Hello, friends! Today I’m sharing with you how to make your countertop look like marble! I have been working on my guest bathroom makeover for the One Room Challenge for almost 5 weeks, and I’m so excited with how it is coming along!
I am joining up with this Spring’s One Room Challenge as a guest participant! There are over 200 other bloggers participating as guests in the challenge, along with 20 featured designers. 2 years ago I transformed my daughter’s bedroom! It is the perfect place to find some serious interior inspiration!
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Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6
4 weeks ago I shared my plans for our guest bathroom with a mood board. I did tons of research on Pinterest while planning our bathroom remodels after we purchased our fixer upper.
3 weeks ago I shared how we made the room look bigger, and it made such a huge difference! I feel like the bathroom looks so much bigger than before!
2 weeks ago I wrote about how to add modern accents, and shared where I found our wall shelf and new hardware for the vanity!
And last week I shared how to apply removable wallpaper. I never thought I’d ever hang up wallpaper myself – head to the post to read why!
Today am sharing about how to make your countertop look like marble. I recently discovered this marble painting kit from Giani and was so excited to try it out! They sent it to me to help me transform my bathroom – and it really did make a huge difference!
Our home came with cream formica countertops in 2 of the bathrooms. When we first saw the house I didn’t mind them too much, but after painting our vanities bright white it really clashed with the countertops. I also didn’t love the dark black edges that you could see on all of the corners.
I’d love to get new countertops installed, but that isn’t in our budget right now. So I had to get creative about how to change the look of them on a small budget. When I stumbled upon the marble painting kit from Giani I knew it was the perfect solution!
How To Make Your Countertop Look Like Marble
First I have to say that the instructions that come with the kit are very detailed and informative! They also have instructional videos on their website that help tremendously. I watched the video multiple times to make sure that I had the method down before I started!
The kit includes almost everything that you’ll need for this project. They even include paintbrushes, a sponge, and a little practice foam board! The only other things you’ll need are some spray cleaner, a scrub pad for cleaning, painter’s tape, a stir stick, and a paint tray. I had all of these things on hand already, so it was easy to get started.
How To Make Your Countertops Look Like Marble
- Prepare your counters by giving them a good cleaning. Make sure that all dust and debris are off of the counter before you start. Then add painters tape around the sink, outlets, and walls to protect them.
- Apply 2 coats of primer using the provided foam brush (for the edges and corners) and paint roller, and allow 4 hours dry time between coats.
- Add your lines/veins with the included artist’s brush and grey paint. I watched the instructional video a couple times to watch how to do the veins, and it really helped! I also practiced on the foam board that was included. My best tips are to apply them in the same general direction, keep the lines on the thinner side, and work with one line at a time.
- After you add each line/vein you will spray it with your included little water spray bottle to loosen up the paint, and then dab it with your larger paintbrush to give it texture. This will keep the lines from looking too harsh and give it a marble-like texture. Again, watching the video really helps to get the dabbing method down!
- Let the lines dry, and then move on to dabbing some white paint over each line with the included sponge. This adds texture and depth to the lines and really helps it look more natural!
- (I added this next additional step that is not included in the instructions) I wanted to tone down the color of the grey lines/veins to make them look more subtle. I took some of the leftover white accent paint in a paint tray and mixed in about 50% water. I used the roller to add one coat over the entire surface, and it worked perfectly! It toned down the grey and gave it a softer look.
- The last step after you are finished painting is adding 2 coats of sealant. After letting the first coat dry for 4 hours, add a second coat and let that dry for 24 hours before using the counter. They recommend letting it sure for an additional 14 days for optimal results.
What do you think of my counter now? I love it so much – it is brighter and looks so much better! Now it doesn’t look like formica at all. I’m so happy with how it turned out!
Let’s look at the to-do list and see what I have left to finish up in the next few days!
To Do List for Our Modern Farmhouse Bathroom:
- Install new light fixture
- Add accessories: rugs, decor
- Install a window shade
Paint the countertopApply removable wallpaperAdd new hardwareAdd shelving above the toiletPaint walls and vanityAdd new tile floor
I just got the new light fixture and window shade this week, so everything is coming along nicely! In just a few days I’ll be taking reveal photos to share with you! (cue happy dance!)
Thank you for stopping by and following along with this week’s ORC update. Make sure to come back next week to see the final reveal! I’m so excited to share the finished guest bathroom with you! Blessings -Leslea
