Have you ever had a decor eye sore in the middle of your home that you literally cannot stand to look at anymore? One Saturday night at 9:00pm I decided the blue, yes I said blue countertop had to go! Like NOW. Why did I have a blue counter top in my house in the first place right? Like was that ever a good design decision? No, it never was but my husband build the home we live in when he was 20. And no offense to the opposite sex but good sound lasting design decisions are rarely made by 20 year old males.

This weekend my husband and son were out of town on a camping trip so it was the perfect time to paint this counter top. My plan was to just paint the center blue island and see how it held up with the heavy kitchen traffic in our home. I’m here to tell you so far it has held up really well!

Material List: This post contains affiliate links. You don’t pay any more from ordering from these links but I earn a small commission so I can continue to bring you more fun projects! They also allow me to show you exactly what I use so you know what I’m referring to!!

• Palm Sander
• 220 grit sanding block
• Krud Kutter
• Sea Sponge
• Artist Brush
• Roller (Foam roll applicator)
• Black Acrylic Paint
• Car Wash Sponge
• Dixie Bellle Slick Stick
• Manatee Gray
• Drop Cloth
• Cotton 
• Pearlescent Glaze
• Gator hide

The first thing I did was pull out my Palm Sander. I “borrowed” this from my Dad 2 years ago and LOVE this thing. Between you and I, I will never return it. I used 120 grit sand paper and gave it a good sanding. The goal of sanding is to take off any crud or surface stains that could create an uneven finish. Then I gave it a through cleaning with Krud Kutter and let it dry for about 10 minutes.

The next step is priming your surface. Prepping and priming are so important. These 2 steps are what make a lasting finish for your counter top. I choose to use slick stick from Dixie Belle. It is specifically made to prime slick surfaces such as countertops in preparation for paint. I applied 2 coats with a smooth sponge roller and let it dry for 8 hours between coats.

Now its time to get to the fun part! To start I used my smooth sponge roller and painted just one coat of Manatee gray to the surface. While it was still wet I used the sea sponge and dabbed cotton all over the top. I put the paint on heavier in some areas and lighter in others.

Next I mixed a very small amount of Drop Cloth with Cotton. Just enough to tint the cotton to a varying shade of white. I used the same sea sponge creating darker and lighter areas to resemble the varying shades in real granite.

One of the finishing touches of the faux marble finish is to create the veining. Your paint should still be wet at this point. With an artist brush and a very light hand I created light veins through the paint! Another way to do this is by using a feather the same way you would use a brush. I sprayed the veins with water to soften them and make them look more natural. After this I let it dry for about 4 hours. This next part is what really made this countertop look like real marble! I took a car wash sponge and I cut a small piece off and pulled 2 coats of pearlescent glaze over the counter. I let this dry of 3 days. I wanted to be absolutely sure the whole thing was dry before applying my topcoat. 

My topcoat of choice is Gator Hide!! This stuff is what motivated me to paint my countertop in the first place. It is designed to protect high traffic areas such as counter tops, dining tables, and other high traffic furniture tops. I applied 3 coats with a car wash sponge letting each coat dry for 5 hours. I like to be absolutely sure my topcoat is curing correctly. Its hard to wait with countertops but I promise waiting the extra cure time will ensure a lasting finish! After 7 days your counter top will be cured enough for light use. I recommend waiting 2-3 weeks to return back to full use.