How I transformed a bright blue laminate countertop with a Carrara marble epoxy countertop kit on a budget.
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To be honest, I was pretty nervous to try this out myself. This kitchen transformation has been the biggest DIY project I have taken on completely solo and I did not want to make anything worse. However I didn't have too much to lose.
If this countertop redo didn't work, then we would just take the plunge a get new ones installed and the loss would have just been in time and materials...which as you will come learn, was not too much. So it was definitely worth a shot if we could get by attempting this kitchen makeover - even if it would just last for a couple years for now.
We actually were not planning to purchase another home for our company so making it over on a budget was a must for us to be smart. But that's usually our specialty. For our business we regularly keep an eye on the housing market for rental and sale prices locally. Then one day, I found this little gem that needed some cosmetic work, but it was on over 1/2 acre lot tucked away.
Nick went over on his Vespa one day just to check it out while they were having an open house and Face-timed me while he was there to show me. We had some reservations, lots of questions and even decided against it until we learned the seller was eager to sell and the previous offers didn't go through.
We got this adorable house for a smoking deal and I love it. And though it took a lot of work to get us there and completely bulldozed our summer plans, it was still worth it.
Back to this kitchen makeover - I started with the tile backsplash, then the cabinets. You can checkout how I transformed those here in another Article. Then it was time to take on the blue laminate countertop that I really could not wait to get rid of. A bold color on something so permanent just goes completely against my personality and comfort zone.
I did a lot of research on techniques, options, and products. I settled with the Giani Marble Easy Epoxy Countertop Paint Kit (Carrara White) from the same company that made my cabinet paint. I was pretty happy with the results of our cabinets so along with the good reviews for the countertop kit it felt like a smart choice.
I read the directions multiple times and watched their tutorial video a few times as well. This type of project is time sensitive when it comes to the epoxy step and you do not want to be scrambling for something once that step starts.
I taped off the lower portion of the cabinets and covered them in plastic. I also completely covered the floor with brown paper; but I wasn't too worried about the flooring because we were going to have professionals come in and re-sand and stain them after. and created the tape walls as it suggests for around the kitchen sink and other areas.
The kitchen island has an electric stove insert so my husband helped me remove that as well. The island is a main focal point of the kitchen so I most definitely wanted to get it right.
After all the prep, the next step was to paint the counter with the white paint provided in the kit. Just rolling over that blue laminate was therapeutic in itself. I had to do a couple coats because that blue was dark and bright...and I wanted it gone.
Then the fun part - the marbling! (For me at least.) The kit provides a practice board for you to work out your technique and practice with the mediums to achieve your desired effect. For the artistic ones out there, it is pretty easy. I looked up pictures of real Carrara marble and tried to imitate samples I like so that it could look as realistic as possible. The veins all flow in the same direction for each "slab".
For the veining effect, you just take the thin and small paintbrush, dip it in the dark gray pint provided and drag it along while twisting it. This effect creates wiggling flowing lines like that of real marble. Then you lightly spray the line with the provided spray bottle (that you fill with water). Using the sponge you dab and disperse the paint a little so the line looks diffused in most areas. You can keep some of it more defined in others - it is up to you. Keep working it until you like the vein. Make long veins and short ones that run parallel or connect.
It helps to try drawing out your countertop layout on a piece of paper and then plan where your veins will go. This provides a good visual plan.
I recommend starting in a more inconspicuous place on your countertop for the very first one. However, the great thing is, if you hate the vein, just spray it down with water and wipe it away immediately! Then start over. Its pretty forgiving as long as you do not wait too long.
I started with the kitchen island first. I was pretty excited and sure of myself so I just went for it. And after all is complete - it is my favorite spot in the kitchen. Nick was joking around with me recently and asked, "Do you have a favorite vein on our countertops?" Why yes I do! But there are a few haha.
Once you have all your veining done, you let it dry. Off the top of my head I don't remember how long but follow those instructions!
Then it is time for the "scary" part, the epoxy! This part was scary for me because its messy and time sensitive. The epoxy mix cures the longer it is exposed to the air and you have to move quickly yet effectively.
Here's what I wish I did that I suggest others do if they try this kit out:
Buy MORE than you think you need.
I had a lot of countertop to work with and the square footage came in close for the amount of coverage for one kit. I was nervous I wouldn't make it and then the counter would be ruined because you have to do it ALL at the same time otherwise you will get a huge ripple, seam, or lump if you run out and have to add more later. It will NOT look good.
So because I was nervous about the amount of coverage, I tried "stretching" it too much at one point. Now that it is cured, you can see that it is slightly uneven in that spot if you look closely.
2. Be VERY careful when you go to remove the tape from the backsplash/walls. Have someone with you to help.
You have to wait for the the epoxy to be a little tacky for this step. Otherwise it will keep running where you do not want to it run. I took on this step by myself as well and I wish I waited for someone else to be available to help me. As I pulled the tape off of the backsplash, I tried doing it very smoothly. It is tricky because you cannot lean on the counter or touch it at all as the epoxy is still curing.
When I pulled the tape, it snapped/broke and touched the tacky countertop that was still curing. (curses!) Now there are a couple spots on my counter that have a little ripple from where the tape touched.
3. Make sure you do not have an ant or bug problem in your kitchen.
This sounds funny as I write it, but during the summer the thirsty ants like to come out where we live in Portland. We noticed they were around the kitchen sink area and had pest control come out and help us. We even had some traps and thought we had it under control.
Apparently there were a few stragglers and when I came back to check the countertop the next day after pouring the epoxy, there were a couple little ant friends that met their death in the epoxy. I had to use a little razor to very delicately pluck them out....but regardless, their little bodies left tiny dots on the clear epoxy. Boo! Thankfully they are in really inconspicuous spots where I put the dish or hand soap so I don't see them...but I know there are there.
As you can see, it is a major upgrade visually from the blue laminate! Its shiny and clean looking.
Despite the little mistakes and blemishes on the counter, we are super thrilled with the results! You have to look really closely to find them and of course I know where exactly they are...but others don't.
To further protect my new countertops I purchased a few silicone mats like these from Amazon for the most used areas like under our Nespresso/coffee nook, where I do most of my cutting of veggies etc, and an extra one to place anywhere I need to set something down that is hot.
It has been 3 months and so far, we are still loving our new epoxy counters! They are a definite win for the price!
I know there is a lot of WHITE here. And if I could do it over again, I would choose to paint all the white cabinets the hearthstone color of the kitchen island instead. I just love a fresh and bright looking kitchen so I was nervous the hearthstone would darken things.
The appliances will get upgraded eventually - that is for sure! With them being white also it just makes it look like a bright white out. But so far the appliances are working great. Maybe once one of them quits we'll take the plunge swapping them for stainless steel.
As you can see we added brushed nickel hardware and changed out the sink faucet for a very handy multi-spout industrial style one. I love it. One day the appliances will get upgraded too and then the rest won't look so staunchly white. For now, I'm very content with the transformation. It was a lot of work, but well worth the price tag.
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