Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I just bought a house and will need to paint and replace all the floor coverings. My problem is that the kitchen has pink countertops which are in good condition. The cabinets are white.
Using decor that blends the colors of your countertops and other parts of the kitchen/house will help. Curtains with nice designs and detailing and colored bottles are wonderful for this.
Consider using burgundy with the pink to add another color.. This will give it a traditional look.. For a more contemporary look use beige or brown with your pink countertops.. I say, if it looks like a mistake do it again..
Have you considered black. Black and white squares would match for a kind of retro look. I agree that for a contemporary look that beige or brown would be a good choice.
You could go really frilly with the curtains and I thinks silver appliances set on the counters would set off the pink.
The color chocolate goes well with pink.
You don't have to live with the pink countertops. Home Depot Or Lowes has special paint to redo countertops and make them any color you want. I would repaint them myself or hire a home improvement service that does refacing of countertops or repainting them. Pink is too retro for me. Jill
I agree that if you keep the pink, it will need a retro setting. Black and white checkerboard would be "neat-o" and "swell".
We bought our home 1 year ago, and it also has light pink countertops in the kitchen with dark brown cabinets. What I ended up doing is painting the walls gray. Surprisingly, the pink countertops seemed to receed and no one notices them anymore! The other two colors I have in my kitchen are beige appliances, and white table and chairs. It works together in a soft, unobtrusive way.
Lucky you. I got pea-greeen counter tops in my mobile home, Yuck! I cant afford to replace them right now. Pink does not sound too bad. Could this be a case of "the counter top is always greener on the other side"?
I just finished painting my kitchen/dining room. I also have a pink counter top. I have a snack bar too. I have lots of oak,cabinets and floors. I put up a chair rail, painted it white. The top of the chair rail in dining room is yellow ( Ace Hardware Chilled Lemonade.)This color goes in kitchen over the cabinets.
I painted my old bathroom counter tops to mimic capstone. I researched and read and asked questions and repeat. I was very apprehensive, but I got there. I was so proud! I put on my first thin coat of Minwax Polyacrylic. I sanded, a bit too hard. I am heavy handed and had never done a project that required this. Now the heartbroken part. I had white places and spots. I have just applied a primer coat on top of that to start over or just paint the thing and forget it. But I will once again have to apply a sealer. Please advise. I don't know what I need to do. I do not want brush marks. I also do not want to go thru this again!
Thank you all for you tried and true advise.
Normally you should be using steel wool to do the cleanup work and light sanding on the countertop. When applying the final coat use a paint roller to avoid the brush marks.
I really want to spray paint my bathroom countertop with the Rust-Oleum stone spray paint. I have read so many different ways to seal it that I'm totally confused as to what to use.
I've seen recommendations for water based poly and then acrylic and epoxy.My bathroom vanity needs refinishing and I do not wish to replace it. It has been in place for 20 years and has gotten rather discolored.
By Sue M.
I am truly working on budget here. I have read the many posts as to how to paint counter tops and am excited. But, I also have an issue with the counter top in that it was not cut straight where the two pieces join at the corner. There is a gap along the length from the back to the front where the two pieces are supposed to join. Anyone have any suggestions on how to fill this gap?
By gailbie
I think I'd use paintable silicone caulk to fill the gap. If it's quite wide you can use a piece of old panty hose to create a base inside the gap for the caulk so it doesn't drip right through to the underside of the counter. LOL, ask me how I know this can happen:)
Attach the sides of the patch cut to size from the stocking to the edges of the gap with super glue-be sure to position the patch so that it dips a little into the gap area. Doing that will create enough fill so that if you need to, you can sand any caulk that has raised above the surface of the area you plan to paint. Make sure you let the caulk cure for at least 48 hours in a warm dry room before trying to sand it.
A squeezable (eliminates the need to purchase a caulk gun if you don't have one already) tube of paintable caulk shouldn't cost you more than $3USD at a hardware store or your local favourite big box store.
Is it possible to (step by step and what products) paint my laminate counter tops to look like dark brown quartz?
Lisa Russ from Florence, SC
If I were you I'd call Home Depot or Lowe's and ask them before you attempt the project.
Do a search on here in home inprovement...there are many people who have done it and offer some great suggestions.
You can do this with acrylic paint. You must seal it and understand,seal,seal,seal it. I painted a kitchen bar and it still looks fine. However,we only ate at it.When your dealing with surfaces that get wet it's only a matter of time before you must redo it or replace it.
I, on a whim, painted my laminate kitchen countertop without any real prep; it is now chipping. Will applying Minwax polycrylic help? If not, is there anything I can do or am I doomed?
By Daniel B.
Years ago I had painted counter tops in an apartment. I'm not sure what process they used, but if I ever laid a sack of bread or any printed plastic on them it would leave the imprint...never to be removed again. Have any of you experienced this? I'm interested in painting mine, but am fearful of not being able to use them normally.
By Shree L.
Has anyone tried to upgrade 5 inch glazed countertops?
By Marilyn D
I see lots of posts here and elsewhere on the web about painting laminate, but none of the photos I've seen show laminate counters with the metal edges, and metal joints between the counter tops and backsplashes.
Has anyone done this? If so, what kind of preparation did you do on the metal? We're thinking of using Giani granite but haven't made up our minds yet. The counter is probably 50 years old, and a sad faded turquoise, so almost anything would be an improvement.
Thanks in advance!
By Catherine
Are you sure the countertops are laminate and not vinyl? I have never seen laminate ones with the metal strips, but I have seen lots of vinyl ones with the metal strips. If they are vinyl, you can easily paint them, people used to paint their vinyl floors all the time when they couldn't afford to replace the vinyl. My late mother painted our living room vinyl lots of times. She used left over tractor paint. Check with one of your local home improvement stores for advice.
I think I would tape off the metal strips because they may not take the paint as well. Sand with a fine grit sandpaper before painting.
How do I faux paint laminate counter tops?
By FURCAR2 from Colonial Heights, VA
Ask at your home improvement store. I have seen it done on the Home and Garden Channel, but never paid any attention to it because I live in rental and have no plans to buy a house at my age.
So easy! Use an oil based primer first. Then an oil based paint for the base and for the accent colors. I did mine about 3 1/2 years ago and have loved it! Haven't had any problems with it chipping either and we cook 3 meals a day in my kitchen. So, it gets used a lot! I did not put a coat of polyurethane on it either. Someone told me it would be easier to touch up if it didn't have that shiny coat on top. Let me know if I can help with anything! You won't regret it!
I have a laminate countertop I want to paint. But it has a metal strip along the front and on the inside edge. What do I do with this metal strip when I paint the countertop?
By Pam from Cincinnati, OH
Put painter's tape on the strip so you won't get paint on it. If you are thinking about painting the strip, you have to use a certain type of paint for metal and sand the strip first.
Go to retrorenovation.com and see their site. you have a mid -century modern kitchen, ours was built in 1947 and the counters are yellow. we have so enjoyed living with some elements of the past. look into it before you change anything. On this site thousands are accessing sites to BUY the strip material and install it. Others are searching to buy old Metal cupboards to put their homes back to the period. notetotel Ontario Canada
After proper preparation, I sealed my countertop with the appropriate sealer and did a granite look finish with acrylic paints. I was sold an acrylic water based polyurethane as a top coat and followed the directions, e.g., re-coat after 2 hours and wait 48 hours before use.
It has peeled off in 2 areas. I have touched it up and recoated, but am now concerned that this will continue. Can I sand, and put a coat of oil based polyurethane over this? What do you advise?What kind of paint is best applied over joined white Melamine boards used as a countertop? Should I use epoxy, appliance epoxy, enamel or acrylic paint or paint used for a dry erase board?
Do you have some different ways to paint my kitchen laminate countertop? I would love some ideas to choose from as far as various looks. I would like to update my kitchen and make it look more modern. Thanks.
I was searching for a durable finish for a laminate kitchen countertop that was texture sprayed. We took on this project of painting the counter top after removing the other paint finish that was thinning and had bare spots. (This was previously done by a professional 6 years ago.) We did not plan on this it was a spur of the moment improvement. Prepared surface was not cleaned after paint was scrapped off with Awesome's Oxygen Power and Mr.
Muscle. So, I see that the surface should have been primed with an oil based primer after cleaning with a degreaser. There are some bubbles on the surface where some of the softened paint was. How do I salvage the project, so I can finish with the clear coats of Envirotex Lite?By Ernie
Decided to give painting my bathroom laminate vanity a try. I've seen so many that look simply beautiful and not like paint at all. Doesn't seem to be working that way for me. I wanted a more soft, blended look and for some reason cannot achieve the desired result.
What I'm wondering is if putting several layers of a polyacrylic will soften it any. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks!
I've used acrylic crafters paint on my laminate counters, is there a wait time before beginning to apply several layers of polyacrylic? (I know it should be at least two hours between coats of the quick drying poly.)
By camy
How do you not use your kitchen counters while the paint dries and the sealer cures? I've been wanting to paint my kitchen counter tops for a few months now, but I don't see how it's possible not to use them while the sealer cures. How do you make dinner? Do dishes? Some of the best sealers take 2 or 3 days to cure.
I was thinking about doing each section separately (I have one on each side of the fridge and the one by the stove and sink), but when I get to the part by the sink/stove, what do I do? Also, there's a seam coming up on that section, how do I fill the seam and glue it back down?By Lisa S.
Can you faux finish the laminated back splash in the same technique as the counter tops?
By Tara
I painted my bathroom counter with melamine paint. It looks nice, but not a granite look. Could I put that look over my melamine and how would you do it? Please help in directing me step by step in doing this. Thanks in advance. My bathroom countertop is in a light grey, my walls are dark grey. I would like some colour on the countertop. I like browns and beiges also could this go with it.
By Bonnie
I am looking for paint which I can paint on top my kitchen work top. It is not shiny, but has a matte finish to it. Please help me find something. I don't want to spend too much money on kitchen worktops.
By sheetal mistry from Leicester
There is actually a new product that you can use to paint your countertops and it mimics a granite type look. I don't remember the name of it right now but both Lowe's and Home Depot carry it. Just ask!
How do you paint countertop laminate to look like stone?
By margy from Winnipeg, Canada
There are certain paints for this. Ask at your home improvement store.
I need to paint my kitchen counters. What should I use?
Home Depot has a Counter Resurfacing Kit. I would try that.
