Kitchen Remodel Refinishing Existing Counter Tops & Resource List

Kitchen Remodel Refinishing Existing Counter Tops 

& Resource List

contributed by Two Become One

Last week I told you about how we got all of our bathroom and kitchen counter tops reglazed, and showed you how the bathroom counter tops look now. This week, I wanted to show you guys the first part of our kitchen makeover. The original countertops were sponge painted by a clueless DIYer before we moved in, so they were pretty worn out by the time we had them redone. I am not saying they don’t look good, but anything and everything left its mark on these counters.

Not too ugly right? The colors were very warm and inviting, but I love white kitchens and since the kitchen is smaller, I wanted to brighten it up some! Plus we are repainting all the trim white and I didn’t like the white/brown combo that would have resulted. But here is where you can really see how torn up the counter tops were.

Again, they would have been alright counter tops had somebody not gotten a gallon of paint and sponge painted them like we did on paper back in kindergarten. That type of art is for mom and dad to hang on the refrigerator, not for the counter tops.

So we hired our local contractor who came out and fixed us up. This is what the kitchen looked like for three days! Remember, we had NO sinks and no access to anything in our cabinets. And again, has anyone seen Dexter? (These pictures are from after the first day, before they sprayed the thick, clear coat of glaze.)

And here is the final product! We love love love the counter tops, but that awful 1970′s off white has got to go! It just looks yellow and dirty against our pretty new counter tops. So, there was a long weekend of painting that followed this reglazing!

Here is a close up of the glaze. It is white with black and tan specks. The tan matches our wall color incredibly well, and the contractor said the black worked well with stainless steel and black appliances. We must say, we agree!

Oh, how much nicer is this than the old brown sponged style? It’s light and airy and I love looking at it now! Plus, it makes the kitchen feel bigger and the natural light really reflects off the lighter counter tops.

And did you notice our new sink and faucet? He included the installation in the price, so off to Home Depot with went with the trusty credit card to find a deeper sink and taller faucet. Now I don’t have to wash dishes in what felt like a shoe box.

Don’t mind the peeling paint, it came off when they took the tape and plastic down. Just one less spot we have to sand later!

What do you think? Do you like the white counter tops better than the old brown ones? Later next week, once they’re dry, I’ll show you guys the new cabinets! I can’t wait for everyone to see our remodel (although it’s not completely done after that)!

(continued...) As most of you know, we just finished our kitchen makeover (see part two here). 


Well, at least all the big projects are done. Now I just need to add a few pictures on the walls, paint the door to the laundry room (or buy a new one) and make a few more minor fixes and we’ll be done.

We had a great response to our new kitchen, which only cost us about $600. I just wanted to show you guys the slow transformation of our kitchen and answer a few questions that popped up in past posts.

Here is one side of our galley kitchen.

The Before

The During

The In-Between

The After

And here is the other side.

The Before

The During

The In-Between

The After

Here is an up close before and after of our countertops. I beg you, please please please never sponge paint your kitchen countertops. It is NEVER good! It might be a quick fix for you, but when you move out and forget to replace them, your next owner will despise your design decision. Paint does not hold up to heat, scratches, and wear and tear like a countertop should. No matter how many protective coats you put on top of it. If you want an affordable new countertop, I strongly recommend you have them reglazed like we did. Cheap and beautiful. And it’ll last longer.

The Before- layers and layers of sponge paint

The After- beautiful and durable reglazing

It’s no butcher block or granite, but it sure does look good and our wallets were quite happy we went with this option.

So now, for the resource list (I will try not to leave anything out):

• Reglazed countertops and sink installation- The Reglazing Company- $225
• Paint for cabinets- Behr PP Semi-Gloss Interior Paint “Frost”- $35
• 20 pairs of door hinges- Amerock Satin Nickel Door Hinge- $45
• 25 pack of cabinet door knobs- HD Liberty Satin Nickel Knob- $33
• 3 corner shelves- HD Mural White Corner Shelf- $30
• Sink- KOHLER Toccata™Stainless Steel Sink- $172
• Faucet- MOEN 2-Handle Faucet (not the exact one, but similar) -$95
• Paint on top of cabinets- Custom color match- Free (it was left in the garage by the previous owner)

Total Cost= $635

I know we could have done our makeover for a little less, but the sink and faucet were our biggest splurge, and I believe we will get our money’s worth when we sell the house. I love the tall faucet and having a sprayer because it makes it much easier to handwash our Calphalon cook ware. I think I answered all the questions between the three posts, but if not, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

Oh, and you can also find a reglazing company near you by Googling “reglaze countertops/bathtubs *your city.*”