Asked on Nov 10, 2014

HELP! Paint over granite counter tops?

Amaris
by Amaris
Me and my fiance are moving into our first home and it's pretty much our dream house. Except for these ugly granite counter tops in the kitchen. I know that they are popular with the majority of people, but it's definitely not my taste and I don't even know what I'd do for decorating the kitchen because the counter tops clash with my decorating style. I would desperately like to know if there is a paint that I could get to put over it? (I would like to do a white or beige or maybe even a black color.) Without the counters looking cheap or raggedy of course. Thanks!
  38 answers
  • I would not suggest that you paint them. The result will only change the look, but the wear over a short time will only begin to show through. I would suggest that if you did not like them you have a few options. Change the rest of the kitchen to blend into the tops better. New back splashes can change the focal point. Contact a granite company to see if they can remove the tops and give you credit for new ones. there is a lot of stone so there is value. If you have a basement that you plan to finish, or wish to have an outside kitchen, remove the tops use them there and put new ones in. Or lastly do what most of use do. Put so much stuff on the counter and hide them.
  • Cindy Rice Cindy Rice on Nov 11, 2014
    pull them up and sell them, then buy what you want?
  • Cynthia Jensen Cynthia Jensen on Nov 11, 2014
    There are probably people saying "I wish I had granite", sell them! I'm sure you would get enough $$$ to purchase what you envision..
  • Leigh Rowan Leigh Rowan on Nov 11, 2014
    I agree, have a professional come in and remove them. They glue them together and need a professional to uninstall them or they will brake and loose the value. They might be able to re-sale them for you. I agree that is far to busy and bold for me too @amaris.
  • Loretta Clark Loretta Clark on Nov 11, 2014
    How about painting the cabinets a white or an antiqued off-white. The counter top would take on a much more up-scale appearance.
  • Mac Mac on Nov 11, 2014
    I agree with the other comments. There is a paint called Reclaim by Country Living. Very expensive. It adhears to most surfaces including glass.. Go to their web site to locate a dealer near you. Again, I agree. Sell the counter or paint the cabinets. A better solutions.
  • Alesa Holden Alesa Holden on Nov 11, 2014
    Nooooo. Don't paint them. They are my dream. LOL I agree, sell them and buy some more.
  • Renee Branch Renee Branch on Nov 11, 2014
    Instead of paying someone to remove them to sell them. Strike a bargain with a carpenter fir trade. You put in new countertop, you can have all the granite, he will know he is getting the better bargain.
  • You can't paint them. There is no paint that will adhere to granite.
  • Melissa Melissa on Nov 11, 2014
    Painting the cabinets the Right color will totally make the granite recede and tone down. Then you can do your own style of decor. Can you get a photo of the granite and colors in the stone? Also....what color are the walls? They look gray.
  • Amaris Amaris on Nov 11, 2014
    Thanks so much!
  • Marianna monreal Marianna monreal on Nov 11, 2014
    Looks beautiful! Did you use any kind of special paint for the cabinets? It has a real nice finish!
  • Suzie W Suzie W on Nov 11, 2014
    NO! Pull it up and sell it. Then, put in what you want. I like the painting the cabinets idea.
  • Kristi Kristi on Nov 11, 2014
    There is absolutely no paint that will adhere to granite. If you don't want them, sell them and get what you want.
  • Joanne B. Joanne B. on Nov 11, 2014
    It would be a sin to paint over granite- and it won't stick anyway- i would try to work around them- they are beautiful! In no way are they an ugly granite from what you can see in the pic. Many would LOVE them- don't be wasteful- you have other things to spend your money on! I would consider painting the cabinets a soft white or cream. Lucky you- your first house looks very nice!
  • Lindcurt Lindcurt on Nov 11, 2014
    I'd go with painting the cabinets a off white and do a backsplash in a tone darker than the counter tops. It would tone down the granite.
  • Pam Bolton Pam Bolton on Nov 12, 2014
    Amaris, if this is your dream house, I hope that you and your fiance work to make it just the way you like it. Painting the cabinets is a good idea for toning down that granite if it isn't your style. Price out your dream countertops and save up for them. You have years to get it right and half the fun is in the planning and dreaming. Since counters are really expensive, make sure that you get what you really love.
  • Dona DeZube Dona DeZube on Nov 12, 2014
    Before you do anything, make a quick call to the Realtor who sold you this home and ask her how removing the granite countetops will influence your home's value. While you intend to stay there forever, life events have a way of changing plans. The average tenure for homeowners is now 10 years, but before the real estate crisis, it was seven years.
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Nov 12, 2014
    It's my fiance and I. Redecorate the things you know how to do first, and learn what works and what doesn't. As you gather experience, look at your countertop and consult your own creativity that is based on what you have learned how to do. A dream home is not something you buy, it is something you make your own, as no one else can. It's necessarily a process, not a destination.
  • Lisa Lisa on Nov 13, 2014
    I hope painting the cabinets as you did helps you be able to put up with the counters. The former owner of our house installed granite look laminate counters. We painted the upper cabinets and stained the lower cabinets a dark color. I still hate the granite look - it's just too busy for me. I prefer a nice, solid, CLEAN look on my counters, rather than granite. So today, hubby and I went to a couple of Big Box stores to see what they had that we could replace what we have. (this is one time I'm kinda glad we have a small kitchen! ha!)
    • CB CB on Apr 19, 2018

      Amen! I have the same granite where I rent now... don't like it one bit. Can't see a bit of the crud on the counter. It always looks clean, but never is... 'cause you can't see where to clean it. I am moving into a house with the same granite. (What was there, a local sale three years ago when these places were finished?) We're buying the house for location, price and availability... not for the horrid countertops and stainless steel appliances. (ugh) I HATE a traditional look... it locks me into that ugly stifled feeling. It is as if my shoulders tense up just walking in a room with all that pretense.


      I SOOOO prefer, as you, a CLEAN look on the counters. I'd rather have a laminate made to look like soapstone--or something white or black than that speckled stuff. For me, I can't afford to replace them now, and I feel like a brat wanting to change them. They are useful... but ... I don't want to live with that stressful feeling. So... they are definitely on my list to remove.


      Luckily my house is one the builder builds multiple times... maybe I can sell the counters back to the builder! He can use them in another place!

  • Lara Verr Lara Verr on Dec 31, 2014
    Oh my, please do not paint over them. People pay A LOT of money for granite CT
  • Patricia Swinford Patricia Swinford on Nov 11, 2015
    Before you paint your granite here's what the realtor says you need hardwood floors , granite. and neutral colors and stainless.So with that in mind we have done that in our house. In case we want to sell it .
  • KatAych KatAych on Mar 04, 2016
    It would be a shame to paint them, but if that's what you want to do, then go ahead and do it! It's your space - make sure it's to your liking. You could replace them - put an ad on craigslist and let people know they have to remove them. I'm sure you'd have a few takers! Make your home your own!
  • Linda Santo Linda Santo on Mar 04, 2016
    IMHO, the biggest mistake is making quick changes when you first move in (or before). You may not like the countertops but they are clean and the kitchen is functional. Once you get in the rest of your "stuff" they may not glare out at you screaming "you didn't pick me but here I am!". Get yourself settled in your new house and then consider what changes "have" to be made. Right now with the empty kitchen they are front and center, with furniture, the coffee maker, whatevers, you may not notice so much.
  • Chad Bryan30329 Chad Bryan30329 on Dec 27, 2017

    I hate the splotchy look also. Add large cutting boards And cover some of it . I removed the 4inch lip on the wall ( its glued on ). I carried a simple subway tile backsplash to the counter. It helps so much.


  • Chad Bryan30329 Chad Bryan30329 on Dec 27, 2017

    The large bar could be changed out to something else wood, stainless , copper, tile.

  • My kitchen looks the same as yours. I have the same granite in my condo and also cannot stand it. Been trying to find a backsplash for 7 years! Nice job on painting your cabinets.

  • Deb32934488 Deb32934488 on Mar 18, 2018

    the second photo can't possible be her cabinets painted. Different range, microwave and different cabinet configuration to the left of the range. Maybe it was her "wishful thinking" photo but it's not the

    kitchen she showed in the first photo.

    • SugarRey SugarRey on Jun 28, 2019

      The second pic is flipped. It is the right corner that you don’t see in the first.

  • Jcraw Jcraw on Apr 19, 2018

    Company called stonecoatcountertops.com, or something like that. They do fab epoxy surfaces. Worth a look. your are unlovely

  • Michelle Michelle on Aug 24, 2018

    I hate granite countertops previous owners put squares of granite to make countertop unfortunately seams do not match and no caulking either

  • Smr3471829 Smr3471829 on Nov 27, 2018

    in design school we were taught that marble or stilestone was much more sophisticated than granite- that was 2005. I moved into a great mid century where the clueless previous owner put in that yucky-can't see the crumbs-granite. I've done some research and thought through alternatives to reinstalling. Now there are paints that will adhere to stone. Large cutting boards are a great idea. And cement or apoxy can be applied over the stone.

  • S S on May 13, 2019

    I’ve been researching painting my brown granite countertops white. All I hear is oh don’t do it everyone loves granite and it costs a lot.. I know everyone loves granite BUT I DONT. my house is for me not everyone who loves granite. And I’m sorry if granite costs a lot. I STILL DONT LIKE IT.


  • Wanda cooper Wanda cooper on Jul 25, 2019

    I have the same color countertops, I hate them and I'm going to paint them, you can paint granite. Can't wait to do it!!

  • Michelle Michelle on Sep 26, 2019

    I have a very small granite top counter top previous owners put these large squares of granite for the counter top. It is ugly brown/black, the house is 1950, they took out the original counter tops. I am going to use a kilz adhesion first , paint and then a sealer. I simply can't afford new tops. I am disability and in remission 1 yr from cancer. So this is a cheap easy way to do it until someday I can afford. It is just me in the home so it am confident it will work . I hate granite it is not pretty

  • Michelle Michelle on Oct 30, 2019

    They turned out wonderful easy to wipe down.

    • Lynda Sherwood Lynda Sherwood on Feb 04, 2020

      Did you paint them? If so, what paint and what clear finish did you use. I'm the one who originally started this thread and have the brown speckled granite that does NOT go with my decorating theme. This will be our forever home as we are in our mid 70's and do not plan to move. Thanks!

  • Finn Finn on May 27, 2021

    I have similar granite counters in the bathrooms of my house. I cannot stand them and plan to paint them...they are indeed paintable and there’s lots of resources online with info. I find it funny that a lot of the people who are telling you not to paint your counters are the same people who rip out gorgeous original tile and install boring gray and white everything, removing all charm and personality in the name of “resale.” Id kill to have the original tile and vanities in my 1950s bathrooms instead of the “fecal spray” granite counters and MDF on-sale-at-home-depot cabinets.

  • Dhwani Dhwani on Jul 07, 2021

    Hello, Can you please share your kitchen”s final look?

    I have the same problem. I want to change cabinets color which matches to countertop. As countertop is really expensive.

  • Jody Price Jody Price on Sep 20, 2021

    I feel exactly like you do! I hate my granite countertops!