Painted Countertops: From Laminate To Granite

4 Materials
$90
2 Days
Medium

We painted our countertops..again. If you're wondering why in the heck I put put paint on our countertops, get ready to be shocked!


We partnered with Giani to create these awesome counters. We had used their product once before but I was ready for a change and was over the brown look, so we chose to use their Sicilian Sand kit to redo our counters.


Let's take a look at the before!


Don't forget to check out my FULL POST with a full step-by-step tutorial and videos too so you can recreate this project!!

This was taken in June of 2015 when we first purchased our old farmhouse. Yes, those are green laminate countertops, yuck! So we refinished them in June of 2016!

Here they are finished with the Chocolate Brown Kit from Giani. But after a year of those, I was over the brown and ready to brighten up our kitchen even more!

The kit's cost $79 and come with almost everything you need. The only additional products you will need is painter's tape if you choose to use it, a paint tray, and a few paper plates. Also some caulk if you plan on caulking around your sink.

Step 1: Clean your countertops really good to get all the grease and grime off of them. Giani recommends using an SOS or scouring pad and then wiping down your countertops with a wet washcloth to remove the cleaning products. I also sanded quickly with a 600 grit sandpaper to rough up my previous paint job. If you have never painted your countertops before, you don't need to worry about sanding.


Step 2: Prime your countertops. Using the primer from the kit, use the foam brush to apply primer on the top of the backsplash as well as in the crease. Then use your roller to apply the primer starting at the top of the backsplash and backrolling towards you. Complete 2 foot sections at a time to avoid brush marks from the primer drying. This MUST dry for 8 hours before applying paint.

Once your primer is dry, it's time to bust out the paint cans! The Sicilian Sand Kit came with three colors; brown feldspar, inca gold and white limestone. They are labeled in order of how you will be applying them, 2a, 2b, and 2c.


You'll also want to cut your sponge that came with the kit into four pieces and pour a bit of each paint onto a paper plate.

Starting with your brown feldspar paint (2a), dap the textured part of your spong into the paint and start dabbing onto your countertop in a random pattern. You will want to work on 2 foot sections with this as well because the paint colors blend better when wet. To get into the creases and corners, take your fourth sponge that you cut and cut it into a very tiny piece. This helped me blend in my countertop creases with the backsplash.

Once you have your 2 foot section completely covered in brown feldspar (2a), it's time to start using your inca gold (2b) paint. You will want to dab this on over your first color while it's still wet to help aid in blending.

The inca gold paint (2b) is the second color and you will want to add this rather thick. If you like more of the black coming through, you don't need to dab it on as thick. I preferred less black and lighter countertops though so the majority of my countertops are done using this color.

Our third and final paint color we'll be adding is white limestone (2c). I don't prefer a lot of white in my countertops so I only added this sparingly in a diagonal pattern randomly across my countertops. I lightly dabbed the white limestone in a diagonal pattern and then went back over it with the inca gold paint (2b) to help blend it in better.


You can keep adding paint colors until your counters appear the way you want them. Although we recommend adding the colors while the paint is still wet, you can still add more paint once your countertops have dried as well. Just make sure you do this before you apply your sealant.


Also, because you are working in 2 foot sections, you'll want to keep repeating the painting steps until your entire countertop is covered. Then you are ready to move onto the next step. Let your paint dry 4 hours before applying the sealant.

Now you are ready to seal your countertops. Pull out your topcoat from the Giani kit and pour some into your paint tray. Using your foam brush, apply sealant on the top of the backsplash as well as in the crease just as you did when you were priming.

Now, using your roller, starting at the top of your backsplash, backroll your topcoat all the way down and towards you finishing at the bottom of the countertop. Keep continuing this, overlapping with your first roll. Then go back over the section you just did with no extra topcoat, just to ensure that you have eliminated any lap lines.


Giani recommend a minimum of 2 topcoats, with a maximum of 3.

Please wait 24 hours after your final topcoat to use your countertops, 3 days before you set appliances back on them, with a full cure time of 14 days. We started using our countertops 24 hours after our final topcoat.


Now, are you ready for the after?!

We are SO HAPPY with how this turned out! I've never wanted to spend big bucks on our countertops when there's so many other things higher up on the priority list. So when I realized that I could take my countertops from laminate to granite for $90 I couldn't believe it!

The kit itself cost $79 and with the few additional products you need to purchase, you should be able to finish your entire kitchen for $90! And we have a ton of countertop space too! I would recommend for those with a large amount of counter space, to splurge and purchase an additional can of the topcoat. This is what protects your counters and I'd much rather see you put 3 topcoats on and your countertops last forever than for you to skimp like we did the very first time and not have enough topcoat!

What do you guys think?


I included many more photos in my blog post as well as some videos from Giani with tutorials and written directions so you too can recreate your countertops with just paint!!


Suggested materials:
  • Giani Countertop Kit
  • Paint Tray
  • Painter's Tape (optional)
See all materials
Two Paws Farmhouse | Homesteading
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 77 questions
  • Za Za on Nov 18, 2019

    Can this be done on a bathroom counter?

  • Sb702 Sb702 on Nov 15, 2020

    What did you use to paint the cabinets?

  • Pam51545841 Pam51545841 on Jun 26, 2021

    I read somewhere else that is possible to use epoxy over this product. Does it needs the topcoat that comes with it before putting the epoxy?

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