How 1 Designer Drastically Transformed His Rental Kitchen For Just $50

Updated on 6/17/2018 at 8:20 AM

As a renter, ugly linoleum flooring is practically inescapable. But as one very resourceful designer proves, there are ways to work around it. Editorial Director for Emily Henderson's design blog and a designer in his own right Brady Tolbert knew he could make the LA apartment he found with good bones but dated kitchen flooring work. His clever and shockingly cheap solution to disguise instead of replace the floor was simple: peel-and-stick tiles. Brady scooped up quarter-inch-thick black and white vinyl tiles from Overstock.com to create a classic yet bold statement for less than $50. While you might not think of vinyl as being an upgrade to linoleum, Brady's choice of scale, color, and layout looks deceptively expensive. Here's how he pulled it off in one day!

Start With a Clean and Dry Foundation

The lackluster linoleum Brady inherited with his rental kitchen dated the space, but the flat, smooth surface was the ideal foundation for peel-and-stick floor tiles. To ensure the tiles would adhere well to his linoleum floor, Brady started by thoroughly cleaning the floor and making sure it was completely dry before he started laying out his tiles.

Lay Out Your Pattern

Brady turned up the Hollywood glam factor by tilting the squares at a diagonal to form a diamond pattern, avoiding what otherwise could have resembled a checkerboard. He started by laying the white squares down the center of his floor, using the lines in the existing linoleum as his guide.

Coordinate Your Furniture

A white pedestal table, black leather and gold chairs, and a modern light fixture kept the look bold and sophisticated without being overly busy.

Make a Statement With Art

A floor-to-ceiling black and white gallery wall with oversize art brought a final punch of drama to the small kitchen.

Upgrade Your Accessories

The vintage-inspired Smeg fridge, open shelves, gold hardware, and pendant lights were pricier upgrades, but paired with the vinyl floor, they add designer polish. It's hard to believe it's the same rental kitchen!

Brady's Words of Wisdom

Brady is happy with his decision to use peel-and-stick tiles but does have one regret. While the tiles held up well for about eight months, he started noticing that the black tiles began to peel up. Whether it was just a bad batch (the white tiles were fine), Brady recommends going with a slightly more expensive tile option to ensure quality control. He also recommends buying extra tiles. You can use them as backup if you make a mistake while cutting and can have extra on hand in case you need to replace any that start to peel over time.