Breathtaking stencilled wood floor

This is an incredibly cool idea from ToolGirl Frances Bolton!

Dear Mag: 
I've been reading your column in the Ottawa Sun for some time now, and I enjoy your writing style very much.  It's not often I read something in the newspaper that makes my laugh - out of enjoyment, that is. 

This is the floor I installed in my garden home. In 2002, my fellow employees and I were all laid off when our plant was closed. I took the summer for myself, and entered a one-year commercial college course that fall.

That summer, I installed my 'severance floor', as I like to call it. 

I wanted a wood floor, but didn't want to pay for the cost of a traditional hardwood floor, and besides, I like to do things myself. I ripped up the (very old) wall-to-wall carpeting, and screwed and glued down 4' x 4' 1/2" thick sheets of baltic birch. The floor is about 16 by 20 feet. 

I did a light sanding, and applied a stain.  I then bought several copies of a stencil from a local craft store, taped them together, and applied the stencil using two colours, a burgundy to bring out the colour of the stain, and gold.

I used the small bottles of craft paint you can pick up in any craft or dollar store. I then applied four coats of a high-gloss polyurethane.  My father (he's now 87) just loves it - says it's the only floor of its kind - and he's right.  It's been five years now. They're some very slight cracking along two seams, and the floor shows the regular wear and tear of a household (including the time I dropped the garden shears, point down, of course), and I wish I had done a better job of applying the polyurethane, but all in all I am very pleased with the results. I get lots of positive comments about it, but the ones that count the most are my dad's.

Comments

[Abi]

That is really pretty Frances did a wonderful job putting that together. Thanks for posting this Mag.

ps If you're up to it Mag, I have something for you and Daniel in your Email. I hope you check it out.

[Aida]

I love your floor; the idea is very unique and beautiful. My daughter is 14 and she wants her room to be remodeling. She needs a new floor but wood floor is out of my budget and I was looking for an inexpensive way to do a wood floor. I will appreciate if you can let me know how much money the wood will cost (her bedroom is 16’ x 10’).

Thank you,
Aida
heatner42@hotmail.com

[Wood Flooring Sanding]

Wow, so much work! Who would have thought that sanding would be this exhausting?! The floors look FANTASTIC.

[Floor Sanding London]

I've never seen anything like that. Looks like there is an awesome amount of work involved, obviously a dedicated artist, absolutely fantastic.

[Amy]

Beautiful floor, very inspiring. I'm going to try it in a small bedroom. Wondering if there's a trick to getting the seams nice and smooth...?

[ToolGirl]

Amy, you can minimize seams with wood filler - blend colours of MinWax woodfiller until you get the right shade. Or run the stencil design over the seams so that the busy pattern covers the lines.
Hope you try it!
Mag

[phoenix flooring]

Wow, that's beautiful! I bet that floor took you quite a large amount of time, though. Worth it, I'm sure, but wow I can only imagine.

[Pia]

That looks very good. and you did all by your self.
Amasing

[flooring us]

love this floor - it's so pretty and unique.