Should You Paint Faux Marble Countertops? Here's How to Do It Like a Pro

There are many different ways to stylishly update your kitchen without investing the time and money for a full renovation. When it comes to the kitchen, you can paint or stain the cabinets a new color or transform your countertops. If you don't already have granite or marble countertops and it's a look you love, painting faux marble on your countertops may be the solution.

Marble countertops are a significant investment, and installing them is an expense in itself. Painting your countertops with faux marble is an affordable DIY way to refresh the appearance of your kitchen. But how feasible is this plan? Before taking the leap and getting to work, there are a few things to consider. To gain more insight, we spoke to an expert who has done it in her own kitchen. Ahead, we share everything you need to know.

The Pros and Cons of Painting Faux Marble

Pros

Painting faux marble countertops is a budget-friendly way to achieve the kitchen design of your dreams. It also allows you to fully customize the colors and veining patterns, bringing your vision to life. You can create a luxurious kitchen design without the cost of installing real stone, and there are many affordable DIY kits available that make this project manageable, ensuring you have all the materials you need.

Cons

While the pros of painting faux marble countertops are enticing, a few cons warrant consideration before you decide on this direction. Faux marble countertops offer less resistance to scratches, stains, and heat compared to natural stone, marble, or even laminate and wood. With a faux marble countertop, you must consistently use trivets for hot items and cutting boards to avoid scratches or dents. This requires careful cleaning and ongoing protection to preserve its appearance.

If you believe you can maintain a faux countertop, it's a great DIY option for achieving your desired kitchen design. Or, if you know it will only be a temporary solution to determine whether you want to invest in a real stone or marble countertop, it's a great way to test the look and figure out your preferences.

How to Paint a Faux Marble Countertop

To achieve the faux marble countertops, Martin shares her experience along with helpful tips to note throughout the project. Martin explains that when she bought her first home, the kitchen featured yellow laminate countertops in poor condition. She needed an affordable way to update them and decided to paint a faux marble countertop with an epoxy top coat, a finish she has now enjoyed for three years.

Martin posted a video of the process on her Instagram account, @createacolorfullife, to inspire her followers.

To begin the project, Martin created a new counter out of wood as the base since the original laminate counter was in poor condition. "If your counters are in good shape, I've seen people follow these steps right on their laminate or even stone counter," says Martin.

Step-by-step instructions for painting a faux marble countertop:

1. Clean and degrease your countertop to ensure a clean surface area for working.
2. Prime the counter, then paint your white base coat.
3. Next, use a small painter's brush to draw the veins. The Giani kit includes tips on how to paint the veins, or you can copy marble patterns found online. (Tip: Natural stone isn't perfect, so the veins don't have to be either.)
4. After painting the veins, use a large brush and a spray bottle of water to stipple over them. This blurs the veins slightly and creates more depth in the veining pattern.
5. Once you complete the design, let it dry.
6. Before adding the epoxy, carefully cover your cabinets, sink, stove, backsplash, and floor with plastic to protect them from accidental epoxy drips.
7. Ensure no hair or lint on the counter, and then follow the instructions to activate the epoxy.
8. Once you activate the epoxy, pour it onto the counter, distributing it evenly. (Tip: Work in sections if the counter is very large.)
9. After pouring the epoxy, use a foam roller to spread it evenly. It should thickly cover the surface of the counter, ensuring the epoxy goes over the edges so everything is covered. (Tip: If applied too thin, the roller marks will be visible.) Epoxy self-levels; if you spread enough evenly, it will dry to a nice, leveled surface.
10. Once you finish with the epoxy, check the surface for any lint that may have fallen and use tweezers to remove it before drying.
11. Allow 24 hours of cure time and wait a few days before placing anything on the counter to avoid dents.

Once it completely cures, you will have a new "marble" countertop to enjoy.