She Removed the Old Gray Carpet From Her Porch and Spent 16 Hours Painting a Floor That Looks Like Tile
Gray carpeting covered the concrete floor of this enclosed front porch, hiding a worn surface beneath it. The stone walls, dark wooden paneling, and large windows were already in place, but the floor had none of the pattern or color seen in the finished space.
After nearly two years of wanting the carpet gone, the homeowner removed it, scraped away the adhesive, and sanded the exposed concrete. Rather than covering the floor with another material, they painted it white and used a stencil to create repeating terracotta-colored flowers.
The renovation was shared by Reddit user u/Fish061, who reported spending about 16 hours painting the pattern. The finished floor resembles decorative tile, with circular floral motifs and geometric shapes extending across the porch.
The Original Porch Had Gray Carpet Over Concrete
The original floor was concealed beneath gray carpet, which covered the porch from the entrance toward the seating area. Once removed, the concrete showed patches of old coatings, discoloration, and marks from the previous floor covering.
The homeowner scraped away the remaining glue and sanded the surface before painting. The preparation left the concrete exposed beneath the existing stone walls and dark trim, without requiring a new floor to be installed.
White Paint Created the Base for the Pattern
A white coating covered the prepared concrete, providing a uniform background for the stencil. The light surface contrasted with the dark wood paneling beneath the porch windows, while the stone walls remained unchanged.
The paint also concealed the irregular patches visible after the carpet removal, giving the homeowner a surface on which to repeat the decorative design.
The Stenciled Flowers Took About 16 Hours to Paint
The stencil combines large circular flowers with eight terracotta petals, pale pink outlines, and triangular shapes between the circles. Each section was repeated across the floor to create the appearance of patterned cement tiles.
The homeowner reported spending approximately 16 hours on the stenciling alone, following the earlier work of removing carpet, scraping adhesive, and sanding the concrete.
The Finished Floor Looks Like Decorative Tile
The completed pattern covers the floor between the stone walls and the screened openings. A wicker hanging chair, white-cushioned loveseat, potted plants, and wall decorations furnish the porch without covering much of the painted design.
Viewed from the opposite side, the terracotta and white pattern extends across the full seating area. The circles repeat in rows, while the triangular sections connect them into a continuous design.
The color also complements the brown window frames and stone walls, with the white background separating the floral motifs from the darker architectural finishes.
The Porch Furniture Completes the Makeover
The wicker loveseat has white cushions and terracotta-colored pillows, repeating the tones used in the floor design. A snake plant in a woven basket and a dark wall lantern sit beside the seating area.
The homeowner retained the porch’s existing stonework, windows, and wood paneling, concentrating the renovation on the floor rather than rebuilding the enclosure.
Before and After: Gray Carpet Gives Way to Painted Flowers
The comparison shows the exposed concrete before painting and the completed porch with its repeating floral pattern. What began as a worn surface beneath gray carpet now resembles a floor covered with decorative tiles, although the design was created with paint.
One commenter wrote, “Wooooow I thought those were tiles!!” Other readers asked whether the homeowner had applied a protective sealer, but the original post did not confirm the coating used or how the painted surface would hold up over time.
For a similar project, concrete floor paint should be selected for the location and expected foot traffic, with a compatible protective finish where the manufacturer recommends one.
For another porch makeover using paint instead of new flooring, one homeowner turned a concrete mold upside down and spray-painted a stone-paver pattern across her porch.
Would you spend 16 hours stenciling a concrete porch floor or choose traditional patterned tiles?
Image credits belongs to Reddit user u/Fish061.