Tenants, encourage yourself: there is a solution for your sad linoleum kitchen floor, it won’t cost you the world, and your landlord never needs to know about it. A Brady Tolbert is to be thanked; He is the editor-in-chief of Emily Henderson’s hugely popular design blog, which has his brand new kitchen reveal live today.
On the upside, the Los Angeles rental apartment Tolbert found after a six month hunt “had fantastic bones,” but that went hand in hand with dingy linoleum floors in a tiny pantry. It’s a familiar story: he asked his landlords if they would replace them; you would not. So Tolbert looked for a “temporary, simple, and inexpensive” solution … that didn’t look like it.
Designer and homeowner Brady Tolbert covered the linoleum floor in his rented kitchen with peel-and-stick tiles.Photo: Tessa Neustadt
Enter an unexpected hero: peel-and-stick tiles (specifically 1/4 inch thick vinyl). As Tolbert admits, these are a bit like linoleum, but choosing the right colors, scaling, and layout make them feel like a whole new material. For less than $ 50, he was able to completely disguise the original flooring. And when he leaves the apartment (never?), He can pull everything right off.
Here’s how he did it:
Before: Things City
Photo: Brady Tolbert
During: A half day project
Tolbert got his tiles from Overstock.com – half black and half white so he can lay them in a plaid – but you can probably find them on Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowe’s too. Before you start, clean the floor thoroughly and order additional tiles. The first step will help them adhere well, and the extras can be kept on hand to replace any that peel off around the edges. Tolbert says some of him started peeling, but he could easily replace them with a new sticker square. His other suggestion: spend a little over $ 50 and you might be better off staying.
Next, create the design. Tolbert decided to put them on the diagonal (supposedly this has the added benefit of making the room look bigger) and aligned them using the original tiles as a guide.
Brady Tolbert’s rented kitchen floor and the peelable vinyl tiles he used to cover it.Photo: Brady Tolbert
Then you start gluing. He decided to lay all the black tiles first and then followed up with the white tiles.
Brady Tolbert lays new vinyl tiles over a rented kitchen floor and then cuts pieces to match the edges.
Photo: Brady Tolbert
For the edges, he simply cuts the remaining tiles into the desired shapes with an X-Acto knife and a plastic cutting board. “All you need is a pair of nice scissors,” he says, reenacting how easy it is.
Brady Tolberts renting the kitchen, halfway to a new peel-and-stick vinyl floor.Photo: Brady Tolbert
After: Unrecognizable
Surely you call this a 180º from the previous situation.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
A lacquered Smeg refrigerator makes a retro statement against the checkered tile floor.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
In the adjoining dining room (also tiny!) A gallery wall of all black and white pictures was put up as the final touch.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
Brass and leather armchairs surround a glossy white table – kind of airy in this tiny dining room.
Photo: Brady Tolbert
Brady Tolbert, king of his kitchen.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
See the full kitchen on Emily’s blog, Style by Emily Henderson, here.
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