Paint Your Outdated Bathroom Counterop for Less Than $5

5 Materials
$10
30 Minutes
Easy

If you live in a 90's-era home, then you're likely familiar with the cultured marble sink. I HAD three in my home, until recently, when I took a chance and spray painted one of them. That's right. I spray painted my sink. Read on to see how I used a $5 can of appliance epoxy paint to turn my bathroom countertop from a dingy yellow to crisp white!

Here is the before that I was working with. Everything was still in great condition, just in need of a little updating.


STEP 1: TAPE OFF YOUR AREA

I chose to use the spray form of the product since the area was so small and the spray is a fourth of the cost of the paint. But beware, the overspray and smell is INTENSE. You will want to make sure you have thoroughly taped off and covered any areas that you don’t want overspray on, including your walls, vanity cabinet and faucet hardware.   

STEP 2: VENTILATION

Spray paint fumes are intense. Make sure you open any windows, use a fan, and wear a respirator or mask.  

STEP 3: CLEAN THE SURFACE  

I used a pre-paint cleaner that I had on hand from a previous project, and made sure to dry and wipe with a lint-free cloth before spraying to remove any dust. I did not sand the surface, but you might benefit from using a fine grit sandpaper to rough it up a little.  

STEP 3: PREP YOUR CAN

Be sure to shake the can for a full minute or more to properly mix.  


STEP 4: SPRAY YOUR COUNTER

 In a sweeping motion with overlap on each pass, spray a thin coat of paint on your surfaces. You will need multiple coats ( I used 4). I sprayed a coat, waited 2-3 minutes and sprayed again. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!! You MUST complete all of your coats within a 30 minute timeframe. Not hard to do if you use the above process, but make sure you tackle this project at a time that you won’t get pulled away or distracted. If you spray additional coats on the surface after 30 minutes the paint will bubble. If you need to apply additional coats or touch ups after 30 minutes you must wait a full week to recoat.  

Using the same prep process, I also decided to tape off the faucet and give it a few coats of some Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint that I had on hand.

And there you have it! A completely transformed vanity counter with spray paint! At the time of this post, we have been using it about two months with no issues of visible wear.

For more details, and how I transformed that vanity base as well using paint, go check out the blog!

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Jessica | The Martin Nest
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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3 of 11 questions
  • Alex Alex on Sep 28, 2020

    Can you let me know how this is holding up? Desperate for an easy fix for a basement powder room!

  • Bassinboltz Bassinboltz on Dec 15, 2020

    Did you use the epoxy in a spray can or the quart you have pictured? I'm guessing the spray can according to your description? Did you only do the countertop or did you also spray the sink? You say that you have an issue with a stain, I'm considering this for my kitchen sink and I don't want to wash my crock pot out after making meatballs and have an orange-ish sink. LOL!

    You are very courageous and you did a FANTASTIC job! I'm usually stopped in my tracks by second guessing myself and my ideas! Thank You for sharing this! At the very least you have given ME a new product to examine and a possible solution to a few other projects!

    One last question does the epoxy say anything about using on wood?!

  • Liz Monaghan Liz Monaghan on Dec 16, 2020

    What color paint was that? I really like it!

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  • Kat Boyd Kat Boyd on Mar 24, 2020

    If you get paint drips with the appliance epoxy, can they be sanded out and resprayed? How would you go about this? I have one tiny spot where it looks like it dripped from build up on the can and I'm not sure the best way to get it out. Thanks!

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    • Kat Boyd Kat Boyd on Sep 28, 2020

      It’s actually held up surprisingly well. It’s prone to staining if you’re not careful. But I’d say it’s been 100% worth it for a cheap, easy solution to ugly countertops I can’t afford to replace at the moment.

      RE: the staining... I have a soap dispenser that I keep near the sink. It’s an amber glass. For some reason, it has left a ring on the countertop over time that I can’t remove. I just leave my soap dispenser there and it’s fine. I’ve noticed a couple little marks and scratches, but nothing super obvious. I used it in the master bath, which gets TONS of daily use and abuse. Happy to answer any other questions!

  • Lynne Lynne on Dec 16, 2020

    awesome job!! thanks for the idea.

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