Mission Annihilate Ugly Brown Kitchen Counter .... Success

I decided, maybe some naively, that we should replace our counter tops to match the kitchen better.  Our kitchen is grey with black appliances and the brown counter tops just weren't working for me.  They weren't horrible, but I wasn't loving them. 

 (Excuse the cellphone shot, I did this project before I planned on starting this blog)

A few phone calls later and price quotes anywhere from $900 to $1,500, I took to pinterest to find a solution for myself.  And so I did, for about $50.  The counter tops were structurally fine, they just didn't match as well as I would like.  That puts this in the WANT category, not the NEED category which makes it completely not even remotely possible or even a slight option for me to spend anywhere near that kind of money on them.     

So here was my process.  

Clean the counters VERY WELL, make sure they are free of any grease or dirt, grease will make this primer not bond permanently to the laminate surface.  Tape everything off, depending on what type of paint you will use (I used spray paint) dictates how much you need cover in plastic or not.  NOTE, I painted the counter with the sink still attached and it probably was the most difficult part of the whole process.  If you have someone that is able to take it off for you, awesome, if not, it is possible to take around it and paint just fine.  

For my primer, I used Glidden Gripper Primer/Sealer.  The only place I was able to find it was Home Depot.  I read it came in white and grey but could only find the white, so I had the store tint it for me.  If you painting your counters a light color, this may not be a must for you.  Painting black over white didn't appeal to me, so I considered this a MUST.   

 

I used a foam roller or a small foam brush to put the primer on.  I did 3 - 4 thin coats, enough to not see any of the brown peeking through.  This stuff also dries super fast and it adheres to laminate with NO SANDING!  That's right, NO SANDING, it was music to my ears too.  

Now for my paint selection, I chose spray paint.  From my research, it seemed really any paint would work.  It is truly a matter of personal preference.  I chose spray paint for a few reasons, one of which was its fast drying time another was a lower chance of runs and zero chance of roller or brush marks.  My other deciding factor was that I didn't want just a flat black, I was something with a little dimension or texture.  I looked at the faux stone spray but ultimatley decided on a metal look.  For my counter size, it took about 2 -1/4 cans of spray paint.   

It is a subtle look but absolutely gorgeous.  I am VERY happy with my decision.  

Whichever method you choose just be sure to do enough thin coats to cover the primer and give it ample drying time in between. 

Lastly, and quite most important, is the sealent.  I researched, ALOT, and found a few others who had done something to my method and decided on a Minwax Polycrylic Sealant.  I used the semi gloss, just enough shine to look good but not overbearing.  

Again, I used a foam roller and did between 5 and 6 thin coats, allowing ample drying time in between, I figured the more the merrier.  

I let the counter cure and dry for a good three two and a half days before I set anything back on it.  I had one mishap, of my own doing.  You can damage this if while moving your stove back into place you smash a sharp corner into your wet counter top.  No worries though, it was an easy fix.  Let dry, sand the rough part off, repaint and re-seal.  Seriously, was SUPER easy to repair my oops spot. 

So far this has held up great.  I am not shy about using or scrubbing and cleaning my counters and so far, no issues!  

For about $50 and a days worth of work, we have new counters and we LOVE them!

 ( aren't my Mason jars super cute )

Looking at this picture makes me REALLY loath those light fixtures.  Maybe that will be my next DIY project :)