the counter top post

Some of you were wondering how the counter top process went. So I will tell you. (Even though you can get a really great step-by-step at the Modern Masters Transformations website by clicking on this parenthesis.) Truly, the customer service for this company is great.

First, a before picture again.

So remember how I hated the counter top? Well, I did.

I disliked the whole kitchen, actually.

I don't now. I am rather fond of it, actually.

Have you ever talked to someone who used the same word over-and-over again.

As if they think it is like the word like.

You know, because you can use the word like however you want.

It doesn't mean anything, like. Like totally.

But seriously, like, I know a woman who would use the word, like, actually,
all the time.
Or maybe it was, seriously.

Either way, it got on my nerves a little.

Lots of things get on my nerves.

It is really irritating.

No, not irritating-the things that get on my nerves.

It is irritating that I am so affected by external situations out of my control.

(Yup, I am a bit of a control freak.

Shhh: I don't normally admit to that. Not even to myself.)

Where were we?

Oh, yes. The counter top.

So I didn't take any pictures of my sanding down the counter top.
Or taping.
Or painting it black with the black base the company sent.
Nor did I get a picture of the box the whole transformation kit came in.
Just imagine those pictures.
And go to Lowe's to see the kit.

(No I am not getting any money to promote this company or their products.

...This kit sells itself.... No, really, I'm not getting paid.)

The first picture below is the small counter top (I have three sections total: the smallest counter top, the sink area, the peninsula). It has been sanded, taped, painted black, and "fertilized" with the decorative chips.

I say "fertilized" because that is the type of device (a fertilizer spreader that casts out fertilizer when you crank it by hand) you use to spread the "decorative chips." I use the term "decorative chips" because that is what they officially call these tiny, dry, flat paint-chip like flakes that make these counter tops what they are.

Spreading the decorative chips around makes a huge mess. My preparatory work of taping the plastic sheeting to cover up the counter and floor didn't go so well. That is the only thing I would have changed about the whole process. I would have prepped much better and not been so hasty. Haste is what makes someone accident-prone, by the way. That is what I think anyway.

So here is the sink all painted and decorative-chipped....

so messy.

and the peninsula all finished on Day One.

Day One, by the way, is what I call the day when you sand the counter top, apply the black paint, and apply the decorative chips.

So messy! This is why you want to cover everything.

But as a consolation, it does sweep up rather nice.

It is just so messy and gets everywhere.

As long as it covers the counter!

I didn't start this process until the girls were in bed.

I didn't want any unnecessary foot-traffic going through the kitchen.

Geoff came in to help me with the paint and decorative-chip spreading process.

But even he stayed out of the kitchen while I did this.

Note the materials:

Note the time! I got to bed at 1:30 that night.

As is the case with all projects, right?

So the next morning (after you spray the decorative chips, you don't touch anything for twelve hours, at least) this is what I found.

Yes, very messy!

So after you brush off excess chips (I covered those counter tops with a thick layer of chips--didn't want to miss a spot) you scrape the counter gently with a plastic scraper that comes with the kit.

Then you sand it with a diamond studded sander that comes with the kit.
This was the part that stressed me the most, as I didn't want to sand too much or too little.

The peninsula all sanded:

And note: I cheated a little.

In a few areas along the edge of the counter top I sanded too much.

You have to be very careful with the edges.

It even says so in the instructional video.

Because we were leaving that evening for Seattle,

I didn't have a lot of time to redo some of the steps.

So I grabbed some black paint and dabbed in in a few areas.

It isn't perfect, but I am happy with it.
You can see the small areas where I dabbed with the paint.

Here is the kitchen all ready for the shiny coat.

And here is the shiny coat all painted on:

It takes one week (YES! ONE WHOLE WEEK!) to cure.

You may use the counter lightly after 48 hours.

But I don't trust myself because I may just stretch the definition of "light use."

We left for what we thought would be 1 1/2 weeks.

I didn't come back for 3 weeks due to some family matters.

Here is the kitchen now with fully-functional counter tops.

So happy.