megandgarr Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 So it has been awhile since I did this (about 3 - 4 years I believe) but I painted over my boring white laminate countertops to make them appear "faux" granite. So far it has held up nicely. They could use a touch up of the top coat (polyurethane), but it sure was much cheaper than replacing all of my countertops. Now, if only I can figure out how to post the pictures. Lets see if this works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzyK Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Beautiful kitchen! I'm drooling since mine is a tiny apartment kitchen. I miss having a nice big kitchen. I LOVE the spices above the stove! Looks really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megandgarr Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thanks so much!!! It was a scary project but I am glad I did it. I was so afraid that I would have to replace the countertops if I jacked them up too bad. Luckily it turned out nice. I made the spice rack (metal from home improvement store, containers, magnets & a hot glue gun) but have since taken it down and bought a different spice rack that sits in the corner. It turns out that spices lose their strength from the heat from the stove (go figure ha ha). It was a neat concept, just not practical if you actually want to use the spices. Plus the metal backsplash was a bleep to keep clean because of the oil splatters from cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaturallyTru Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Nice! Really cool ideaTrudi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 You did an incredible job of those counter tops. They look fabulous as does your kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LovelyLathers Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 They are great, nice job! I wish I had a kitchen like that! All those cabinets! I have 3 so I have to have free standing ones which clutters the room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 oh, I want to do that to my ugly counters! please share how you did it...it looks fabulous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megandgarr Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thank you! It has been a while, but I remember the gist of it. Also, I will PM you a website that you can go to and find so many beautiful before and after photos. I am not sure if I am allowed to post the website here. When I first did this it wasnt widely known. Now there are a lot of people doing this and I believe some better techniques & products to use as well. First I lightly sanded the laminate just so that it had a bit of a gritty surface, just enough to remove the smoothness. Then I cleaned the counters really good to remove the food/oil, etc. Then I primed with KILZ and let it dry. Then from there it is just a matter of painting your "faux" granite. I used 3 different shades of brown and a sea sponge. Definitely practice your design on cardboard or paper first to get the look and technique that you want so you are consistent with all of your countertops. Then I sprinkled a small amount of gold dust over the paint once the design was complete to give it that "granite" look. After it was dry I used an oil based polyurethane with a very small foam roller. I ended up using 5 or 6 layers of the poly, and you have to sand slightly between each layer so it will adhere. From what I have read, the oil based poly may discolor to a yellowish shade over time, so if you do lighter colors you may want to use a water based poly. Since my counters are so dark, I do not see any yellowing. I believe a lot of people are using a newer product called Envirotec for their top coat. I guess it makes the appearance glass-like and holds up better than the poly. Some day I might sand down my poly layers and use that, but for now the poly works. You just have to be careful with placing direct heat on the counters. I have a big cutting board on the island and anything hot has to go on that. It really was a nice and very inexpensive way to completely change the look of my kitchen. Good luck!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deisel Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 wonderful job on the counters!!! they look great!kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deb426 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Zinzer 123 is an excellent primer for this purpose. I painted my 1950's era orange backsplash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenancy Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 That looks beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 That looks very nice. I wish my kitchen were than organized and clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminousBoutique Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 looks great! I did this with a bathroom vanity that had a wood top, it really will stand up to years of wear, we're on year three and its still chugging along! I havent been brave enough to do my whole kitchen, and I've been considering going with dark dark stained butcherblock countertops.. but if we rule that out I was thinking of it again the other day. The problem for me is that our countertops are only 4 years old. When we made an offer on the house they were old faux wood ones and we were just going to replace them ourselves when we moved in, but in the meantime they put in green laminate. I feel wasteful replacing it when its functional but I have to design around it, the color is obnoxious to me.. it doesnt go with anything I want in that room. Now you have my mind spinning again, hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katshe Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 now thats a hugh project to take on ...it looks really great!!! I love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megandgarr Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Thank you everyone, I really appreciate it. It was a big project but well worth it in the end. We only spent about $100 and got the look of granite countertops. It made a big difference to the boring white laminate that we had before.Luminous, I would say you should go for it. This way you are getting the best of both worlds. You wont be wasteful because you wont be pulling out functional countertops, yet at the same time you can make them a color that you love and that you can decorate around. I would go nuts if I couldnt decorate to my taste. I did this back before it was popular. I even see commercials now advertising kits that can be bought with all the supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziphora Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Wow. Your kitchen looks awesome! I wish to have that kitchen too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziphora Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Painting countertops can make dated and damaged surfaces look like new. With some paint, elbow grease and creativity, old countertops can give a bathroom, kitchen or recreation room a whole new look. When painting countertops, it is important to remember how the surfaces will be used. This will help determine what supplies should be used as well as guide texture choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratant Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I'm thinking of doing our kitchen countertops too. Been getting the itch to get rid of our laminate...but without the cost. I've grand plans of stripping the wallpaper, getting rid of the carpet (yes...a carpeted kitchen) and I really want to do something with my cabinets. I was considering buying the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation kit for the cabinets. I want to get rid of the honey oak...problem is...the whole kitchen is loaded with Oak...windows trim baseboards...sigh. I want dark cabinets. But...I figure if I do the faux granite...it will make my cabinets look good LOL. These cabinets had to be expensive when the previous owner them in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angielyn Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 That really looks great! I thought about doing that, then got lazy and just bought new formica (granite look alike) to cover the old stuff lol Much cheaper then to buy the sheet then the entire counter top. And Debbie, I did the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation kit to my cabinets and I LOVE it! It's a lot of work, but mine are holding up very well. I did mine in an antique white look. I also did the shelves that were on the wall between my cabinets above my sink and it all matches very well together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratant Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Angie, I'm glad to hear the cabinet transformation kit worked out so well! I bought it last week, bought the small dark wood kit. Figure I will do my bathroom first....cabinets and counter and if it turns out...do the kitchen lol. I heard the hardest part of the kit is the deglossing and applying the clear coat. How did you find working with the deglosser and clear coats? Here is a pic of my "sample" granite that I painted last night. This is the pattern I would like for the bathroom counter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angielyn Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Debbie, that looks great! I've seen tutorials on doing this and was going to, but our counters were pretty icky, so it was better to just cover them As for the cabinet transformation kit. I got the white base. I didn't find the deglossing hard at all. And I have never redone any type of cabinet or anything for that matter and yep I was very nervous lol I also found the clear coat very easy as well, it goes on much better then what you have heard and pretty darn durable. We actually got another can of clear coat thinking what they gave wouldn't be enough, but it was and I haven't used the other one. I can wipe my cabinets no problems, but if something gets on them that you would normally use a fingernail to scratch of, you can't. It did pull a tiny bit of paint off Since your doing yours dark I assume you won't be doing the "stain" part? I did the stain and found that part to be the hardest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratant Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 The instructions do say to use the glaze, even on the chocolate color. I've read that it gives it more of a wood look. I haven't started it yet. I'm hoping to get started this weekend. I can't wait to try it out! I will post before and after pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megandgarr Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Debbie, your sample granite looks awesome. I can not wait to see the pictures of your finished project! I recently had to put a couple more coats of polyurethane over my island because it had lost its sheen (thanks to the many drips of wax that I had cleaned off of it) but now it looks back to brand new again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megandgarr Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) Here are a few updated photos that I just took today, plus one is a close up of the faux "granite" with the gold glitter dust that I added to give more of a realistic appearance.You may be able to see better pics on my blog.... www.justaddsomejava.blogspot.com Edited March 13, 2013 by megandgarr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratant Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Megan...I added your blog to my favorites! Your so creative! It was your counters that have inspired me. I love the color you went with. I think I should "rethink" my sample granite. My husband says it looks likecamo....girl at work thought it was a picture of land from google earth LOLOL. I thought it looked ok...wth? haha.I did buy some glitter...just didn't paint that on my sample. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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