Faux-granite countertop! Just a little paint and elbow grease!

[Sparkly Sharp Fabulous]

wow that is awesome! i cant wait to see the completed project!

[mink_bikini]

This is an amazing job, and Granite isn't that durable despite the big price tag so you saved yourself money and heartache doing it yourself.

Incidentally we moved in to our house in April and the kitchen counters had been DIY'd but a complete fail on every count, it looked like it had sand then tar poured over the worktops, it was grainy all over, lumpy and shiny too. Very odd, we replaced it but kept a chunk in the garage to remind us how bad it was!

[bookstorebabe]

What kind of paint did you use, acrylic or something else? What colors did you sponge on over the black? It looks absolutely amazing! Great job!

[roccstarr75]

Wow! Those are really beautiful!  My last house had authentic granite and I think I like yours better! Plus I like how you put "Believe" in the window, so everyone who enters your kitchen will automatically subconsciously fall for its realism! hahahaaa! j/k! Seriously though At one point or another I have had every level of kitchen counters from unfinished plywood, to rotting laminate, to great laminate, to granite, so I have done a lot a research and have spent many hours fixing crappy counters! Good job!

[Momof2!]

Close ups would be great I am also interested in what kind of primer, paint, and sealer you used. The reason I am asking so many questions is because my husband and I have been talking about painting our countertops. We just saw a kit the other day and I said to him "I wonder if I could just buy everything myself and skip the kit". How many coats of sealer did you use and how long did it take each to dry?

[non.sequitur]

That looks amazing, and the timing couldn't have been better--we're redoing our kitchen after Christmas, and I think you just saved me from having to tear out perfectly good (but ugly) countertops! Now, to convince my husband...

[bookwyrmhole]

These are beautiful, and you didn't have to spend the money on a kit!

I'm planning on painting my kitchen cabinets and so desperately wish this method would work instead of having to buy new counters. But, alas, for some silly reason half my kitchen has laminate counters, and the other half is tile. 

[kaz814]

Those look amazing!  I love the look you got.

[FoxyBlue]

Thanks for all the great comments, everyone! You make me smile and giggle!

Anyway, for those with questions - the paints I used were as follows:

YELLOW Sico primer. That's what the lady at Rona suggested, so that's what I bought. The paints were regular wall paint in semi-gloss. I chose black and a browny grey and white and sort of muddled them together to create different shades. The varnish I used is a high gloss floor polyurethane varnish. Also, I used my palm sander prior to painting to rough up the countertops a bit.

I hope that answers all your questions!

[EnginerdLisa]

When I moved into my house the kitchen cabinets were mismatched, so I repainted them.  Here is my advice (for what it it worth)  OIL BASED PRIMER.  I cleaned and sanded all the cabinet fronts and frames, and no matter how many coats of paint I put on there were spots that would bleed through (looked like oil stains and was worst on the cabinets above and around the stove).  One coat of oil pased primer totally sealed all that off.  Then I was able to paint them.  I have to say, painting my cabinets and putting new hardware on made a huge difference.  I can't wait to see how yours looks.  Counter tops were the only thing I didn't do in my kitchen, because I was too scared, so you have my admiration!

You can see how my cabinets turned out here
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=320143.msg3689405#msg3689405