Frugal Kitchen Makeover: Giani Countertop Paints

Here’s the perfect way to give your kitchen the makeover it desperately needs while being frugal. Giani Countertop Paints will take your kitchen from drab to fab in a few easy steps.

If you’re a homeowner, you probably know that swapping out any home decor can be a costly adventure. So when we purchased our home back in February, I knew there wasn’t any money in the budget to redo the countertops any time soon. After spending some time on the internet, I quickly came across Giani Countertop Paint Kits and knew I needed to give them a go.

Our house is very light and airy with an open concept design but the countertops were completely the opposite. They were brown and made everything feel so dark and closed in. So, I decided to do what I do best and give them a frugal makeover.

Since I had never done countertops before I must admit, I was really nervous to mess them up. Thankfully the Giani Countertop Paints Kit came with easy to follow instructions and I was able to look up a few of their YouTube videos – just to be sure of what I was doing.

Because I was looking for a lighter color, I choose the Giani White Diamond Countertop Paint Kit. White Diamond reflects the Quartzite family of stone from the marble deposits of the Brazilian coastline. Its bright whites, surrounded by steel grey flecks, lends a cool, but exotic feel to any kitchen.

The White Diamond Kit includes:

12 oz. IronCore Primer-Base Coat
6 oz. Greystone
6 oz. Quartzite
8 oz. White Limestone
3 oz. White Limestone
16 oz. Glitter Topcoat
6″ Giani Roller Arm and 2 Roller Pads
4″ Giani Paint Sponge
2″ Foam Brush
Practice Board

Step 1

Be sure your counters are well scrubbed to remove any dirt and debris. You don’t want to paint over any sort of residue that could get left behind. Be sure to lay down drop cloths and tape off sections around your kitchen that you wouldn’t want to get paint on.

Once your countertops are completely clean and dry, it’s time to roll on the Ironcore Primer. This is a black base coat that almost resembles chalk paint.

It rolls on really smooth and the coverage is great as I only needed one coat of primer for the kitchen counters. Though it took right around 20 minutes to paint, the primer requires eight hours of drying time. I let mine sit overnight so I could start the next step bright and early.

Step 2

Since this kit comes with three different colors of paint to achieve the desired look, I put each color on a paper plate so I could dip my sponge easier. Since there really isn’t a rhyme or reason to painting with a sponge, I just decided to randomly add dobs of paint all over the primed surface working in small sections and a layer at a time.

Who knew dabbing paint with a sponge was such a great stress reliever?!

Step 3

Once you have achieved your desired look, your countertops need to dry for at least four hours before applying the Glitter Topcoat. Don’t let the glitter part scare you (like it did me)… I could hardly see the glitter. It showed up quite a bit while still in the can but once rolled onto the counter I really had to look to see any.

Since you are in total control of what happens and where you can customize your kitchen (or bathroom) countertops any way you would like. I let a lot of the black primer show just to give them a little bit more dimension next to the white cabinets.

The topcoat can be a little tricky because it is pretty thick. I had to go over it a few times to make sure there weren’t any track marks from the roller. Plus, you want to be sure the surfaces are completely covered to protect them from any damage. According to Giani, your countertops are good to go in 24 hours after completion.

Trust me, these pictures do the countertops no justice. They really do look similar to granite. I just wish ours didn’t have that extra (unnecessary) lip around the edges. If I knew how to cut it off I totally would… HA!

Before & After

I just couldn’t believe how much brighter it made the whole space and really tied all of the colors together.

If you are looking to spruce up your kitchen on a budget, Giani Countertop Paints just might be the way to go. Head over to their website for more colors and ideas or buy these awesome paints on Amazon.