hi, we use 8x4 sheets of 18mm mdf and paint them with a mix of ronseal mat varnish and paint ,50/50 mix. this means when the floor gets dirty u can wash it.
the paint we use is a white base with a very small amount of black added to make an arctic white. the black removes any yellow/cream from the paint.
we use mat varnish as we do not like glossy floors but i am sure if u did u could use a glossy varnish.
hope this helps as it took years of trial and error to get this right for us.