I hate linoleum. Even "nice" linoleum never looks good. I just don't understand why it exists, when ceramic/porcelain tile and hardwood get the job done just as well. My home is plagued with some yucky linoleum, but I'm not equipped to replace it at the moment, so I decided to cure the ugliness with a DIY solution I dreamed up.
I found some dark woodgrain patterned contact paper and adhered it to the tiles to mimic the look of hardwood floors. Contact paper is really easy to keep clean — it can be wiped clean quickly with a sponge or a damp mop — and it seems to be really durable as well. The project cost me about $25 — around $4/roll — and took one evening to complete. It took some patience but was well worth it in the end. To see the final product, read more.
Are you troubled with the linoleum curse? I highly recommend this solution. Stay tuned for instructions on this DIY!

American Retro
T-Bags
Avon
Does it scuff?
1this looks great! My Mom used to use contact paper for so many projects when we were growing up. At one point our fridge and dishwasher were covered in it to give it the woodgrain look. omgosh I even remember she covered our radiator covers with contact paper. It's amazing how easy, verstatile and sturdy it is.
2Woah what! This confuses my brain.
3This is crazy! I didn't even know contact paper existed. Awesome!
4AMAZING! I never would have thought to put contact paper on the floor! My glass dining room table has thick metal legs and this week I was trying to imagine what they would look like with wood-grain contact paper on them. My h-band would never go for it though....
5Hmmm I'd be afraid it's "wear" wouldn't be very long. I'd rather save up and have hardwood floors.
6Wasn't it hard getting it even? I mean, is this basically wall-papering the floor? I think I might have just gone with a rug...
7Amazing. Makes me want to see what I can affix it to in my house.
8It seems to be really durable, and doesn't scuff. I wouldn't say it was hard to get it even, but it took patience.
9Wow what a HUGE improvement! I don't have linoleum in the new duplex but I might be contact-papering something else. Great idea.
10Is this easily removable? For those of us who rent, it might not be the best solution to get rid of ugly floors.
11That is so cool! And perfect for an apartment if you want a change. I wish I could do it on my cracked/chipped/stained tiled floors at home, but I think the unevenness of the floor combined with a large dog with long nails won't make this last long at all.
There really are some really cool contact papers out there. I found some 'vintage' stuff in my basement, has a very '60's vibe to it.
12Just one clarification: your floors look like vinyl, not linoleum. Could that possibly be the case? Vinyl comes in a wide variety of patterns and colors, whereas linoleum is much more limited. It really only comes in a mottled, marbly pattern. Also, linoleum is very environmentally sensitive, while vinyl is horrendous. And I agree- often hideous, as well.
13wow! i never would have thought of contact paper!
14Wow, i never would of thought of that. It looks great!
15That is really creative, Casa! Love the look. How about peeling - do you think that will become an issue?
16Hi chelle41984, it's definitely really easy to remove. You just need to wash them afterwards to remove the adhesive residue, but it comes off easily.
17Hi amybdk, since I overlapped each sheet with the one beside it, it's all kept in place. It doesn't seem like peeling will become an issue.
18Do you think this would be durable enough for a high traffic area, such as the kitchen? Or maybe steam from the bathroom? Those are the places that I have linoleum.
19That looks surprisingly good! I wouldn't use it in a high traffic area though.
20wow! what a great job you did! I admire your patience, I bought contact paper just to line my shelves and gave up after just one lol
21I am amazed by how good this looks. Love the contrast with the white furniture.
22Clever idea!!! I wonder if it looks as good as in the picture? I wonder how long it will last before the edges start to turn up? Let us know! Contact paper is FUN! No pun intended, but it's easy to "get on a roll" with it!
23I have linoleum in my bathroom that I hate hate hate! I'm definitely going to look into this idea as a solution until I can afford a new bathroom renovation. Thanks for sharing Casa!!!
24sfprgirl - I used faux suede contact paper to cover my shoeboxes in my closet. It looks tres luxe!!!
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