HOW TO PAINT COUNTERTOPS TO LOOK LIKE MARBLE
You could choose to paint your counters to look like just about anything – granite, a solid white or black slab, or marble which is what I chose.
Our kitchen receives very little natural light, so a big goal of my super cheap kitchen renovation was to bounce as much light around the room as possible and marble is perfect for that. Plus, I just think carrera marble is incredibly beautiful.
There are lots of variations of marble – it can be more white or more gray, with a heavy pattern or light. I chose to make my counters very light and keep the grain very subtle. I did a search online and found a picture of a marble slab I liked and used that as my guide.
Before you get started painting, be sure to use painters tape to protect anything around your counters that you don’t want painted. In my case this included the backsplash, the sink, and the cooktop.
The first step in the actual painting process is sanding. Lightly sand the entire countertop with 100-150 grit sandpaper. This will help roughen up the slick laminate surface and help the primer and paint stick.
Use a small foam roller to roll a coat of oil-based primer over the counters – don’t forget to do the edges as well. We are using oil-based primer because it is best for surfaces that may try to resist paint like super-smooth counters. A good oil-based primer will stick to just about anything.
Allow the primer to dry completely and then lightly sand the surface with 220 grit sandpaper.
Use a roller to roll a coat of white paint over the entire countertop and allow it to dry. (And don’t worry, you can use either oil-based paints or water-based paints over oil-based primer so you really can use any white paint.)
Once the white paint is dry, it’s time to start adding the variation found in a natural piece of stone.
I dabbed my medium gray paint on randomly in patches with a round brush and then blotted it with the sponge.
Then it is time to add the grain. Using a feather gives the most realistic grain pattern. (A fake feather from a craft supply store works great.)
I chose to soften my lines a bit by brushing a clean paintbrush over my paint lines.
Then use a round brush to dab more of the medium gray paint on and spread it around with the sponge.
Repeat the brushing and sponging with the lighter gray paint.
Continue to sponge the paint on creating lighter and darker areas until things look the way you want them to.
The best part about painting counters is that you can easily fix any mistakes you make by simply painting over them. My first attempt at drawing on grain lines was terrible – the lines looked more like lightning than marble.
So I painted over them and started over. If you find your counters are looking darker or lighter than you wanted, just add more layers of paint until it looks right to you.
And then you’re ready for sealing.
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