Faux Granite Countertops

by: ArthurSneddon
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Is your kitchen looking a little tired and old fashioned? Is it looking worn and a little worse for wear? When you think about it you will be surprised how much time we actually spend in our kitchens. Of course if you are cooking for a large family that will come as little surprise but even in small families most members will find they spend some time each day in the kitchen. This is especially true if, like many of us, you do not have the luxury of a separate dining room and your family eats in the kitchen.

Unless we have a brand new kitchen, most of us would agree that we would love to indulge in a kitchen specially designed to meet our needs. Maybe a breakfast bar, or a large countertop to prepare food. With the amount of kitchen accessories and gadgets available it is possible to create a fully coordinated design with everything matching. Maybe we would like to have real marble floors or granite countertops. Most of us have a few ideas on how we could improve our kitchen.

Many people choose to have granite countertops in their dream kitchen because it looks great, every stone is unique, and the material is highly suitable for use in the kitchen. Granite is extremely difficult to damage or scratch and proves extremely durable. The countertops also remain cool which means the surfaces are perfect for the preparation of various types of food.

Like most things in the world of kitchen design the better they look the more expensive they prove to be. Of course the most fantastic looking designs often utilize the most expensive materials which obviously has a profound effect upon the total cost. Such design also tend to use the very top of the range electrical goods to further enhance the beauty and, before you know it the price goes through the roof.

If you find a designer kitchen to be beyond your budget then it is possible to change the look of your kitchen quite radically for a fraction of the cost by renovating your existing kitchen units. Often such units are of a standard size and shape meaning that replacement doors and fittings can be purchased separately from the shell. Simply by changing the doors and the countertops you can create a brand new looking kitchen with the minimum of cost and certainly less fuss.

For those of us with hardly any budget at all for such luxuries as a new kitchen our plight can sometimes appear hopeless but despair not. With only a small amount of cash, a little study and some determined effort, it is possible to create a whole new look by painting the existing kitchen units and countertops. You can use special paints to paint them all one color or special paints to create alternative finishes such as wood grained doors and faux granite countertops.

The faux granite effect is really easy to create but you do need to look at plenty of natural granite so that you understand the pattern you will be creating. First clean the surface and paint with an oil based primer. When it is completely dry paint a base color with a water based paint and when dry start adding your pattern. When completely dry you can create the look of polished granite (and increase protection) by giving it at least 3 coats of a water based Polyurethane gloss varnish.

The really great thing about creating your own faux granite countertops is that you can choose your perfect design. You have no reliance on mother nature. You can choose to go with natural granite colors such as dark olive or gray background colors with secondary colors of light olive green and black or various shades of brown. If you fancy something a little more radical you can use any color combination you like even bright colors, whatever takes your fancy.

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If you are looking to find out more information about counter tops you might like to read about our faux granite counter tops  

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