Transform Your Kitchen with Countertop Paint: A Step-by-Step DIY Guide

Folks, the DIY nature of this blog is inspiring me to introduce some of my favourite home improvement DIY projects, including the magic of countertop paint! I have several rental units and have used countertop paint in kitchens and bathrooms to create a revitalized natural stone look for a very low cost. In the past I have used a countertop paint kit called Giani, which I highly recommend. 

Now that we’ve purchased a small villa in Italy (see my insider guide here if this too is your dream), I took the opportunity to transform our water-damaged kitchen countertop and non-matching stovetop using the same effect, but DIY style (since there are no Giani countertop paint kits in Italy)!

In this post, I’ll show some examples of small countertops I’ve painted using a countertop paint kit and using my own paint technique DIY-style. Follow the below steps to make your countertops shine anew without breaking the bank

Benefits of A Countertop Paint Kit

I definitely don’t get commissions from any countertop paint companies, but have personally used the Giani countertop paint kit and recommend it if you have the cash, it’s available in your region and you don’t want to go through the effort of putting together your own kit.

That said, you can get the same effect doing it yourself and you’ll save money too, so we’ll look at the step-by-step process below.

A countertop paint kit comes with all the paint colours, primer, tools like a sponge and rollers, as well as a final protective coating – everything you need to redo your countertop end to end. If you have a smaller countertop to paint, then the kit may be able to cover more than one project. I found I had to purchase extra sponges, brushes and natural sponge to complete a second countertop paint job with one Giani kit, but the rest of the materials were plentiful.

The kit I used creates a natural stone look in sparkling white (Giani calls it Diamond White). I recreated this look selecting my own paints in similar colours (see below). The paint kit comes with a glittery gloss to apply as a sealant at the end. You can recreate this using high-gloss paint, glossy sealant and I’m sure you can find a glitter product if you have a great paint store near you. I found the effect to be practically the same when using the kit versus my DIY method below.

Overall, the cost of the paint kit was roughly $130 CAD ($98 USD) and the cost of the DIY countertop paint method was $76 CAD ($57 USD), so you save almost 50% with a DIY technique.

Before and After Examples Using A Countertop Paint Kit

Using the Giani Countertop Paint Kit here are a couple of examples of the finished countertops. After years of use, I have noticed a few small chips from tenants leaving heavy items on the surface but these are easily corrected with additional paint and sealant.

Before Example 1

After Example 1

After Example 2

Step-By-Step Instructions for DIY Painted Countertop

What Tools and Supplies Do I Need?

Depending on what’s available in your area, here are the supplies I’d look for, but alternatives are possible. We managed to find similar-enough products in Italy, which were quite effective.

• Cleaning Product that can de-grease countertop (e.g. trisodium phosphate (TSP), Borax, Dawn dish soap)
• Oil-based (or solvent based) high-adhesive primer which will stick to your countertop surface
• Oil-based (or solvent based) paint base colour (we used an enamel-like product)
• Oil-based (or solvent based) paint accent colours (we used a light grey, flat white and high-gloss white)
• Protective sealant liquid which is oil or solvent based such as polyurethane or varnish (key is that it does not yellow and is safe for use on countertops)
• Sandpaper (very fine 220+ grit)
• Painting tape to seal off rest of area
• Natural sea sponge (these happen to be everywhere in the south of Italy but in North America you can buy them from arts stores, they just need to have a lot of holes for the effect we want – one sponge is enough as you’ll cut it into little pieces)
• Small foam paint roller and replacement foam rollers
• Gloves and mask highly recommended

 

Cost Analysis

Material	Cost Euro	Cost Canadian	Cost US Dollars
Adhesive Primer	7.99	11.66	8.81
Base Colour	6.50	9.49	7.17
Colour 1 – Grey	4.99	7.28	5.50
Colour 2 – Flat White	4.99	7.28	5.50
Colour 3 – Glossy White	4.99	7.28	5.50
Protective Sealant	14.99	21.87	16.53
Rollers, Brushes, Tape and Sponge	8.00	11.67	8.82
Total	52.45	76.53	57.83

 

How Long Does The Project Take?

If you are using countertop paint to refinish your only kitchen or bathroom, keep in mind you won’t have access to that area for multiple days, depending on the drying time of your selected paints. For oil-based paints, a good rule of thumb is to wait 4-6 hours between coats and the final coat needs a full 24-hours to be dry. The protective coating may need at least 24 hours to be fully dry and ready to use. If you apply caulking add a few extra hours. Overall, for our most recent project, it took 3 and a half days to complete the work so we could fully use the countertop again. We didn’t place any heavy objects on it until the 5th day just to be safe.

Step 1: Prepare the Countertop

Clear everything off of the countertop (and take all items out of the cabinets you may need in the next few days). Clean the countertop thoroughly with soap and water. Then clean with de-greasing product. Once dry, sand the countertop lightly to rough up the surface and promote adhesion of the products you will apply. Wipe down with a lint-free towel or cloth to ensure there is no dust (Pro Tip: it may be hot, but you cannot turn on a fan during the project as it will stimulate the movement of dust which may settle on the countertop – this project was not fun in 40 Celsius weather in Italy).

Use paint tape to tape off the countertop, be liberal as you’ll be applying many coats. Also tape plastic bags or sheets to the front of the base cabinets (and maybe along the floor) to catch any extra paint drips.

Step 2: Roll on the Primer

If you haven’t already done so, put on your gloves, save your hands! 

The primer we used was white in colour. Follow the directions on the product to roll it on (you may need to use a small brush or foam brush to get into corners). Ensure you wait until the primer is fully dry to move to the next step.

Step 3: Roll on the Base Coat

We used a black base coat to get the desired effect of marble stone (those little black specks you see in the photos). Don’t worry if it looks so dark, you’ll paint so many layers overtop you won’t see much of the black in the finished product. Follow the dry times listed on the product before applying the next coat. 

At this point, I lightly sanded any small paint blobs and wiped the surface clean with a lint-free cloth to ensure I was starting with a flat surface. You can do this step at the end but I prefer to keep on top of it.

Step 4: Sponge Application of Each Paint Colour

Cut the natural sea sponge into pieces (1-2 pieces per paint colour you are applying). Apply colours by dabbing the paint with a piece of sponge, dabbing off the excess paint on a paper plate or side of the paint container and then applying the sponge to the countertop. We applied colours in this order: grey, white, high-gloss white. Save the colour you want most dominant for the end as this is the one you’ll see the most of on your countertop.

Go section by section in a one square foot area dabbing on your first colour with the sponge until you have the entire countertop covered. Move the sponge so you don’t get the same pattern applied everywhere. You may need a smaller sponge to get into corners. Apply the colour using an up and down dabbing motion, don’t drag your hand to create streaks or blurry patterns. Make sure not to apply too much so that you cannot see the base coat below. Allow the first colour to dry following the instructions on the product.

Using the second colour, repeat the process above. You should still see the base coat and the first colour underneath. Allow to dry.

Using the third and final colour, repeat the process above. This is your final coat, so make sure the counter looks how you want it. Stand back and look at the different sections of your counter (if applicable) to make sure the colour has been applied consistently throughout.

Step 5: Touch-Ups and Light Sanding

Stand back and take a look at the whole countertop, are there any patches that look inconsistent? Are there spots that show too much base colour and don’t look natural? Now is the time to do some touch ups and take as much time as you need to apply paint, wait for it to dry and apply a new colour. 

When you are satisfied, wait for the countertop paint to fully dry (we waited a full 24 hours) before you move to the next step.

Step 6: Apply a Protective Sealant

Use your fine-grit sandpaper to lightly sand any trouble spots, paint blobs or uneven areas on your painted countertop. Once complete, use a lint-free cloth to completely remove any sand or dust.

Roll on protective sealant in a consistent application. Be generous in the first application to ensure all spots are covered. This will protect your countertop paint from direct exposure to water, stains, etc, so make sure you’ve covered the entire surface and edges well. Use the roller lightly on all edges to catch any drips. Pro Tip: Move your eyeline to countertop level and look for missed areas, drips or excess product. It’s transparent so it can be hard to see if you miss spots. 

When satisfied, allow the product to dry and then apply a second coat. After 24 hours (usually, look at the instructions on your product), your countertop paint project is complete!

Step 7: Caulking and Final Touches

Now you can remove paint tape, check for any areas that may have been missed or any paint that needs a touch up and if all is to your liking, apply caulking to seal any joints in your countertop.

Conclusion

Voila! A beautifully restored countertop at a fraction of the cost of a new one. If you used the DIY method, you’ve saved even more money for other DIY projects too.

…….

 

Update

So…like all our projects at our Italian villa, one try is not enough. After a few months, we found the countertop was yellowing and taking on stains (exactly what we were assured the sealant product we applied would NOT do)! The difficulty with home renovations in a foreign country is you can’t always get a product and have to settle for a local alternative. 

I digress, since we needed to add a backsplash anyway, we waited to repair the counter and you can read about the saga of the countertop repair here, but in the end we are thrilled with the final result: