Welcome back the newest installment of our blog series: Giani Kitchen Makeover! Continue to follow along with us as we completely remodel the kitchen in our office break room using only our DIY paint kits!
We’re so happy to finally share the countertop transformation step of our makeover! We are absolutely loving how the kitchen is developing-- so close to the finish line! It’s so much brighter, and inviting!
Let's take a trip down memory lane to see where our kitchen started and where we're at now:
✨WOW-- major glow up!✨ Now this kitchen is beginning to reflect our office's modern style!
To recap our makeover process so far:
1. We painted the cabinets (and walls).
2. Created a DIY Subway Tile backsplash.
3. and now, painted our countertops to look like marble!
Replacing your countertops can be an overwhelming task to consider-- the cost of materials and labor is steep! But updating your countertop can entirely transform your space. ^See above for case in point! So if you are dreaming of marble and it isn't in the budget, PAINT your own with Giani!
Giani Marble Countertop Paint is a simple, three-step application that will transform Formica®, laminate, Corian®, ceramic tile, butcher block, cultured marble, and traditional granite in a single weekend. Each kit contains all necessary tools and covers 35 square feet of surface, which is the average amount of countertop area in a kitchen.
The first step to any makeover is planning. If you are planning to use both Nuvo for your cabinets and Giani for your countertops, you'll want to set aside two weekends to complete your projects. We recommend painting your cabinets first so that you don’t accidentally get paint on your Giani finish.
Follow along with our videos for project instructions and read here for detailed written instructions.
Giani Marble Countertop Paint
Prep is simple; just a thorough deep cleaning with an SOS pad and then rinse off the residue with water. There is no need to sand for standard Laminate/Formica countertops-- but if you have cultured marble counters, we recommend a light sanding using a fine #600 grit sandpaper to degloss the surface. Then, tape off all the area's you don't want painted and protect your cabinets and floors.
Now, comes the most satisfying part--- painting on your new White Marble Base. So long old counters, and hello marble!
You'll start by using your 2" foam brush to edge in any corners/detailing and use the roller to fill in the rest! Work quickly as to always leave a wet edge. We recommend working in about 3 foot sections-- continue the process until your entire countertop is covered.
Let dry for 4 hours and repeat the process for a 2nd coat. Your first coat will be streaky, but don't worry, you should reach full coverage on the 2nd coat. Let dry for 4 hours.
While your primer is drying, it’s a great time to research examples of marble finishes so you can get an idea of the vein style you would like to mimic and study how to create the most realistic veins. Or you can go one step further and purchase a marble sample board at your local home improvement store.
You can also spend this dry time mapping out the direction in which you want the veining of your marble to flow. It helps to draw the basic layout of your kitchen and then create a vein guideline for yourself.
Use the kit's included practice board to try out the veining technique before painting on your countertops. Keep in mind that the board will soak up some of the paint+water moisture so you will not be able to blend as you would on your primed countertop.
Now that all the prep work is complete, it's time to start painting on the veins! This is the step that really transforms it into marble. Remember to take your time, be patient and blend, blend, blend!
Begin by gently holding the end of your artist brush, with an open palm or loose grip, and drag the Grey Veining Paint across your countertop. Slightly wiggle or twist your brush as you drag to create natural waves and flows. You don’t want to paint a perfectly straight diagonal line!
Then mist your vein with the water from about a foot away using your kit’s included Misting Bottle. You’ll know you’ve used enough water when the paint starts to bleed.
Next, lightly dab, feather, and/or stipple your vein using your dry Softening Brush. Blend to your preference. You can also use a paper towel to remove any extra moisture or blend the vein further. We recommend studying our how-to video to see the blending in action.
Continue adding veins across your countertop. For the most natural look, vary the look of each vein and build upon veins by creating branches or ripples.
It can be tempting to work too detailed or want to fill in every single white space with veins—but remember if your veins are too busy, you could risk your finish looking more like a zebra pattern. We recommend starting with 2-3 main veins per 3 foot section so that you have room to fill in later should you want ghost veins or highlights. It’s always easier to add more veins than it is to take away after it has dried.
If you mess up a vein or don’t like how it looks, no worries! Mist your vein a few times to flood the area with water and wipe away to start fresh.
For backsplash veins, follow the veins already created on the main countertop surface and connect. Be sure to apply at a diagonal angle for a more natural appearance. Be cautious not to over spray the water and watch for any runs or drips!
Once your major veins are complete, take a step back and evaluate where you would like to add more depth by applying minor shadow veins or “ghost veins”.
You’ll follow the same techniques as you did with the major veins, but make them evaporated and subtle enough so that they don’t distract from your major veins.
To get an evaporated or ghosted finish, over blend the area and feather out your vein so that it looks faded. You may need to spray the area with more water to further allow for a more softened blend or pick up some of the paint product by dabbing with a paper towel. If the area shadowed area becomes too wide for your preference, you can narrow the vein by pushing the paint inward on wither side of the vein—this will help you create a more defined line.
For optional white highlights, first cut your sponge in half. Then, lightly sponge on flecks of the White Highlight paint in any areas on or around your veins for some added depth and texture.
Let your veins and highlights dry for 4 hours.
Now, the final step-- the topcoat! This will give help create a polished finish and protect your beautiful new marble look.
Use your foam brush to edge in any creases or corners and use your roller to fill in the rest! Make sure your roller cover is fully coated with Topcoat.
It’s best to edge in 3-4 foot sections at a time and then immediately roll that section so that your brush strokes blend with the rolled areas. Work quickly as to always leave a wet edge.
Roll on a liberal amount of topcoat onto your countertop section. Remember to keep your roller cover fairly wet as to avoid dry roll. Then, without rewetting, roll back over the area using long one-way strokes to smooth out any laplines.
Don't just live with your kitchen countertops, LOVE them! Our Giani countertop paint kits make it easy to refresh your countertops in just one weekend and for under $100! What are you waiting for?!
Pin it, and try out your own marble makeover when you're ready!
If you are feeling inspired and ready to plan out your own kitchen makeover with paint, be sure to check out our homepage for all the color and design possibilities! We try our best to match the product packaging/marketing to the true color but paint colors inherently vary on different monitors and the way they appear in each person's unique home lighting and surrounding colors. To work around this issue, we offer hand painted color swatches that we are happy to send out before starting your project.
If you’d like a swatch of our paint products, click on the image below to fill out a swatch request. Or contact us here.
