Love & Renovations

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DIY Faux Granite Counters

DIY Projects

Have ugly countertops you hate? Today I’m going to walk you through how to create DIY faux granite counters using nothing but paint!

UPDATE: Click here to see how we feel about our painted cabinets and countertops one year later.

In case you missed it, I shared the “big reveal” of (phase one of) our kitchen makeover yesterday. Basically, it involved a lot of paint and elbow grease. We love the result, but I have to say that the countertops are the part where I knew we were taking a risk. We originally planned to do a concrete overlay, and we still might, but we decided to try out this treatment first because it was significantly cheaper and easier.

What is it?

Paint.

No, seriously.

I put paint on my countertops.

Image of in-progress painted countertops with finished painted countertops

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You’re probably rolling your eyes at me right now and calling me all sorts of names. But, honestly, I knew there was zero way I could make them uglier than they were when we started (please go look at the before photo in my reveal post) and if they looked ridiculous I knew I could always go with plan B, which was the concrete. So, I dove in!

How to paint faux granite counters

Materials:

Prep Work

Start by lightly sanding your countertops using the sandpaper. You can do this by hand, and you shouldn’t stress too much about it – the idea is just to rough up the surface a bit so that it’s ready to accept paint.

After you sand, thoroughly wipe down the counters so they’re free of all dust, dirt, and debris. Clean counters are vital to better paint adhesion, so don’t skimp here!

Once everything is nice and clean, I recommend using painter’s tape to tape off the walls and cabinets so that you don’t accidentally drip anywhere – because nothing will give away that you painted your counters like a wonky paint line!

Time to paint!

I started by priming the counters – it took two coats to cover up the faux wood grain, but I didn’t worry too much about covering it completely…the rest of the paint took care of that for me.

Next up, I mixed my paint: I grabbed some black paint and mixed it with my primer to create a few different shades of gray. This is very much an “artsy” project and there’s no right or wrong way. I ended up with three different shades, ranging from very dark to almost white. If you need to, pull up a photo of real granite countertops to help you envision the way the colors work together!

I started with the darkest color and used a sea sponge to dab it all over. There’s no real method here, just throw it on there. Once I felt like I had an okay coverage, I came back over with the next darkest shade, and finally the lightest shade.

Then, I went back in and touched up any areas where I felt like more color was needed. It was pretty easy to see where there was too much or not enough of a certain color, and it is a very inexact science. Just do what feels good.

The secret ingredient

Then, came my favorite part…

Glitter.

I can feel your eyes rolling again.

No, really. I put glitter on the counters. I read a ton of tutorials from other people who had tried this out, and the ones I liked the best were the ones who added in a little glitter to make it look more like actual stone.

To apply it, I just sprinkled it (sparingly!) all over the countertops while the paint was still wet. Boom, done!

Now, do I think I’m fooling anyone with these counters?

Of course not.

BUT! Aren’t they prettier than the ugly faux wood laminate?

I mean, really. They’re way better.

I love this gold hardware! It's amazing what a simple little update can to do totally transform a room. And can you believe those countertops are painted?!

Sealing your counters

After the glitter, it was time to seal. I did a lot of research on the best strategy for this, and opinions are mixed. I talked with my dad, and he confirmed my gut instinct that polycrylic would be the way to go, so that’s what I did. There are other options that are probably more durable (like this stuff, which we almost used), but the process for applying them was way more intense than I was willing to endure for a project that may not even be long term – plus, applying something like that would make it much more difficult to go the concrete route later if we change our minds, and I wanted to leave our options open.

Please note that polycrylic isn’t food safe, so you shouldn’t cut food directly on your counters. Setting food on them briefly won’t hurt anything, but in order to really protect these (and, honestly, most counters!) you should just go ahead and use a cutting board when you’re dealing with food.

Now for the disclaimer: As I’m sure you can guess, these aren’t necessarily the most durable counters in the world. I put on about a zillion coats of poly and let them dry for several days before we used them and they did a fantastic job holding up to every day use…until Thanksgiving. We had family in who wasn’t very careful at all with our counters (I don’t handle them too delicately, but I do keep in mind that they’re painted when I’m working on them), and by the time the holiday was over, there was one area that was looking a bit worse for the wear.

After talking it over with Corey, I think there are two factors that played into this.

  • First, there were some small pieces of dirt and other randomness that got onto the counters before the poly was dry – that left perfect little spots where the stuff could pop out and leave a chip.
  • Also, I think it’s possible I shot myself in the foot by adding too many coats of poly. You know how when you put on a really think application of nail polish hoping it will last longer but it actually chips right away? I think it’s like that. Just a theory.

But, I wasn’t going to be deterred so I patched it up, added some more poly, and we’re living with it again. It took approximately 5 minutes to patch the areas that were messed up, so it really wasn’t a big deal.

It's so easy to paint your kitchen cabinets - and even your counters - to give them a quick update! But how do they hold up?! Here's a look at how our painted kitchen cabinets and counters are doing after living with them for a year.
It's so easy to paint your kitchen cabinets - and even your counters - to give them a quick update! But how do they hold up?! Here's a look at how our painted kitchen cabinets and counters are doing after living with them for a year.

Thanksgiving is kind of an anomaly when it comes to how much our kitchen gets used, so I’m going to give the counters another shot before I give up on them. If they chip again, we will try out the DIY concrete method. But, really, even if I have to patch them up once a year, I can’t complain! The whole thing cost us under $50 and makes me smile every day…so a little patch job every once in a while isn’t the end of the world. Just me?

Our to-do list in this room is still long, but we already have most of the materials to get started on the next project (beadboard backsplash!) so it’s really just a matter of finding the time and motivation to get it done.

Fingers crossed we get it done sooner rather than later!

Would you ever put paint on your counters?

Want more easy and affordable DIY ideas? Here are some posts you might love:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stef says

    I am not sure I would ever do a painted, poly counter top, because kitchen counter tops take some much traffic. However, I have done 2 bathroom sinks for my parents spare bathrooms & they came out beautiful!! The trick is 1) finding the poly that will not yellow 2) being patient between coats to allow it to fully cure & harden. They were the basic 90’s bathroom sink & counter in one, with chips l, wear etc. I filled in the chips with a concrete gray filler, because concrete is VERY HARD & adheres well. Since I was doing faux marble I just did the grey veins over the chipped areas. I painted their existing cabinet a beautiful grey/blue & bought a new brushed nickel faucet & it looks GORGEOUS!!

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      Haha, it was a mess! Basically, I just used my hands to sprinkle glitter on the edges just like I did the rest of it – we definitely had some glitter on the floor afterwards, but it wasn’t a huge deal to clean up.

      Reply

  3. LivingInTheSticks says

    A two-part epoxy will keep your counters safe and last a very, very, very, long time!! I would never paint my countertops without that stuff. Also, the shine makes them wayyyy more believable! You do have to follow the directions to a T as for the mixing and pouring of it…but it’s so worth it when you’re done…and your countertops really do resemble (or can even fake out a lot of people) granite.

    Reply

  4. Jo says

    I painted our cabinet tops. It lasted a year before it began peeling in the area of “wetness” in front of the sink. I am busy after right knee replacement surgery…. and after this is over — I’ll attack it again….. I will add GLITTER this time! I still love my job!

    Reply

  5. Sandra Irish says

    I have a question
    Have you ever covered countertops with brown paper like we do at times? Then waxed and sealed? I wonder if it would work.

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      We’ve looked into some options like that – great tip, Kay! And we have definitely had to learn how to be more cautious with our counters now!

      Reply

  8. Nancy says

    This is too funny to read! I just did the same on mine, and love it. I used that heavy Glass Looking stuff, and its too shiny…but whatcha gonna do. It was my idea, and it’s better than the old counter top. When I tackle the bathroom, I’ll stick to the 3 coats of Polyurethane.

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      That was my key phrase with this project – it’s better than the old one! Haha, sometimes you just can’t make it look any worse than it already does. 😉

      Reply

  9. Frugal Lisa says

    I also did something similar, using the Graniti kit. I covered up a gold glitter on white plastic Formica countertop from the mid 1960s. My colors were chocolate brown and tan on black. We used several coats of polyurethane to ensure durability. At first, my counters looked fabulous. As time goes on, however, the brown and tan paint is smearing when I wipe up spills. I am going to be forced to buy new countertops before long. My advice to anyone who is thinking of doing this is simple: DON’T.

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      Oh man, I’m sorry you had such a bad experience, Lisa! We’ve had a few chips here and there but no smearing! This is definitely not something I would recommend for a long-term solution – I see it more as a quick fix for ugly counters until we can afford something a little nicer. 🙂

      Reply

  10. Momof6 says

    I just painted my countertops with the Gianni Granite kit and I LOVE them!!! Process was so easy with the faux! Took a kitchen with 3 different colored areas of countertops and now it looks like I got all new countertops!! Love it! An inexpensive fix for whole kitchen update!:-)

    Reply

  11. Drew says

    I really like how these turned out! They look like little clouds resting on the cabinets. Definitely something I want to try soon.

    Reply

  12. Donna Blankenship says

    Amanda, what type of paint did you use to paint the cabinets and the countertops. Your kitchen is beautiful, I am going to paint my cabinets and wanted to do something with the counter top, your process is much easier than the kits I had read about, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me the products you used. thank YOU!

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      Thanks! We used Lowe’s Valspar line for both the cabinets and the counters. We used Zinnser primer for both as well – it’s the only primer I’ll use. 🙂

      Reply

    • TeaxasLea03 says

      Amanda, You did a Fab job! And I just Loved your wordage! Just Great! Wow, I just now remembered how ( when I was somewhere in my late 20s, & married 2 the spouse from Hell), how I did a faux countertop, but it was w/some kind of marble-look paper product on a roll,lol! It came out really nice( I was shocked, actually), & it made it so much better on the eyes…. Keep up the great work & don’t forget to post your next project pics! Thanks! Have a safe & Happy 4th of July!

      Reply

      • Amanda says

        Thanks! I’ve seen some awesome projects with faux stone contact paper – they make a great marble one! 🙂

        Reply

    • Joann Duncan says

      Simply said…painting does not hold up, I did the faux granite kit, paid $100 for it, yes it looked great for a few months and I was fully aware not to cut, sit hot items…blah blah…..it pits and knicks up…..it doesn’t withstand the use of a counter top. I ended up actually finding a black marble swirl floor tile at Home Depot…paid only $20 for enough to cover my whole countertop, self stick ,……it holds! and I ordered a 1/4″ thick piece of glass custom cut to fit over the ‘work’ area…..this looks great and it’s never been an issue with holding up.

      Reply

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