HOW TO install custom VCT flooring

One of my favorite elements of our Playroom is the flooring we designed and installed.   It is durable, fresh and fun yet was easy and inexpensive to install.

We want to share a tutorial to help others achieve a similar, custom look in their home.

Remember, this is what the room looked like BEFORE as a nursery.  The carpet was from the previous owners and was in sad sad shape.

First we decided on a color scheme and selected our flooring.  We purchased 12 x 12 vinyl Armstrong commercial tiles (Vinyl Composition Tile) in Soft Grey and Cool White.

Tyler worked out a striped pattern for the playroom floor by simply sketching the room to scale and determining where each stripe will lay.  This helped us calculate how many tiles we needed in each color and size.

Once we had our design finalized, he cut the tiles using a table saw.

Next we cleared out the room and ripped out the baseboards, carpet and pad!

We used Chapco Floor Patch to fill the holes from the carpet tacks around the perimeter of the room and any other imperfections in the slab.

After allowing the patches to dry properly, Tyler swept cleaned the floors with water.

Next  Tyler applied a coat of Henry Floor Adhesive to the entire playroom floor with a 1/16” trowel.  He evenly spread the glue on the floor and was careful not to apply excess glue, which will bleed through joints if applied to heavy.

 

We let the adhesive sit and once it became tacky to the touch we began laying the tiles.  Open times will depend on the product used so be sure to read labels carefully and follow instructions on your adhesive.

We already had our tiles cut so laying the pattern was an easy process.  We followed Tyler’s drawings & notes and got to work!

 

We started with a full 12” white stripe and worked our way out from there.  Be sure your first row of tiles is straight.  You will lay all additional tiles against this first run so if it’s “off” then your floor will all be slightly askew.

 

After all of tiles were laid in the playroom and closet, we used a 100 pound linoleum roller to get good, even adhesion.

 

We let the glue dry for approximately 5 days and then sealed the floors with Armstrong Satinkeeper Resilient Low Gloss Floor Finish.

Then baseboards were installed and finished with caulk and putty.

 

We installed our playroom and are thrilled with the outcome! 

You can see the entire playroom here. 

 

The stripes were perfect for our space, but remember the pattern options are endless. VCT comes in such a wide variety of colors so you can come up with some some amazing designs.

Check back soon to see how we design the VCT floor in our girls’ bedroom!

Nursery fit for a sea princess

 

We recently collaborated with Sean and Christina as they transformed their guest room into a nursery for their sweet baby girl.  They have a love for diving and the ocean so wanted to incorporate this theme into the design of the room while still keeping it feminine and youthful.

I adore how this room turned out!

The walls were painted the perfect soft blue to showcase the school of fish on the wall.  These fish are one of my favorite design elements in the room!   This was a family project and it makes such a great statement in the room.

I found a gorgeous, yet affordable, shell mirror at Pottery Barn Teen and it was the perfect touch to the room.  I love how the mirror reflects the fish as you walk into the nursery.

We pulled together a feminine, fresh fabric scheme for the nursery while shopping at Childress Fabrics. 

A large scale coral fabric was perfect for the window treatments. 

The panels were lined with a soft blue silk and trimmed with an adorable ruffle made from our striped fabric.

The striped fabric was repeated on the scalloped bumper and trimmed with a sweet pink ruffle.

 

Remember the bookcase and end table we refinished for Sean and Christina?

They look adorable in the nursery!

 

Enjoy your room sweet Layla!