If you live in an older home or apartment, there’s a good chance that you’re not exactly in love with your bathroom floors. One YouTuber called DIY Dalia decided to take matters into her own hands and do something about it. She first shows us her current floor situation and yeah-it’s not exactly what I would call appealing.
The floors look to be yellowish or light brown-colored laminate, so I can totally see why she wanted to change things up. She mentioned that she had tried those popular peel-and-stick floor tiles before, but they tend to leave a yucky, sticky mess behind. It was time to try something different.
Watch the YouTube video here to see what she did:
Instead of doing the usual peel-and-stick method, she said she came up with an idea to use a really specific type of vinyl tape. The tape is very wide, and she applied it directly to the floor after she thoroughly cleaned it. On the video, you can see some text noting that she applied the tape with a slight overlap so that each row was a little bit overlapping the next.
She said that she decided to use a really pretty white and gray “marble” peel-and-stick tile. If you didn’t know any better, you would probably think it was an actual stone. Today’s modern flooring products are really high in quality, and these tiles definitely look nice and high-end from a distance at least.
Once she showed the type of flooring material she chose, she said that she thought a herringbone pattern would look nice. In order to do this, you need thinner pieces, so she took a sharp knife and cut each tile into smaller sections so that she could apply the pattern the way she wanted to.
She mentions that she is a renter and that for a long time, she fantasized about owning her own home so that she could design it however she wanted to. While she’s talking, you can see her laying the thinly cut pieces of tile into the herringbone pattern. Note that she used spacers so that it gives the flooring pattern a more visual definition.
After all of the tiles are laid out, you can see her and another person gently shuffling their feet over the floors, I assume to make sure everything is even or to help make them “stick” once she was ready to apply them to the vinyl tape and the floor underneath. She tells us that she used to dream about a nice home with big windows, but for now, she realized that it’s perfectly OK to make a rental space however you want it. She said that over time she was much more content with where she was, even if she was renting for now.
I find this to be really inspirational, especially for all of you renters out there! Just make sure you check with your landlord to see if it’s allowed before you go making any major changes.
During the video, you can see her applying grout in between the tiles with a trowel, and then she gently wipes the excess away using a large, soft damp grout sponge. This not only makes the floors look nicer but also keeps the beautiful herringbone design that she created in place.
And wow, let me tell you this is an amazing transformation! I am blown away by how beautiful these tiles look and how meticulously she did the herringbone pattern. It looks amazing!
Viewer Dean Oliver was definitely inspired, saying, “Okay queen I love this idea. I’m a homeowner who doesn’t have a lot of money so I’m utilizing renter hacks.”
One viewer named Bea Smith liked the part where they were walking on the tiles and said, “The two of you squashing the tiles down with your feet is cute!”
I think this little video is a great starting point for anyone out there who’s renting and needs some encouragement and inspiration. Get out there and make some changes to your own space today!
