Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

DIY

How To: Laying Peel and Stick Tile over the Bathroom Floor!

September 28, 2020

We have been doing a quick phase 1 renovation of the girls' bathroom (read more about the plans here!) over the last week and it's coming along so well! We painted the countertops last week using the same countertop paint (and color--Putty!) as we used in our kitchen in our first house nearly a decade ago. Replaced the hardware on the cabinets. Added beadboard to the walls and last week, we laid peel and stick vinyl tile over the existing tile floors. 
Beadboard
Valance Curtains
Arched Mirror
Sconce
Vinyl Tile
Faucet
Cabinet Pull
Cabinet Knob

One thing I love about a phase 1 is it's a great way to try something bold. I fell hard for these rust colored vinyl floor tiles (they're waterproof!) when I saw them on Etsy and ordered enough to cover each square tile in the girls' bathroom. They come in different sizes and scale--we did the 12" (since that is what size our tile was) in the quarter scale.

It was a very EASY, painless and pretty quick. It took maybe 2.5 hours to do the whole floor and that was me mostly doing it alone. Chris had a meeting and came to help with the cuts when he was done. Speaking of the cuts, we used this paper cutter to make quick work of any trimming that needed done around the edges. You could easily use a straight edge and razor, too. The vinyl was thin (a little thicker than peel and stick wallpaper) so it really sits snug to the floor tiles, even though ours were anything but smooth to start with.

We opted to keep the grout lines exposed to make it look even more realistic and I love LOVE LOVE the way it turned out.

We thought it would be most helpful to document and share the process (and mistakes! haha) through a video. So if you want to tackle this yourself--for sure watch this video!

The floor tiles added the perfect color pop to their bathroom, and we'll for sure keep you posted on how it wears over time.

 

— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Nice. I have laid several peel n stick floors over the years. It has always worked out well.

  1. How did this work out at the threshold? I'm interested in this, but laying it over the existing tile would obviously change the height. Was this an issue for y'all?

  2. We love how your new tiled floor has transformed. For anyone interested to learn about our Quadrostyle vinyl sticker products toy can check out our FAQs which answer all of the questions in the comments here and many more you may not have even thought about.
    We address why it's best to leave the grout exposed, how to cover sizes we dont offer as standard, how they wear, how they feel and where you can and cannot use them.

  3. I used these floor tiles from Quadrostyle in my kitchen two years ago. Every time I walk into my kitchen, I fall in love with all over again. They look fabulous, were easy to install, and feel really nice underfoot. After two years in a small well used, well scrubbed kitchen, they look the same as the day I put them down.

  4. The tiles are SO beautiful! Thanks for sharing! I’ve got a couple of spots in the house that could use a phase one makeover with these.

  5. Hi! Two questions! I loooooove the color of the tile and think that doing a temporary version would actually give you a good feel if you want to really do a patterned tile or feel like it's too busy. Are they slippery? I especially worry about this in a kid's bathroom!
    Also, when you do phase 2 will you be keeping all the fixtures/hardware/sconces you got for phase 1? Or would you sell/donate those?

  6. Hi C&J- love the ENTIRE look! I especially love how the tiles even make the cabinets look softer and girly! You didn’t paint those, did you? They almost look a bit pinkish! Love it! Anyway, if you did paint, could you share the cabinet color?
    Great job!

  7. Those floor tiles are amazing! Thanks for the video. So, is the 90's brass back or is the cabinet hardware a modern version of polished brass?! I've slowly been replacing the brass in my 1994-built home, but I might need to abort....?! Ha!

  8. I really love the look. I do however, question the price of these. They seem to be almost as expensive as it would be to replace the tile.

    1. they may seem expensive, but when you factor in that there is no need for mortar or grout or any of the tools associated with the process. It is much less expensive than traditional even if you have tools and can lay regular tile yourself. Plus it is permanent enough to have for a few years or more without the enormous hassle and mess of removing traditional tile if you want to change the look. Just a few things to think about.

  9. Thanks for sharing your process! I never really dared to do floors so far! I did sticky wall tile and left the grout exposed as well and here it worked really nicely for me to use a hairdryer to heat up the edges very carefully for a smooth finish. The vinyl just bent around the tile and looks super legit now! May be worth a try!

  10. These are beautiful vinyl tiles and you guys did an amazing job with the install. I was hoping to use them as our rental kitchen floor, but when I went to check them out on Etsy price point comes up to $6.70 a square foot - seems crazy for Vinyl stickers....even LVT cost less then that, leave alone improvement store Vinyl tiles of around 80 cents to a dollar for the same size tiles. How could you justify paying this much for something so temporary? Am I doing the math wrong?

  11. I love the tiles, great job! Question about the bead board, I love that you put it behind the sinks, it looks so seamless. But , do you worry that it will get warped / wrecked by water splashing ? I love my boys but I wipe up water behind the sink every time they wash their hands ! I want to do bead board so bad but Wondered if you found a way to prevent this with caulk and special paint ? Thanks for always sharing your great ideas

    1. This made me laugh because I feel your same pain! I think this is the most precious bathroom but I'm not sure my boys could keep it in good condition, lol. I love these beautiful makeovers but I have to find very indestructible solutions for my three little guys!

      Julia, beautiful job on the bathroom and love how everything came out! As much as the stickers on the toilet are not your style, it's kind of like a little love note from your children! This whole thing just came out adorable!

  12. I SOoooo wish I had seen this before I painted my tile floors. They look beautiful! I spent a lot of time on my knees painting that tile floor - so the first thing I noticed in your video were your knee pads. lol. Just wondering where you got them and if they worked well for you (especially were they comfortable?)
    I am also super interested in how the vinyl tiles hold up and if you end up putting a sealer over the top. Even though mine are painted and sealed, they still don't hold up as well with dogs - so I've contemplated whether or not I could float some sort of extra heavy sealer (epoxy?) over the whole thing - grout and all - to make it extra durable.
    As always, Thank You for all the inspiration, and sharing your knowledge along the way. :D

  13. Thinking about doing this for our kids bathroom as well. Our tiles look very similar to what you have. The tiles we have are 11 5/8 x 11 5/8. Would this mean we’d have to cut down each these 12 inch adhesive tiles? Curious of your thoughts and opinions on this. Are your floor tiles exactly 12 x 12? Thanks!

  14. This looks great!! I’m contemplating doing something similar and wondering if you thought about doing the individual tile stickers vs the tile panels? Was there a reason you went with the individual tile stickers instead of the floor panels that the company sells? Thank you!!

  15. REALLY appreciate all the details you included in the video, especially your mistakes and your concerns!! So much of what's online just talks about the wonderful things and glosses over the not-so-great things. So, for someone who's considering doing this, I loved your including both sides!! And it really does look fantastic!!

  16. I am SO excited that you did this. There may be hope for our kitchen!! It looks so great with the grout lines exposed. Please keep us posted how it wears :)

  17. When I saw this in your stories, I was "pumped"! I love the color you chose but more so that you found a product to cover up tile you dislike until you can replace it. That's exactly where we are at in our kid's bathroom. It is so worn and tired looking. I think a little change and will be good until the demo! Thank you for sharing!

  18. We bought a house and are doing some major remodeling before we move in. The kitchen was done by the previous owners,so isn't part of the project. I don't love the counters and have been considering painting them. Does it actually hold up to daily family use?

  19. i wasn't too sure on these tiles in the plan, but now they are done I love them!!!
    everything you do always looks so good, I should never have doubted you!

  20. Love this... a few questions: do you think if someone had thinner grout lines, they could be hidden under the stickers? How did you prep the floors- anything besides just "cleaning really well"? And did you use additional adhesive? I've heard that can be very helpful with these. Thanks.

    1. Just cleaned it! Did not use any additional adhesive. I’m sure you could hide your grout lines if you wanted to, but I think exposing them looks more believable

  21. I am wondering, are your tiles textured? I have textured tiles in my entry, kitchen & breakfast nook and I really don't like them. It would be amazing if I could do something like this until we redo the kitchen. Thank you!

    1. Oh my gosh, I checked your post decade ago about painting your counter top. I realized I remembered your previous house from your blog, didn’t realized I followed you for so long. By the way I got here thanks to Dana from HouseTweaking. It’s wonderful to see how much improvement you made, you get so much better with every house. I mean every house get much prettier and stylish. Thank you for inspiration. Even if I don’t make so much changes in my apartment (live close to Madrid -Spain) it’s still my favourite blog with Saturday’s mornings coffee.

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Sales

The Best Early Black Friday Deals in 2024 (And More to Come!)

So many of our favorite stores have already launched early Black Friday sales, and we know there’s more to come! We collected all of the best deals of the holiday season—from tech to home decor—in one place for easy reference. Whether you want the lowest price on one of the best gifts of the year […]
Design

The Exciting Plans for Our Primary Bathroom Design

Chris and I have always said that if we don't feel 100% all-in excited about a project—both of us—then we probably haven't found the solution yet. I think that's been the tale with our primary bathroom renovation as a whole. We feel excited about doing the project, but it's been YEARS in the design phase […]
Chris Cooks

Mom's Light & Fluffy Homemade Dinner Rolls

I do a lot of cooking for food restrictions, but this recipe is none of those things. These dinner rolls are my mom's recipe, and they're one of her signature dishes. She has made them for almost every gathering since I was a kid. The smell of these...it's the smell of every family event in […]
Beautifully wrapped traditional presents stacked in a doorway
Gift Guides!

Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone in Your Life {2024}

Remember the thrill of unwrapping a gift that felt just right? Let's bring that magic back this holiday season!! Our curated gift guides for 2024 are filled with thoughtful picks that will make your loved ones feel special. That's what it's all about, after all. Whether you're shopping for your main guy, your clutch coworker, […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES