NokYu Norris Chan
- Apr 17, 2018

Home DIY - Marble Countertops

Have you ever wanted marble countertops but was not ready to drop thousands of dollars on it? I am here to tell you that you do NOT have to compromise a pretty kitchen just because you needed more time to save up for that dream countertop! In this DIY, I will show you how you can paint your very own marble countertops and even make it nice and glossy to give a more realistic look. ( the top coat is even heat resistant as a nice added bonus <3) I am not going to lie to you and tell you that this is a 15 minute project because it is not. Perfection takes time and I promise that if you follow my step-by-step to the T, it will be so worth it!

So without further ado,

Lets Get Started!

- Materials -

Home Depot:

- Rustoleum Countertop paint $19.98

- 3 Super Glaze Epoxy Resin -$24.98

- Oil Based Paint Thinner - $4.98

- wooden Mixing Sticks - FREE

Michaels:

- Sea Sponge for painting - $5.69 (without coupon, be sure to use their coupons from your phone in store !... with 40% off it it $3.41)

Things I Had Laying around the house :

- Left over Rustoleum paint - FREE

-Painters Tape - FREE

-Small Paint brush - FREE

-Plastic Cups - FREE

-Newspapers for protecting floor - FREE

-Super Fine Glitter - FREE

Grand Total : $103.31

Purchasing All New Products: Approximately $155.00

- Warning -

Just a friendly warning to make sure to be very generous with the Epoxy. Here is a practice round I completed on a side table that I do not use and you can see here that if you do not put enough epoxy on the countertops you will end up with these HIDEOUS CRATERS!!!

- Step 1 -

To Start this project off, It is very important to make sure we remove all items from the countertop and also to make sure to give it a nice deep cleaning. Remove all dirt as well as any oil build up as that will affect how the application for the paint and epoxy on top.

*Keep in mind that I already had the dark grey countertop paint on my laminate countertops so I did not need to paint it into that base color first, but if you have any other colors you may want to paint it a dark grey first.*

- Step 2 -

Once everything is cleaned up and ready, it is time to start taping to protect the areas you will not be painting. I did two rows of painters tape just to be safe. Also make sure to paint along the sides of the sink if you can't remove the entire sink out of the countertop.

- Step 3 -

Now to start painting the countertops. we want to start with the larger sea sponge first. Make sure to wet the sponge first so its softer and easier to use. This would create a more textured look. You will be doing two layers of white paint, the second layer you will focus on certain patches to create a more three dimensional l ook. To To create a better transition from the white to the dark grey, I will use the color light ash and add that between the white and dark grey and also overlapping into the white. Cover the entire are with this making sure the darker grey still shows through. A great way to hold this paint while sponging is to hold it in a disposable paper bowl. That way there is more control of how much paint can go on the sponge to prevent over-saturating it.

* Be aware that the sponge may have fall outs. Make sure to pull them off the countertop before it dries on it.*

- Step 4 -

Once you are happy with the base layer of paint, its time to start adding the veins. A great way to figure out where to put the veins and how to draw them in would be to us a picture of an actual marble slab for reference. After you have drawn your initial vein, spray the paint thinner to dilute the paint on the veins and run it through with the brush loosely to create a water color effect. Pat it with a sponge after, this makes the veins less prominent and more natural.

- Step 5 -

To create a more realistic stone look I added layers of iridescent glitter. the first layer happens here. Apply the glitter to focus on where the veins are and on a couple white areas as well.

- Step 6 -

Now to really add more dimension I finished this off with a larger sponge and more white paint on top. Be sure to not be too heavy hand and cover all of the dimensions already created with the previous steps.The finished painted countertop should look like the one pictured below.

- Step 7 -

To add the final touches before the top coat, I added just a little bit of glitter on the top layer.

- Step 8 -

To finish off the countertops, I am covering it with epoxy resin. To mix this resin, simply mix two equal parts slowly so it does not form too many bubbles. Be sure to be generous with the epoxy so you don't end up with any craters.

- Finished -

Here is the final finished project, this picture was actually taken 8 months after this project. You can see that it looks much better with a lighter colored backsplash. The epoxy itself held up really well, however it did start to yellow a slightly bit in some areas. In the end this is definitely more of a temporary while I save up for the real marble alternative.