Faux Granite Countertops (Take 2)

It's been 4 years since our counter tops have been refinished and they were looking like they needed a facelift. The paint was beginning to chip at the corners and sides, so I decided it was time to update them. 

When I first painted our kitchen counters years ago, I tried to go with a faux granite finish and it worked out okay. The tutorials I watched online called for using a sponge to get the look. Since I was too cheap to go out and actually purchase one (I know, crazy right?), I decided to use paper towels. This method worked out okay and we got lots of compliments on the look of them once they were finished. However, they never actually ended up looking like granite, so I recently decided to give it another shot.

I went out and bought a sponge this time (only one...haha- there I go being cheap again!) and it did the job nicely!! It does take some patience and time, but I think it's worth it in the end if you want to "diy" this. Plus, you save a lot of $$$.


Once the painting was complete, I gave our counters a couple of coats of clear poly and let them dry for 24 hours before putting our items back on them. 

Here's to hoping we get another 4 years (or more!!) out of  'em. :)

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I will post a quick step-by-step process of how I painted our counters and hope this helps anyone out there who wants to give it a try!


Step 1: Prime your counters- I used a latex based primer. Use a couple of coats and let it dry for about 24 hours before moving on to step 2.

Step 2: Buy a sponge (trust me, this is a lot easier than using paper towels ;)) and dip it into a dark paint. I chose to use a dark gray that we already had in our paint storage stash. ;)
Let your paint dry before moving on to Step 3.

Step 3: Take your sponge and dip it into a lighter shade than the first color you started with and start painting over that darker color. 
Repeat this process a few more times lightening the color as you go. I chose to use a base white paint as my last color to lighten the counters and achieve the look I was going for.

 
Step 4: Once you've painted all your layers, let it dry completely and add a poly coat for protection.



Step 5: Sit back and enjoy all that hard work! :) 

We are very happy with the way our counters look. I think they ended up resembling more of the granite look I was aiming for. 

Have you ever tried painting your countertops? How did it turn out?