Updating Granite Countertops Using Paint –
Have you ever wondered if you could update your granite counters without having to replace them? I did, and was able to give them new life when I updated them to look like faux marble counters.
Before you say it’s ridiculous to paint granite, please know that it was not my first choice (which would have been to replace them with counters that matched the kitchen that is in the room right next to this space). However, this was a DIY update gave us the look we were looking for, at the time that we needed it done.
When we bought our last house, it had a ton of granite countertops, but all of them had lots of brown and cream. They didn’t “go” with all the new colors we put in the house – grays and crisp whites and bright colors. They especially didn’t go with our brand new kitchen, located just next to the bar area…
Our New Kitchen…
It would have cost us a fortune to replace them, and we didn’t have several thousand dollars to swap them all out. We did replace quite a few of them in the bathrooms, but the two that were next to our brand new kitchen didn’t make the priority list, and unfortunately clashed with the new pretty quartzite not fifteen feet away. So I decided to paint them to look like faux marble counters. Yes, I know there are many who believe that I shouldn’t paint them, as mother nature took a bazillion years to make them. But it was either paint them, or take them out and put them in the trash in order to replace them. This was a great temporary fix while we waited to replace them.
This is the bar/wine/coffee area the day we settled on the house, before we did anything to it.
Gotta love the 1990’s cabinets and granite combination. And let’s not ignore that pretty etched mirror. Ugh. Not my style at all.
After we replaced all the floors in the house, the first thing I did in this space was paint the cabinets black using Amy Howard chalk paint in black, and replaced the dated hardware.
All of the counters I’m talking about are all in the great room area, which includes our new kitchen with quartzite counters that look very much like marble.
White wall cabinets, black island base cabinets, quartzite counters, Moen faucets and tile backsplash
There are tons of tutorials out there to duplicate the effect of faux marble, and I tried a few different ways. One of the videos I watched was for a product called Giani’s Countertop Paint , and it gave me a good idea of how to start the process. Being that I am impatient and didn’t want to wait for it to ship to me, and they don’t carry that product at my local Home Depot or Lowe’s, I used what was already on hand. I did buy a glossy surface primer, but everything else I already owned.
List of supplies
- Kilz Glossy surface primer
- white chalky paint or flat paint
- gray chalky paint
- metallic paint in gray
- Metallic paint in silver
- Metallic paint in creamy white
- feather
- paint brushes, paint roller
- Benjamin Moore sealer/topcoat
The How To
I began by wiping everything down, making sure I started with a clean surface. Then I primed the counter tops. I used Kilz Adhesion primer for glossy surfaces. I had it tinted with some black to make it gray.
The right thing to do is to wait at least 24 hours for the primer to dry. And I did do that – after the first counter had to be started over since I went too fast. Wait. Just do it.
The coverage from the Kilz adhesion primer is awesome – it took one coat to completely cover the granite completely. I wish all paint was like that….
When it dried, I tried to scratch it off with my finger nail, and it didn’t budge!
We also went over the small part of the counter that was melamine with the Kilz adhesion primer, and it worked great. It even filled in those scratches, so you couldn’t see them anymore when I finished with this process. 
Then I put the first coat of white over the primer. It was pretty streaky and splotchy, with the dark gray still showing through, but that’s okay. Let it dry for a few hours. It doesn’t matter that the coverage wasn’t smooth or covered 100%. In fact, it’s better because it adds depth to the end result.
Then, go back with a big round brush or sponge, and give it another coat by blotting the white on top of the first coat. I wasn’t looking for perfect cover, I wanted a little bit of depth and interest. Let it dry completely.
I took some of the silver and gray paint, dipped a feather in it, and ran it over the top randomly, creating veins. It doesn’t have to be perfect, because you will go over it a few times with more gray, white and other shades of white. Let it dry.
After it dried, I went back with some watered down white paint and blotted it over top of the gray veining.
I took a little bit of the pearl white paint, and put in a few veins of pearl to make it look opalescent and a little sprakly, like real marble sometimes is.
And when i was finally happy with how the “marble” looked, I let it dry completely for a day or two. Then I put a couple of coats of sealer on top and let them dry for a few days before I put anything on top of them.
They looked so good – and held up great to every day use for over a year. 
In the above picture, you can see how the pearl paint added a little bit of shine and depth to the finished counter. When people came over, they were always surprised to find out they were painted!
Unfortunately, we moved not long after I painted them, and before I could take proper “after” pictures with less glare, no mess and no painters tape left behind. But you get the gist, right? For the year or so that we lived with them, we had no issues with them holding up. I had our toaster coffee pot in that area, and made coffee on them every morning. It held up to constant wiping down, water, plates, kids making toast, etc…
So, yes, you can paint over granite countertops and make them a thing of beauty.
Want to see how I painted floor tile? Check out this post: Painting Floor Tile
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Scottie says
Wow! Fantastic job!! Those are completely stunning!
A Pinterest Addict says
Thanks! I sincerely hope the new owners are enjoying them ?
SAM says
iM CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW THEY ARE HOLDING UP NOW
– LOOKS FABULOUS-
BRILLIANT THANKS FOR ALL THE INFO
Karen L KANE-DRUCKENMILLER says
Thanks I also have a new house (2years old) with really ugly granite countertops in kitchen.
I am so happy you posted this, everything is builders grad, your cabinets are exactly what I want to do.
Thank you, ThankYou!!
Gayle Kirby says
Hi Elisia! Your counters look great! Thanks for the tutorial. When we moved into our outdated house 14 years ago we decided to use the primer and paint technique (just a solid color) for our kitchen backsplash “for the time-being”. Well, we never have done much else to it but the paint has held on to the tiles wonderfully. Have you moved from this house? You were one of the first people I know to do the herringbone wood tiles.
A Pinterest Addict says
Thank you! In the house before that one, we painted the all black granite backsplash too, and it was the best “temporary” thing we could have done! Yes, we moved from there last year. I miss that floor! I would probably do it again because it was just so easy to maintain and looked great, and classic and timeless… we put in bamboo floors in sections of our current place and I detest them. (Bad install, bad quality, they are a pain to clean without damaging, etc) I’m saving my pennies to be able to change them to wood look tile 🙂
JennIfer swabrrick says
Hi! The counters turned out beautIful! After you Used the kilz primer, what brand and tyPe of paint did you use to finish? Thanks!
Elizabeth says
Hi, I’m a bit confused. Did you use quartzite or a DIY. Also one of the pictures show a countertop that is chiseled at the edge. Were you working on two projects?
A Pinterest Addict says
I painted existing granite counter tops in the bar area to look like marble. They had a chiseled edge already. I also did the same thing to a small piece of melamine counter in the same area. The photo of the kitchen was to show that the painted counters ended up about the same color as the kitchen quartzite, instead of the brown/black/beige colors they were.
Melissa says
they look fantastic!! <3 <3 <3 8*)
Rahmah says
Great job. Does the sURface work well with heat and moisTure? Is it the same?
Leslie J says
QUESTION: whats the texture like? Im considering this for my kitchen cabinets
A Pinterest Addict says
It’s pretty smooth, like a wall would be, if you topped the paint job with clear sealer.
Molly says
can this be removed if someone ever wanted to take it off ??
A Pinterest Addict says
I’m sure it could be, since it’s on top of granite. I’ve used citrus paint remover to take paint off a granite piece before and it was fine. I don’t know if I’d do it if I didn’t completely hate the existing granite.
Matt says
What type of topcoat did you use to protect tHe counters from scuffing during every day use? I saw you listed bEnJamin Moore sealer/topcoat, but was hoping you cOuld give more specificS – IE: wood sealer, seAler for stone, etC. ThaNks!
A Pinterest Addict says
I’m so sorry, but I don’t remember what the name of the sealer was. I gave the rest of the can to a friend when we moved, so I don’t even have it to check for you.
Laura says
Im in love with this!
Ive been painting.baCksplAshes- so very INTERESTED!!
How long did it need to cure?
Has it survived washing? Some cleaners are quite harsh!
#HugeFan
A Pinterest Addict says
I think I let it cure for a day or so before putting my coffee pot on it… and then treated it kind of gingerly for a few days afterwards. I scrubbed and cleaned it like normal counters, including light bleaching when it got stained.
Peri-Gay Walker says
Love this and dying to do it on a condo we have just purchased and it too, has builder’s grade granite…how does it hold up to heat…. can you set a hot Pan or cookie sheet on it Without ruining it?
A Pinterest Addict says
Thanks for the kind words! I honestly don’t know since I didn’t paint where I would have to put hot things on it. It held up well to daily use, as it was my coffee area. I scrubbed and cleaned it every day, with not problems.
Eri1143 says
What Benjamin moore sealer was it?
A Pinterest Addict says
I don’t remember at this point, and I gave the rest of the can to a friend of mine, so I can’t even check. I’m sorry!
Nomie says
What paint/process would you recommend for a matte finish?
A Pinterest Addict says
I haven’t done a matte finish, so I don’t have a recommendation – Sorry!
Karen says
Love! If i wasn’t in a cast i would start right now. Why is EVERYTHING In caps???
Emily Hall says
With the top coat on, dod the couNtertop ever seem sticKy? You Know how some restaurant tables feel sticky when they have that clear Varnish on thEm?
A Pinterest Addict says
Not at all. It dried clean feeling, with no gummy feel at all.
gail shealey says
YOU’VE inspired me! I am Painting my granite toP table. But cant find the benjamin moore selaer topcoat. Any suggestions on what i might use instead?
A Pinterest Addict says
Thanks!! 😊. I am not sure… I didn’t love the one I used, because it didn’t “lay flat” when I rolled it on. I t kind of looked rough. I would ask your local paint store for a recommendation.
kelly says
where di you get a feather and what size? Did you only use one or different ones for different colors? Can everything you used be bought at lowes/home depot like the metallic paint? Is it in a can? did you get a gallon or a quart? So you wet the whole feather and kind of just drag it over it, no particular pattern? Mixing the grey and silver together on the feather or spererately and just follow the same path? I have two bathroom countertops I want to do this way in haouse we are buying. any moe specific details would be great!! thanks, Kelly.
A Pinterest Addict says
Hi! Good questions… I used a feather from our African Gray, Hugo. I washed it first with dawn soap and patted it dry. The metallic paint I used was from my local craft store (Michaels or JoAnn’s) that I had in my art stash. Just one of those little bottles (probably a couple dollars each with a coupon), and hardly used any of it. Yes, just dipped the bottom part of the feather and pulled it over the counter, twisting and rolling along the way. I used the colors separately so it looked like it had a little depth. And then I used a dry brush to feather it out a bit, so it wasn’t just lines. I hope that makes sense. I should have done a video but I hate the way my voice sounds. Lol.
Alvin Williams says
Hey that was a real bold move. Thanks for sharing this blog. It’s truly an eye opener for someone who think they can go with granite dull look for their whole lives.
Dee says
This is the best faux marble paint job on a counter top that I have ever seen! I thought Your instructions were very good & thanks for the supplies list. Everyone talks about granite upgrades and you never think that it can become outdated too. Totally impressed with your courage to even attempt it. CUDOS!! But one last question…..your floor also looks amazing! Do you remember what you bought?