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How To Update A Kitchen With Painted Worktops

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Using Floor Paint For My Kitchen Painted Worktops

If there is one thing I would love to do in my home, is to install a new kitchen. It’s also probably the most expensive home improvement too! With 2 boys currently at University and one more to go, there isn’t the budget for it at the moment. So in the meantime I went for kitchen update I could afford and that was painted worktops.
 
 
It’s not that I didn’t like my wooden kitchen countertops, but after 20years of heavy use, they weren’t looking good. Especially around the sink, the wood was full of black stains that no amount of sanding would remove.
 
 
It was actually my sister Tasha, that suggested that I paint my kitchen worktops. She had done it a couple of years ago and was really pleased with the results. In fact, she painted her wooden kitchen floors and countertops with the same paint.
 
 
I’d never thought of using floor paint before for painted worktops. However, the floor paint idea sounded like a good one, as floor paint has to be hardwearing and you would want hard wearing paint for painted kitchen worktops.
 
 
I’m really pleased with the newly painted worktops. The kitchen looks fresher and brighter, it will do me anyway for a couple more years before I can eventually afford a new one. Elliot my son did, however, comment that he thought it looked a bit Greek with the bright blue worktops against the white brickwork.
 
 
Would you like a new kitchen but can't afford one? How about giving your kitchen an affordable update with painted worktops, using floor paint.
 
 
 
This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to see my disclosure policy.
 
 
 

What I used for my kitchen painted worktops

  • Floor paint Since discovering Lakeland Eco Paints several years ago, I won’t use any other paints around the house if I can help it. The paints are VCO free so don’t give off any fumes. I know you can buy them in Europe but I’m not sure about the US. The paints are food safe too!
     
    My sister used a Farrow & Ball floor paint. I’m sure you could use any wood floor paint.

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  • Small smooth paint roller and tray

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  • Orbital Sander

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  • Clear furniture wax

 
 
Kitchen counter tops before
 
 
 
wooden worktops before
 
 
 

How to paint kitchen counters

  1. The first thing is to sand all the old varnish and grim off the countertops to be painted with an orbital sander.
     
     
    sanding worktops

    2.  
     
     

  2. Once you have finished sanding the worktops, make sure you wipe them down and remove all the wood dust.

    3.  

  3. Prepare the paint according to the instructions on the tin. If you use a small roller kit to apply your paint to the countertops, it will give you a smooth finish with no brush marks. I used 2 coats of floor paint, making sure the paint had dried thoroughly between coats.
     
     
    DIY kitchen painted worktops

    4.  
     
     

  4. To finish off I added a coat of clear furniture wax as added protection especially around the sink area where the countertops often get wet.

 
 
I’m really pleased with the finish on my painted worktops. The paint has gone on really smoothly and looks good. I will see how the painted worktops stand up over time. Tasha reassures me that the paint will last as it is durable floor paint. I do have some left in the pot just in case I need to touch up anytime.
 
 
Painted kitchen worktops
 
 
 

Finishing off the kitchen

Whilst I had the paint there I painted my window and door frame to match the worktops and even my knife block and utensil holder.
 
 
Window painted to match kitchen painted countertop
 
 
Finished painted kitchen worktops
 
 
Finished painted kitchen worktops
 
 
finished painted kitchen contertops
 
 
 
There are other ways to update the kitchen other than with paint, you can add a DIY splashback with wallpaper , or simply update your kitchen bin with wallpaper.
 
 
Have an ugly trash can ? Then why not transform it by upcycling with wallpaper. step by step tutorial for this Orla Kiely Trash can (bin)
 
 
Since painting the worktops, I also made some unique storage for the kitchen from an repusposed chair back.
 
 
Repurposed Chair back into a handy kitchen towel rack and storage.
 
 
 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Claire, your kitchen looks so happy and welcoming now. Your countertops look so much more attractive now. I wish that I could convince my daughter to paint hers as you did.
    The blues work so well together. I love blue as it makes me happy. The all white and gray kitchens so popular today do not inspire me. I think I could get very creative in your kitchen. I wish that I could cross the pond and have a cup of tea in your cheerful kitchen!

    Reply

    • Aww, thank you so much Margret. I have had a blue kitchen for twenty years now and I still love it. I do like colourful interiors, they always seem happy. Even though I’m English I’m more a coffee drinker than tea, so it would be a coffeee in my kitchen or a hot cup of cocoa even.

      Reply

  5. Your Great idea!Yes, Claire, it does look Meditearean.But I’m sure you can colour it any colour you want at the paint store. To make it make had wearing put a coat of clear gloss wood varnish over your tops. I’m sure the more coats of varnish you put over the top the tougher and more water resistant it will become use a bead sealant all around the tops and sink and then paint and varnish to prevent water getting under the wood and damaging it. For laminated surfaced apply a product that helps the paint adhere to the surface before painting. We have it in Australia so you should have it there.

    Reply

  6. Firstly, I love your SS sink – where did you find it? As for the countertop – I fail to understand why anyone would paint a butcher block countertop instead of sanding and sealing it – they are beautiful and my favorite. Also – (my opinions here) I think there’s just a touch too much blue in your kitchen – butcher block would have been the thing that kept it from “going over the blue edge”…

    Reply

    • I too love the butcher block, but no matter how much sanding I did I could not get rid of the black marks round the sink. That is why I painted the countertops to hide the black marks that were ingrained. This was a temporary measure until I can afford a new kitchen. The sink is from IKEA

      Reply

  7. Desperately need a solution to replace countertops due to a smaller sink opening on a beautiful sink I bought great price but it’s an inch shorter length and width so countertops have to go . really can’t afford much but I could figure out a way to do this with wood if it’s a safe food service / waterproof is the floor paint actually waterproof and food safe? That’s a great idea I sure hope it the answer as this would be the solution that would work and I could do it myself without paying someone to install formica tha I really can’t afford right now

    Reply

    • The floor paint is food safe as I used an Eco-friendly floor paint. It is splash proof but I would either wax or varnish the painted tops in high water traffic areas like around the sink to protect it further.

      Reply

  9. Wow, what a transformation. I love that blue, your kitchen really looks amazing now. I’ve been thinking of repainting all the doors and cabinets in my kitchen and looking at this I think they could look really nice.
    #HomeEtc

    Reply

  10. I am loving the color you picked, I literally just finished painting my hallway a similar color so I am all about the blue right now.
    Thanks for sharing this at the Dishing It & Digging It Link Party. Hope you have a great week Claire!

    Reply

    • Thank you, Janice. I ripped the carpet off my stairs, stained the steps and wallpapered the rises. It was one of the best transformations I have done in the house. I do think you should go with it with your stairs. Painted stairs are so much fresher than carpeted ones.

      Reply

  20. I love the look of butcher block counters but water is the one reason I could never do it. The update looks great and it really brightens your kitchen. Tell you son that all the ladies love the blue and white of Greece so you chose right 🙂 I know that will hold up well if it’s intended for foot traffic. My mom used a similar “special material” for counter tops on her formica. Sadly it hasn’t held up very well. Maybe we’ll try floor paint the next time.

    Reply

    • Thank you, Toni. I love the look of butcher block counters too but unless you are very careful they don’t wear well especially round the sink. I don’t know how floor paint would work on Formica though I imagine that is a difficult service to paint.

      Reply

  21. I haven’t ever heard of anyone using floor paint, but it makes sense! Clever! I’ll be SO curious to hear how they hold up over time. Enjoy your “new” space! 🙂

    Reply

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