DIY Countertops Before & After

So when we first looked at this home, we knew that there were some upgrades here & there that we didn’t mind taking on.. The countertops were immediately noted as a MUST upgrade.  However, that being said, there were other places we needed to put our funds into before our granite (or whatever material we go w/) savings account would be full.. Soooo, I decided to start researching online what I could do for a temporary fix.  ANYthing had to be better than the mauve elegance that currently existed.

Nervously, I dove right in!

I used steps from other blogs that I found here.  I really thought I would buy a kit to do the, but instead just used primer I had on hand, bought some different colors of craft paint, and polycrylic.  (This was the most expensive item I purchased which was around $17)

Primer:  already had
Sea sponges: $5
Craft paint:  12 bottles @ $0.88/e:  $10.56
Polycrylic:  2 cans @ $13/e (I read that Polyurethane will discolor and turn yellow over time)
Total:  $41.56 (not including tax)

Overall, the project was a success!  I hated the counter tops before, and while this isn’t a permanent fix, it works for now, and my eyes are happy..

I will be sharing seperate posts of the other tasks that were taken on too… Including the backsplash getting painted (for now, before it gets tiled), cabinets & hardware getting painted, and finally the island gets painted, beadboard added & finishing & trim.

Here are the steps that I used;
1.  Wipe down all the countertops really well.  I used Basic H, make sure it’s completely dry.
2.  Painted w/ tinted primer w/ one of the almond colors from the paint I chose.

3.  Starting w/ one color, sponge over the entire counter areas.  Don’t worry, it WILL look like a horribly gone wrong craft project at first.
4.  Continue sponging on color one at a time, layer after layer.  I used a total of 4-5 colors.

5.  This is the part where you will have to judge the overall look & feel of how the layers are looking.  I went back and added tiny bits of black here & there, and also a lighter shade.  Mostly, I wanted to make sure that it all looked consistant and flowed well together.
6.  Let all of the paint dry and do not use the counters.  I let mine sit overnight and started the coats of polycrylic the next day.  Follow the directions that are on the can.. For mine, I applied two thin coats, let that dry overnight, then lightly sanded, wiped away the dust, then applied two more coats.  Same thing repeated the next day.  I ended up w/ a total of 6 coats of  poly, however there are some spots that the spinning barstools had already nicked a tiny bit along the edge, but I was able to touch those up w/ paint, and do a couple of more top coats of poly.
7.  The poly dries fairly quickly, but, it won’t fully cure for at least 48 or more hours.  We used the counters extremely lightly for the first few days.

You may want to shield your eyes at first, but I promise it gets better as you scroll.  This is our kitchen before I started any of the projects.

These pictures still look so different from where our kitchen is today… The cabinets and island being painted, have had a huge change to the overall look..  Can’t wait to show you those too!  🙂