DIY Kitchen Makeover Part II: The Countertops, Paint Faux Marble

Does anyone else hate their countertops? Half of mine were a creamy tan. While the other half (on a separate island) were a muted amber. A makeover was totally necessary. Now that my cabinet facelift was complete, it was time for the countertops. After much research for an inexpensive DIY project, I found Giani Countertop Paint. 

Wait, paint for countertops? I was hesitant, to say the least.

However, after watching videos on the Giani website (which I highly recommend you watch) I gained the courage to purchase the paint. There are a few different paint color options, but I decided on the White Diamond Kit and I am so glad I did! It’s a beautiful bright white paint that compliments my newly painted white and grey cabinets. 

NEW! Marble Kit

I purchased the White Diamond Kit in hopes that I could manipulate the paint to look like marble (instructions on doing so below) However, Giani has newly released a product to give your countertops the look of marble, without the added effort it took before. This paint is appropriately called Giani Marble Countertop Paint Kit. If you are looking for the marble look I would go for this kit here!

I wish this had been available two years ago for the simplicity factor. However, I am still really pleased with how my DIY marble countertops turned out FYI: they are still holding up two years later! (Two-year update at the bottom of this post)

If you want to use the White Diamond Kit and manipulate it to look like marble, keep on reading!

DIY Faux Marble Countertops

You can purchase the kit straight from the Giani website, Lowes, Home Depot, or my go-to favorite: Amazon! This isn’t a quick one-day project. You must wait a certain amount of hours before applying the next coat of paint. It could take just a weekend or a few additional days, depending on your availability.

Each layer of paint needs to be completely dry to the touch before adding another. Once the final top coat is dry you can touch and use your countertops again. However, it is suggested that you allow the paint to fully cure for two weeks. This two week grace period is for the heavy items (i.e. microwave, Keurig). Once the two weeks are up it is completely safe to put all heavy items back! 

The Giani Countertop Paint is designed to give your counters the look of granite. However, I found some awesome tutorials (again from the Giani website) on how to make the countertops resemble marble. I like the look of marble more so than granite, so I chose to bypass the granite directions and instead duplicate the online marble tutorials.

The Giani White Diamond Paint Kit includes:

• 1 can Primer
• 1 can High Gloss Topcoat
• 1 can Pearl Mica
• 2 cans White Limestone
• 1 can Inca Gold
• 1 roller, 2 foam rollers
• 1 foam brush
• 1 sponge (can easily be ripped into smaller portions)

Faux marble countertops

To achieve the marble look I suggest not using the Inca Gold and purchasing an additional can of the White Limestone. This will give your counters a more pure white look. If that is what you are going for, like myself. Each kit can cover 35 square feet of standard 24″ wide countertops. My kitchen counters are just slightly under that amount of square footage (let’s say 30 square feet), so if your kitchen resembles mine then this kit (including the additional White Limestone) will cover your counters and give you the desired marble look.

Don’t be scared to give your countertops a much-deserved makeover.

UPDATE:

It’s been two years since my DIY Giani countertop paint project! My countertops are still holding up perfectly! However, I do have a few minor flaws in them, but I have them because of careless mistakes on my part. To help you avoid these same mistakes, here are a few tips for you:

• Do not place hot items directly onto the counter, always use a towel or pot holder underneath for protection.
• If you spill something (like tomato sauce especially) wipe all of it up ASAP. This may seem like a no brainer, but you may not notice a small amount of splatter in the moment. Guilty. 
• Absolutely allow for the 2 week grace period for curing while avoiding heavy items

Have fun!

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