Kitchen Remodel

[comrade_general]

No I'm not spam, but I do have a kitchen remodel to sell you. 

I'm remodeling my kitchen just for fun! As you will see in the following pictures my kitchen was an ugly green laminate stuff with light-colored cabinets. I already had a can of white paint on hand so that's what's going on my countertops except I'm adding a much higher level of detail by making them look like white river granite. I think I will then paint my cabinets a really dark brown/black to contrast with the counters which will make for a very modern look. I'm doing this all with my normal cheap paints so this remodel is costing me next to nothing.

Spoiler

The old color scheme:


Work in progress, the center island is pretty much done, the far counter just has its base coat:


Detail of old green scheisse:


My faux granite:

At the end I'll add a high-gloss clear coat to the countertops so they shine just like the real polished stone.
I need to get in the habit of taking more pictures, but I'll get some good before and after shots of the remaining section.

[Jubal]

An on-topic kitchen post? How iz zis possible? D:

[comrade_general]

See I failed to get more photos again... but I've still got the last counter to get before and after shots of.

The next step after the base coat is to just slather around some medium gray paint in random "rivers" across the surface, in fairly large widths varying from 3 to 8 inches or so. Note that the side pieces would be cut from different stone slabs so don't have the rivers match up on all the pieces, but at least make them compliment one another. I used a wet brush to spread the gray out a little more and leave some water spots around to make it more interesting when I do the next part, which is applying a lighter, more random coat of the base color. This gives it the base stone texture:

Spoiler

I like it when things like this happen:


Here's a spot where I nicked off a bump that formed, but it will only add to the texture when it's done.

Tomorrow I'll add even smaller twisting rivers and apply another sloppy coat of the base white over that in random places. I'll also use a brush to flick some water droplets around and blot them up with a paper towel as I go to further texturize.

[comrade_general]

So I added the medium size veins:


Then went over them with the roller again because I don't want them so pronounced on my version:


It's all a little too white compared to the island so I'm going to blob some gray around and roll over it again. It's always a wip until I seal it so I can keep changing it a little day by day.

[comrade_general]

Added in some cracks with a liner brush and flecked some gray spots around. Also added some bits of the larger veins which I will touch up with white when I paint the remaining counter. Meanwhile I put the first coat of sealer on the island.

[Lady Grey]

This is amazing :O

[comrade_general]

Thanks!

Spoiler

It's coming along steadily. Here's the island with its 5th coat of sealer. I'll add one or two more coats with a roller so it's nice and even:


Plain coat on the remaining side (don't mind the wall I'm doing some work on it too):


Used a big brush to slather some gray around:


Then blended it in with the roller:

[Jubal]

[Pentagathus]

Ban CG IMO

[comrade_general]

Agree with Pent.

Until then the countertops are done!

Spoiler

[Jubal]

Nicely done

[comrade_general]

Slowly coming along. Just need to do the backsplash wall and get some new hardware.

Spoiler

[comrade_general]

I present, my kitchen (actually had it done for a while just never took photos):

[Jubal]

Well done, it looks great

[Lady Grey]

Looks awesome, CG