I paid $10 for Granite Countertops

Well kind of.  I was inspired by Grace and the Oops counter at Lowe's that had 2 gallons of greyish granite paint.  

I didn't know "granite paint" existed, but I'm happy it does!  

I'm even happier that they were marked down to $5 from $42.  (so is my husband...)

I wanted to complement the smoothness of the wood and white finishes already in the kitchen, 

so the rough finish of this paint was perfect.

The men of the family spent a night ripping out the green laminate...

By the way, the plan is to expand the kitchen a bit and get really nice real stone countertops in a few years, 

so if the paint didn't work out, it would be ok.  It is still better than icky green.  

BEFORE

 AFTER

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

 So the changes were small, but signifigant.   The total rundown is this:

1.  Countertops - granite paint, $10
2.  Hardware - I had the larger hardware and painted the knobs to match - maybe $10 at most...
3.  Backsplash - White tile - < $1 and stone - $6
4.  Floor - about $25
5.  Rug - $3.74 from target clearance
6. Fabric - $4.98 from target clearance

TOTAL - around $60-70 for a little shakup redo...not bad, eh?

I'm a little behind my self-imposed posting schedule, but bear with me...I will give more details on the white backsplash (it is 3D!  for a dollar!!) , the fabric (it goes WAY beyond those door panels...) and the kid's section next to the kitchen (yes, there are MORE IKEA panels! :)

What have YOU been building?

...yes I realize there is a paint stick on the floor and a dirty rag on the recycling bin...ah well...

UPDATE:  As of June 2012, we finally were able to purchase the stone countertops we have always wanted thanks to Apartment Therapy and Cottonelle - THANK YOU!  The granite paint held up, but the cardboard under the paint did not do so hot.  This project was definitely worth it to ditch the green laminate, but NOT as a long term solution.  Think long and hard before pulling up the laminate or painting it because you will probably need to replace those counters in a few years!   ...but long story short -- I'm so glad I spent the 10 bucks and got rid of that green -- it saved my sanity for a year or so ;)

PPS I left THIS TILEWORK even though the other solid surfaces were replaced.  I love it that much.  ...and yes I did snub my nose at all the haters when I left it there...cleaning scpleaning....

Want to hear the latest happenings at the nest and check out behind the scenes photos?  Follow along on FACEBOOK!