls and Minimalist Design: White Floors). I particularly like white linens in the summer – so cool, crisp, and refreshing! I’m [...]
We went with a very pale grey on the bedroom floor of our renovated cottage,but are thinking of painting them white.The grey is very clean looking(and easy to clean)Our entire home consists of white plank and beadboard walls.The rest of our floors are wide pine boards, left unstained,with a layer of polyurethane. We also have white and cream colored slipcovered chairs,and a pine farm table with white chairs.My kitchen is white beadboard with wood countertops.I have white dishes, white sheets, and white towels.It amazes me how many people take this as a personal afront,Lol.Our walls have no pictures(although I am considering a photo gallery up the stairs)and we have no curtains.My wardrobe is all pale greay, black, white and brown.I am SO happy living this way.Now, if I could only get hubby over his passion for gadgets…
White is great. I loved it when I had white, tiled floors – I had to mop it every day (kids, dogs, cat) BUT I always knew it was clean.
Now I have “natural” surface terracotta in my hallway, similar “stone-effect” tile in my kitchen and wooden parquet floors. Beautiful – but hard to keep clean (or see if they’re clean) and the wood is ruined by traffic, despite removing shoes indoors. So one of my goals is to replace flooring at some point, at least the rough tile…!!
I have white tile floors in my kitchen and bathroom (and wood throughout the rest of the house.) I LOVE the look of the white tile, but hate how much they show every little speck of dirt…
My kitchen floor has white tiles and i love it. It is no more work than any other colored tiles. I quick mop everyday and they look fine.
Aiyee. I love empty space, but I don’t think I could do all-white floors, ceiling, etc. I’d feel like I was living inside an aspirin bottle!
Gotta say, I love the white walls look you’ve covered before, but white floors as well… it’s a bit “mental hospital” for my taste, I’d need natural wood floors to add a little colour and texture to my living space.
(says the person with purple walls and carpet)