My home was a mecca of ugly and strangely colored laminate countertops; hunter green, brown, navy blue, beige, etc.. I set out to paint them to improve their look, thinking "they can't get any worse, can they?" Paint was my frugal friend.
First I studied granite samples online and did my homework. Then I set out to buy, or in some cases, shop in my own basement for existing paint and supplies. All I needed was a good primer (2 coats), some natural sea sponges, and as many colors of acrylic craft paint (little bottles) as I wanted, at about $1 a bottle, with some on sale for as little as $0.27 cents!
Next, I wanted some glitz, so I bought Martha Stewart glitter. The crowning glory of my supplies that would pull of this look together successfully, was Envirotex Lite. It's a coating that spreads on like corn syrup, and is equal to 50-60 coats of shiny poly. That, along with some inexpensive foam brushes, and tape and drape for cabinets, I was ready to go.
I started with my powder room. It turned out so lovely, that I moved to my master bath. Which was amazing. Moving along, I did my entire kitchen, followed by my upstairs guest bath, and my mother's house too. I'm an addict!
Once you get a good stash of primer, paint bottles, and your glitter, the only new stuff you're buying are the foam brushes (thrown away after each use), and your Envirotex Lite. Total cost for my bathrooms, on average: $25-50. Total cost for my kitchen: $125.
Now, I'm going to share the look with you. Please know that however "nice" they appear online in photographs, the photos just do not do them justice. They are amazing! I swear, while they may not be natural stone, they are prettier than any granite. I encourage you to get out there, use your thriftiness, and cover-up your ugly laminate countertops America! You will not be sorry you did.
By Suz Jab from Belleville, MI
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
Looks amazing! I wonder do you need to be artistic? And how does it wear in the kitchen?
They look amazing! Would of loved to see them "before", too!
Bravo! You are genius and a true artist. Your post makes me wish I had some ugly formica to deal with. Your finished product is just gorgeous!
Wow! Don't they look great. Is acrylic primer OK? How do you get marble effect? I imagine its by merging colours before they are completely dry.
Love it! You did a beautiful job, it's inspired me so much, thanks for sharing!
Sure wish Michigan wasn't so far from Missouri! You did an awesome job - congrats!
They look beautiful! I definitely have some ugly formica in my house! My only question is: the Envirotex Lite product safe to use on kitchen counters...heat resistant and safe for food to come in contact?
I did this in my kitchen - covered the ugliest gold laminate ever! The envirotex lite is a bit tricky, and you need a heat source to get rid of bubbles - a propane torch works well. It works best if you have a partner to help you mix and pour and smooth. It sounds a bit scary, but the results are so worth it.
They're gorgeous! You did a beautiful job. I'm thinking it was probably very time consuming, but the results certainly look worth it. Did you sand the original surfaces to give the primer something to grip, or was that not necessary?
That is so cool. Could you send me step by step instructions on the process?
Darlene
Please post a step by step process for beginners?
This is beautiful. I am so excited to try it. I love the very last picture - can you tell me what colors were used for this?
Hello: I am very inspired by the look of your counter tops but wonder if you could provide more detail. Did you remove the sink or tape around it? Did you use painter's tape? The manufacturer's website says no masking tape because the envirotex will sink into it- is this true? How did you do the vertical surfaces? Sorry to be a pain but this is a big undertaking that you make look easy! I would love to try!
Could you please send me a step by step list of how you did this? This is amazing!
The counters look so great you should enter a contest or do that on the side for cash. They look awesome!
Did you do the back splash before or after doing the counters in the kitchen? I have the ugly turquoise counters and the back splash was painted sunshine yellow. No, I didn't do it. It was here when I purchased the home.
I would love a tutorial on this! I have been wanting to do this to my kitchen and bath, but to afraid it would peel and make things look much worse. I would love to have a step by step on this too as many others have requested. Do you have a blog which you show this?
What colors did u use on this counter top I like it a lot
Suz
What did u use on the last one you did that had the gray and white marble look ?
How did you achieve the veining that looks so real? What tool or technique did you use?
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
