How do I paint a concrete floor and make it look great in a basement?

You can use concrete paint and painter’s tape to paint a design - like a rug. :)

you need to have the cement/concrete very very clean, and possibly etched. there are products for painting cement.

Regardless whether it is indoor or outdoor, you can use this paint for concrete!! It is fantastic paint and really soaks into the top layers of concrete. IT IS NOT CONCRETE STAIN though so if that is what you are looking for, stain is not paint. I wrote a post on this exact thing..... https://karupp-did.net/patio_painted/. I go into detail on how to paint a concrete patio floor but you can totally use this paint indoors on cement. It was fantastic! Follow the directions in the post. It was easier than painting a bedroom to be honest. You can use a couple of colors to create a stenciled rug look. Just be sure to clean it well before you paint.

I would recommend stain over paint. Talk with the paint professionals where you will be purchasing the product for tips on the best way to etch the current finish.

We painted our concrete steps using specific concrete paint! Here is my tutorial: https://www.aratariathome.com/blog/how-to-update-concrete-steps