After we painted our kitchen cabinets white, we had to break up the monotony of the white. If you’ve seen my Pinterest page, you’ve probably noticed my interest in black and white kitchens. But instead of buying new counters, we decided to use a Rustoleum Countertop Transformation kit.

We looked into replacing our counters and decided the investment wasn’t worth it. After all, this is our first home, and we have a feeling that when our family grows, we’ll probably grow out of the house. Plus, the existing laminate is in good condition – it’s just boring and white. Luckily, Lowe’s had a sale on the Countertop Transformation kit, so I snagged one to use at a later date.

rustoleum countertop transformation

The whole process was fairly easy, just SUPER messy. Oh, and be prepared to say goodbye to your kitchen for a week, haha. Here’s what we did.

1. Prep

We bought a new, single basin sink, so to make the Countertop Transformation application thorough, we took out the sink. This included some caulk scraping with a putty knife. Totally optional.

To prep the rest, we hung plastic tarps to protect the freshly painted cabinets and taped off the edges around the counter.

2. Sand the counters

It feels so weird to sand a counter, but that’s what you have to do to degloss its shiny laminate surface. The Transformation kit comes with a helpful 15 minute DVD that covers the whole process, and breaks things down into easy steps. Alert: sexy sanding pose ahead.

3. Clean the counters

Because sanding creates a lot of dust.

4. Apply the paint

We used the charcoal colored kit. With a roller brush (the directions specify the nap length), we took turns rolling on a thick, even layer of paint and brushing it onto the back splash. It was dark and goopy, but a lot thinner than I expected. It looks like tar in the instructional video.

Anyway, we applied it in two-three foot sections, sprayed it with a “wetting agent.”

Then, we let the chips fly. Seriously. The kit came with six hefty bags of the decorative chips. We only used two, and that was A LOT. The kit has this contraption that’s basically a handheld seed spreader. Pour the chips in, crank the handle, and they come flying out onto the wet surface. We spread the chips generously, section by section, and let everything dry over night.

rustoleum countertop transformation chips

5. Vacuum, scrape, sand

In the morning, the paint was dry and the chips adhered. Using a provided wide putty knife, I gently scraped the excess chips in order to smooth the surface. Then I vacuumed the chips. That took almost an hour. Seriously. Chips EVERYWHERE.

rustoleum countertop transformation

I scraped off excess chips (and made Ryan’s hairy arm pose, haha).

Then I had to sand again. This time around, it was important to be light on the edges and corners, otherwise the base paint just scrapes off. It’s easy to repair, according to the instructional video.

Anyway, everything was smooth and sanded, so it was time to seal it.

6. Seal it!

Using a high density foam roller and the smelliest two part solution ever, I rolled a substantial but even coat of protective coating on the counter. After about five hours, I scored the tape with my putty knife and slowly peeled it off.

Now it’s a waiting game. It takes seven full days for the final coat to cure, so we can’t do much else until then. Except vacuum the chips that we keep finding, haha.

rustoleum countertop transformation

While the kit was $200, it requires a bunch of tools, many of which can’t be used again. So, really, it was about $250 for everything.

Have you ever used the Rustoleum Countertop Transformation? I gotta say, this $250 investment is much easy on our wallet than installing new counters!

8 Responses to Using Rustoleum Countertop Transformation

  1. CHRISTINA says:

    I just looked at the photos of your lovely home. It looks great. I love your choice of paint colors paired with the white curtains. I think I will copy you and use the same chic white curtains. I also like your backsplash. I think a nice backsplash is more important than countertops. I also had rug in my house. I remember we put bigger area rugs over it (that were thin and very big). It kept the rug floor odor free and clean.

    • Paige says:

      Thanks for the kind words! I REALLY want a rug, especially in the bedroom, but our dog just doesn’t do well with rug. Oh well.

  2. CHRISTINA says:

    After I do the Rustoleum finish in all white on my countertops and cabinets, I will do the floor. My kitchen is like your kitchen with the same Linoleum floor. I was told to place new engineered hardwood floor boards horizontally in my narrow kitchen to make the kitchen look bigger. Adding nice modern light fixtures also improved the interior of my house.

  3. CHRISTINA says:

    Hello,

    Your kitchen looks great. I am planning on using Rustoleum in all white because the kitchen is small. Can you put a high gloss finish over the Rustoleum of a clear glossy glaze? I am also planning on using metal sheets of a nice wooden or glass countertop cover. I know Ikea is selling glass countertop covers for $20 which will protect the counters and make it look more expensive.
    Thanks for posting.

  4. Love this! I have been going back and forth on trying this on our white countertops. I’ve been too scared but you may have convinced me. Thanks!

    • paige says:

      Thanks Amanda – I’m glad to hear that! It was tough not having a kitchen for a week (we reaaally missed counter space), but six months later, we’re still happy with it! No signs of damage and we abuse it like a normal counter 🙂

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