DIY Kitchen Makeover with Giani Granite Paint. My kitchen is very outdated and needs a makeover badly. So I decided to start with the counter tops. I had no idea that you don’t need to go out and spend tons of money to have beautiful looking granite counter tops. I have always wanted granite but never wanted to spend that kind of money. So I started to go on a search for inexpensive ways to spruce up your counter top that you can do yourself. And that’s what led me to Giani Granite Paint for counter tops found on GianiGranite.com, the cost is only $69.99. I choose the Chocolate Brown Giani Granite Kit.
Giani is designed to turn laminate, Formica, Corian, cultured marble, ceramic tile and wood – into the beauty of granite! But this is not for sinks, tubs, flooring or shower floors.
The kit included:
- -12 Oz. of IronCoreTM Primer-Base Coat
- - 6 Oz. of Brown Feldspar Mineral
- - 6 Oz. of Inca Gold Mineral
- - 6 Oz. of Chocolate Brown Mineral
- - 16 Oz. of Automotive Polyurethane Topcoat
- - 6″ GIANITM roller arm and two roller pads
- - 4″ GIANITM granite paint sponge
- - 2″ Foam Brush
- - Black Practice Poster Board
- - ‘Paint-by-Number’ DVD for beginners
- - Illustrated Instructions
Other supplies you will also need
- Rubber gloves
- Frog tape
- Clear drying Caulk
- SOS or Brillo Pads
- razor utility knife
- News Paper
- Paper Plates
First I had to prep my counters by removing everything and washing them with the Brillo Pads and then rinse them very well. Next I took painters tape and news paper to protect everything from the paint that I will be using. The photo below shows the blue painters tape which I used and it later fell off. So for the rest of my counter I used the suggested Frog Tape in the instructions and it worked much better.
Here is a photo of the other side of my kitchen.
Next step is to fill in the cracks and deep scratches. You can buy wood patch for the deep nicks & seams. Then sand any patches smooth with the 600 fine grit sand paper. The GIANI will cover any thin scratches. My oldest son actually wanted to help me with this and it didn’t turn out so well. It was clumped up and was super thick. But I read the instructors and found out how to get it off which took about an hour but eventually we got the wood patch off and redid it.
Once the wood patch was dry the next step was to add the black primer in small 3 foot sections. This was easy and didn’t take much time at all. The primer takes 8 hours to completely dry before I could move on to the next step.
After waiting 8 hours for the primer to dry now its time to add the minerals. I put all the minerals in small containers and then used paper plates to sponge off excess paint. Adding the minerals to the counters was so fun and relaxing to me and it brought the creatively out in me. There really is no wrong way to add the minerals. Just add one mineral color at a time. I practiced on the poster board provided before I began.
Like I said adding the minerals is easy. I added the first color and all I did was just sponge on lightly in small 2 foot sections. But not in any order I just sponged till I had the desired look I wanted. And then I added each color 1 at a time till I was done and ready to move on the my next 2 foot section. As you can see in the photos below as I add more colors it adds more depth. 
Here is a couple of small 2 foot sections complete and behind the sink. Very easy and it looks beautiful!
More photos of the almost completed minerals. I really love that even after the colors dry I could go back and add more where ever I wanted. After adding all the minerals it was time to wait 4 hours for them to dry. Once they were dry I then sanded down any sharp peaks with the 600 grit fine sandpaper.
So once I finished adding all the minerals to my counter tops. I let them dry for the recommended 4 hours. Next I added the first layer of clear top coat. Then I waited another 4 hours to add another layer. After the first hour I was able to begin removing all the tape.
Next I waited a total of 12 hours to apply the clear acrylic caulk around the sink to seal out the water. I recommend you buy the caulk tool if you want a nice clean look when applied. However I did not get the tool just so I could save a couple dollars and it made a mess. I had to keep redoing it. Until I decided to go back out and just spend the extra couple of dollars and get the tool.
So now it’s time to wait for the Giani Granite to cure which takes 14 days at 77º F and 50% relative humidity. I waited the full 14 days before doing anything on my counters. But somewhere along the way I must have got water on the counter top on both sides of the sink. I don’t know how because I was so careful but it can happen. I realized this when I went to wipe them down and take my final photos. I felt tiny little raised bumps. As soon as I felt them I got discouraged and thought to my self all this hard work and how beautiful it turned out and now it is ruined. I frantically called and emailed GianiGranite.com and told them what was going on. I didn’t think there was anything they or I could do to fix it, but I called anyway. After speaking with them I was relieved to find out it was fixable! All I had to do was sand down the tiny bumps with the 600 grit fine sandpaper and reapply the minerals if needed and put top coat back over that area and wait for it to cure. To my surprise you can’t even tell I touched up the area or that there was ever an issue. My post for this review was actually posted later than I expected because I wanted my photos to be perfect so you could see how absolutely beautiful this Giani Granite Paint for Coutertops is.
Here is a the final picture of my finished project.
Watch this detailed video all about Giani Granite and how to apply it. If I can do this so can you!
Taking care of the countertops after applying Giani Granite Paint is easy. Never use harsh chemicals like bleach, Coment, Soft Scrub or any abrasives. Never use scratchy pads. Only use a mild dish soap and water or even better Giani Cleaner for countertops.
I am so very happy with the new look in my kitchen. Using the Giani Granite Paint has given my kitchen the look of an entire makeover. And to think I was considering trying a stick on for this look. I am so happy I never tried that. It would have been ruined in a month in my house and a waist of money. And you all know the last thing I wanna do is waist money. I would recommend Giani Granite Paint to anyone. You are going to save hundreds of dollars maybe even thousands!! Easy instructions and simple to do. While applying Giani there was never any harsh paint smells and your kit comes with enough paint to cover 16 running feet or 35 sq. ft. That’s a lot of counter space! Even if you had to buy 2 kits it’s well worth the money saved. Don’t hurry, RUN OVER to GianiGranite.com and check these products out!
My next project will be the backslash and then the cupboards. I can’t wait to share the new products I have coming up!
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Disclosure I received Giani Granite Paint products for free from GianiGranite.com in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I or use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Looks great! How long has it been since re-do? Any problems with scratching or it not holding up?
WOW that looks GREAT !!!
WOW! This looks like a wonderful revolutionary new product. I hate my countertops, too, but can’t afford granite but love the look and this seems like a great alternative. Your countertops came out beautiful!! I can’t wait to see what you do next!
Thank you so much. It looks so much better in person. Love it!