Karen E Laine Shakes Things Up On Good Bones With A Bright, Bold Floor Color

When it comes to our homes, regardless of whether we have a tiny bungalow or a huge house, most of us want some sort of wow factor. For "Good Bones" host Karen E Laine, that meant updating her recently purchased 525-square-foot beach-front house. The home was built in 1900 and has two bedrooms and one bath, and came with plenty of problems that needed addressing, including some old, wide white oak floors that needed some serious updating. Luckily, Karen knew just what to do!

Instead of pulling up and replacing or even totally covering up the floor, Karen went with a unique twist and decided to dye the wood bright blue, per HGTV. How did she do it? By adding some fabric dye in a beautiful sea blue to some mid-toned wood stain. 

The stain is put all over the floor and the mixture created a cool, uneven hue on the floorboards that mimics the surface of the ocean, some areas darker and others lighter in a way that draws the eye perfectly. The look works beautifully due to the original light color of the wood and because Karen was willing to take a bit of a risk, but don't worry; you can do it on your own wood floors as well.

To create this cool look on your own floor, you'll need to add fabric dye, like Rit, in whatever color you like to your chosen wood stain. Make sure that the dye is mixed throughout the stain, and then test it on a small section of wood to make sure that you are getting the color you want. Understand, though, that the dye will be uneven and won't cover wood like paint, so you will see natural variety in the shade. Next, apply the mixture evenly across your floorboards, allow it to dry, and enjoy!

But what if your floors are already stained or too dark for the color you're going for? No worries; you can sand your wood floors to remove the existing stain and redo the look with your new color. Begin by sanding the floor to remove the top layer, then apply a wood stain stripper according to the manufacturer's instructions. Wipe clean and sand again to remove any lingering residue. Now, your floor is ready for the dye-infused stain mixture.

And if your floor is too dark? Well, that's when you may have to bleach your wood floors to lighten them up before you can apply the dye and stain. Apply wood bleach evenly across the surface and let it sit according to the product's guidelines. Once you achieve the desired lightness, neutralize the bleach, rinse thoroughly, and allow the wood to dry completely. You now have the perfect canvas for a striking floor transformation.