painted floors - your opinion please

I am thinking long and hard at the moment ... about painted floors, or rather about paintING floors, and to be more specific, about painting MY floors!

Our home is fairly traditional in and out; colouring the floors would give a more contemporary feel, but what happens when we bore of the look?

I have looked at many pictures, and sighed at the gentle sheen of a dark wooden floor, or the lift given by white boards, but it takes a certain amount of courage that I have yet to muster before I can reach for the paintbrush.

In our guest cottage I painted the kitchen floor, but have been disappointed by the low resistance to scratches.  But that could be a question of paint quality.  That will be redone in the spring  which is fine as it's not a big room to cover.

So, who better to turn to than YOU, dear readers.  I know that between you there will be many who have painted floors at home, or who know other homes where it has been done.

Would you give me an outright thumbs up or shake your head and utter stern words of warning?

Many people have painted wooden floorboards, but has anyone painted on old tiles?  Have you painted hallways or kitchen with heavy traffic, or only kept to the quieter parts of the house?

And what about stairs?  How long is it before they start looking scruffy - please remember that mine is a country house, and the stairs are climbed by dogs and feet clad in riding boots!

Is there a paint you would recommend, and is there anyone out there - please - who has been able to compare a floor painted with special floor paint, and another covered in chalk paint?  I used Annie Sloan paint on the floor of the showroom, and didn't wax or varnish, and it looks good.

And finally, if you have used chalk paint, what protection did you add once the paint is dry.

So as you can see, my head is full of questions and with my guest season over, and a month before Christmas (and no Thanksgiving to celebrate, which of course I always regret, but that's another story), with all of that I am itching to go ..... all I need is your permission !! :)  I look forward to reading your advice, and I may even promise a picture or two of the results!


PS, and if you would like to see the home of a friend of mine, who just painted her floor white, then take a look here, she is very clever and brave!!