I want to stencil my kitchen floor, DH says no AIBU??

[MamaMumMama]

We bought a house with a gorgeous kitchen, it’s in the southern Mediterranean region so it has terracotta tiles. I don’t like them. The kitchen is white with marble counter tops, it needs a nice white floor. We have been looking at tiles in shops for weeks now and I know what I want in my head but I can’t find them. I don’t want to spend a load of money until I find what I want. So I was looking for some inspiration and I noticed that tile stencils seem to be a thing now (all over insta and Pinterest) with some amazing results. I told DH today and he said that something you do when you’re skint not when you could afford to have new tiles! I’m kind of hooked on the idea and when people (DH) shuts down an idea without even entertaining it, it makes me more determined to do it!! So AIBU to think it’s in fashion, paints have improved, last longer and it looks good! Or is my husband right that you only do it when you don’t have another option?
If you have done it yourself please let me know how it went? Would you do it again?

If you're thinking of replacing them anyway, and you like doing that sort of thing, then I don't see what you could lose by trying.

White floor would be terrible, stencilled floor sounds like a disaster in the making.

I lived somewhere where the kitchen tiles had been painted white and blue by the previous occupant- it was a nightmare to clean, shoe scuffs just wouldn't budge and it stained horribly. When I scrubbed enough to reduce some of the stains (tea and tomato) it took some of the paint off with it. White tiles would have been fine because they would have been easier to clean but I don't think paint is a good idea, sorry.

trouble with cheap ideas like this is that they look fantastic when they're just done (hence the pinterest/insta photos) but wear really badly!
I'd be interested to see stencilled tiles in a high-traffic area a year later!

Stencils will take forever & need sealing or it lasts 5mins . You can buy self stick floor tiles that look the same ,usually in blue & white or grey & white, patterns like modern geometric , retro or Moroccan style .They're dirt cheap on wish.com. Lots of You Tube decor hack tutorials on how to lay them.

I suppose if you are of the artistic type, and like to make your mark doing wonderful creations, then it might work. You need to think it all out, and imagine how it will look. It's good to be different, even though others might not like what you do.

You are going to dig up terracotta tiles? You philistine!

Nice terracotta or local stone flags are the best.

White floors are a bit like white carpets - fine for a gilded penthouse in the Emirates but not anywhere else except an operating theatre or abattoir.
Stencils - sound a bit like Austrian blinds.

I don't think you can paint terracotta floor tiles. People may do it on ceramic tiles but not terracotta.

Have you done something like this before?

If you're quite good at DIY I would say do some experiments. Get a terracotta tile sample for a tile shop and give it a try. To see how easy it it and if the paint is any good. Then tell you DH that you want to try it and if its no good you can still change the tiles.

I would warn you though, kitchens are high traffic areas and you will want to clean the floor regularly, so no matter how good your paint is you will start seeing wear probable within a year if not sooner. Lots of people like this 'aged' look, others don't.

Just a thought. Terracotta is quite porous, not sure how it will take to paint...
I had whitish tiles in one bathroom and they showed up everything, never again!

Why not compromise? Commission bespoke tiles so you can get exactly the look you want, but created and installed by professionals. That way, you know you will get a certain level of quality and a route to get it fixed where there are issues that occur.

There are lots of firms who specialise in this in the US/Middle East, so I imagine there would be in Europe too.

Are they actually terracotta (so very porous) or just that colour? I don't think you could paint terracotta. I wouldn't want white tiles or stencils so I'm with your husband I think sorry!

Would love to see a photo of what they look like now and what you're planning though