Photos > Home ImprovementNovember 14, 2008

Repainting Kitchen Counters

Repainting Kitchen Counters

Repainting Kitchen Counters

I just finished painting my kitchen counter top with acrylic latex paint and polyurethene. It was a lot of fun and saved lots of money. I spent a total of $150.00!

Anyone can do it. Here's a picture before I finished the last section. So you can see the color I previously had. I might mention, my counterops were in good shape when I started this project. The hardest part is applying the poly coats afterwards.

I got the granite look I was wanting. Now I can save up for the real thing down the road.

I might mention, that you treat painted counter tops as you would any laminate top. Nothing hot, and you don't cut on it.

It will chip easier if you have kids around. All you'd have to do is sand it, paint it again and then the poly.

Update:

Counter300x225.jpg

This is the finished look:

  1. Clean with TSP.

  2. Prime.

  3. Apply accent colors one at a time and let dry.

  4. I used water based poly /glossy. We lightly sanded in between, cleaned with damp rag. Dry and put on a layer of (non yellowing) poly until we got the look we wanted. Just make sure your counter is free of defects first.

My cabinets are Aristokraft Spice cabinets/ Oak with Spring Green Paint Color for those of you not able to find a paint color. This green is a blue hue, no yellow what so ever. I love it.

I might mention, I googled "refinishing laminate counter tops" to get the idea.

By Jean from Robards, KY

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By
12/23/2008

Gail-

The glaze was not hard to use at all. It comes in two parts that you have to mix together. We rolled ours on with a small foam roller and did not experience any bubbling. One thing we did run into: 24 hours after we sealed it, I set a bowl of soup on the counter on a hot pad and it left a white mark. I frantically called Daisch and they were great. They told me that it takes 7 days for the epoxy to cure completely and told me how to remove the mark (came right off with a little acetone). Since it has cured I have placed warm objects (never hot off the stove of course) on it and have not experienced the problem again. The color we chose is Tuscany.

By
12/04/2008

Great Job Shoegirl. What color is that?
Is the glaze hard to use? Did you get bubbles?

Thanks
Gail

By
12/02/2008

You have done a gorgeous job! Thrifty Fun first gave me the idea to paint my countertops as well, but I was too scared I would make a mess of it. I started researching other options and I discovered a product called SpreadStone by Daisch Coatings. For about $150, we were able to refinish our UGLY old teal formica counters and it was virtually goof-proof! They came out beautiful and the Epoxy Sealer is hard as a rock. I highly recommend this product for those wishing to refinish their countertops on a budget.

RE: Repainting Kitchen Counters

By
11/17/2008

You did a great job! I've thought about doing this to mine. They're a dull flat cream color. I've cleaned them so much I've wiped all the sheen off, and they're laminate !
What do you clean/disinfect them with ?
This would be a great alternative to the real thing. I hear they have to be oiled a couple of times a year. Please I would love to hear your response on this...Thank you for sharing..As you can see In the background In this picture I am In the process of making New living room curtains. I did the faux paint technique with a car sponge and an aluminum pan. My Living room Is 28 X 17. It only took about an hour to complete the sponging effect. Too Many Projects going on. But I am thinking of doing the counters next.

RE: Repainting Kitchen Counters

By
11/14/2008

Thanks for posting how you did it.

By
11/14/2008

You did a great job, it looks so nice. Thanks for sharing it with us!

By
10/25/2008

Wow. That looks awesome. I'm going to have to try that. Not sure if I have the patience though.

By anita (Guest Post) 10/23/2008

I did my kitchen counters twice. first time I prepped with kilz. Let dry about 2 days, then paint. If you want a granite look, I used several neutral shades, and then splatter painted those on with an old toothbrush. Then I sealed it all with envirotex, not regular poly. This makes a thick coat. that stuff is great. Also, the 2nd time I just sanded everything off, and covered with marble look floor tiles. Looks great, and no sealing needed. Anita

By Elaine (Guest Post) 10/22/2008

I am wondering if the original poster will come back and explain how she did things. I have never done this but have READ how to do it. I know that the most important thing to do if you want it to last is surface prep. Sand with med. sandpaper and then clean with alcohol. Then prime it with 2 coats of primer. I can tell you from experience that Zinser 123 is the best primer. Then you can either sponge on the colors of your choice or use a stencil.

It takes practice to get the colors you want and the blended look you want. That is why I suggested using the stencil. Here is the exact page that it is on. http://www.victorialarsen.com/Stencils/Faux%20Murals/faux_home_1.htm If you do not use a stencil, I would practice on some boards before applying the paint to counter top.

Someone said that they had trouble with their counter tops having brush marks in the varnish. It helps to use a paint pad to apply it. It does not leave bubbles or brush marks the way a paintbrush or sponge brush does. And whatever you do, use a water base varnish or you will have yellowing and you do not want that! And I would say that you should apply at least 3 coats of varnish, 5 would be better. And if you want the look of granite, use a gloss varnish, not a satin one.

By Sue (Guest Post) 10/22/2008

How pretty! Good job!

By Judy (Guest Post) 10/22/2008

We really need to know what you did to prep your surface before we all can try this! My countertops are so old is why I want to do it. Please let us know what to do! Thanks for the inspired idea! HUGS

By
10/22/2008

Do you have directions? Where can I find how you did it? Can it be done on butcherblock?

By
10/21/2008

Can you share some tips about the preparation you did before you started painting - and how you got the granite look - it is beautiful!

By Sheila (Guest Post) 10/21/2008

I agree with the others, how did you do it? How did you get the "marble" or "granite" look? Were your original counter tops laminate?

Sheila

By Sarah (Guest Post) 10/21/2008

I just did my coutertops over the weekend and I think they look great as well. I went from jade green to a nice neutral.

I am curious how you got such a smooth finish on yours? Though I LOVE the paint job I have, I have brush strokes in the polyurethane and it doesn't shine smooth like yours. They look great!

RE: Repainting Kitchen Counters

By Elaine (Guest Post) 10/21/2008

In my post, I erroneously typed in a website. I typed it in as Virginialarsen.com. It should be Victorialarsen.com. Sorry, if anyone tried to access it.

By
10/20/2008

Jean, I agree with everyone else, the picture looks great! I have been wanting to do something with my counters for years, but I have a limited budget. Do you have specific instructions? I would love to do a similar project in my kitchen. I also looked at the website from Allison, but could find nothing related to repainting kitchen counters. Thank you for any advice.

By
10/20/2008

I would love to have some more information, (complete instructions would be great as well!). I tried the link posted by Allison5 but I could only find info on repainting cupboards, not counters. Any hints/help would be appreciated! Thanks!

By (Guest Post) 10/20/2008

Looks great. I would like to try it on my daughter-in-laws counter top. It is ugly yellow, but fairly good shape. How did you get the granite look. What prep was needed? Light sanding?
Thanks,
Harriet
harrietschipper AT hotmail.com

By judy (Guest Post) 10/20/2008

Please give us some detailed instructions...It looks beautiful and I would love to try it in my kitchen
Aloha,
Judy

By
10/20/2008

You are a genius!

By Elaine (Guest Post) 10/20/2008

That looks wonderful! I have been toying with the idea of purchasing a granite stencil from Virginialarsen.com but just have never gotten to it. Did you use a stencil? You did a great job by the looks of the pic.

By
10/20/2008

That looks great & it is BETTER than granite. New research is finding radon radiation in some granite.
You are better off doing it this way. Great job!

By
10/20/2008

Looks great. I just found an article with more details on how to do this.

http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/buil ... tops/repainting-kitchen-cabinets.php

By
10/20/2008

Can you share some tips about the preparation you did before you started painting - and how you got the granite look - it is beautiful!

By Jean (Guest Post) 10/20/2008

How did you get the granite look to the paint?

Jean

By (Guest Post) 10/20/2008

Wow - I never heard of being able to paint your countertop - good idea. Let us know how it holds up.
How many coats of polyurethane did you use?

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