When Justin and I first started our adventures as DIY homeowners, it didn’t seem like there were that many options for countertops especially great options that we could afford. So, of course, we started looking at DIY kitchen countertop options.
Okay, it wasn’t THIS long ago, but you get the picture, right? (via) don’t you love the dancing vegetables wallpaper border?
Fast forward a few years, and thanks to the internet, there’s lots of information (and pictures!) out there about many more DIY countertop surfaces. Not only that, but prices on natural and engineered stone have come down a bit, making them more affordable options for the average homeowner. If putting most of a kitchen renovation budget into countertops isn’t your cup of tea, there are DIY options out there now with excellent online tutorials. In a nutshell, there are lots of ways to get the look you want for the price you are willing to pay.
Take a look at some of the great DIY kitchen countertop options that are out there — and if you’ve DIYed countertops, we’d love to see photos! You can drop us a line here or message us on Facebook here.
DIY Kitchen Countertop Options
Fantastic idea for installing concrete counters over existing tile countertops | Design Stocker featured on Remodelaholic
Make and install your own (faux) reclaimed wood countertops | The Ragged Wren featured on Remodelaholic
DIY stainless steel counters | The Home Project featured at Remodelaholic
Wood countertops made from solid wood doors | The Mustard Ceiling featured at Remodelaholic
DIY skim-coat cement countertops | Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body featured on Remodelaholic
(additional information here)
Faux painted marble countertops | Batchelor’s Way featured on Remodelaholic
Chalk paint chalkboard countertops | Freckled Laundry
DIY copper countertops | Lillidale featured at Remodelaholic
Wood flooring turned into butcher block countertop | PJH Designs featured at Remodelaholic
Glossy painted laminate counters for a faux quartz look | Designing Dawn featured at Remodelaholic
Penny countertop | Domestic Imperfection
Custom DIY poured dyed concrete counter | construction2style featured on Remodelaholic
faux granite spray painted kitchen countertops | Nest of Bliss featured on Remodelaholic
Turning laminate counters into concrete counters | Kara Paslay Designs
Painted faux granite countertop makeover | Red Hen Home featured at Remodelaholic
Painted butcher block countertops | Becky’s Farmhouse (formerly Buckets of Burlap)
DIY concrete countertop tutorial | Imperfectly Polished featured at Remodelaholic
DIY reclaimed wood counters | Keeping It Cozy featured at Remodelaholic
How to install soapstone | This Old House
DIY marble tiled kitchen countertops over laminate | Zevy Joy featured on Remodelaholic
DIY zinc and rustic wood island counter | Russian River Schoolhouse (website no longer available)
Are new countertops in your future? Would you try any of these DIY kitchen countertop versions? Check out more gorgeous counter ideas on my Kitchens Pinterest Board.
And if you’re wondering “How durable are DIY countertops?” — we asked the same question of our favorite DIYers and shared their feedback in our DIY Countertop Review series.
Plus, check out these 15 Kitchen Remodel ideas too!
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This post was originally published April 1, 2013; updated and republished February 21, 2018.
These are so beautiful! I love the reclaimed wood counters and wood flooring turned into butcher block. x
I agree, I love the butcher block look and these are such great ideas for products you wouldn’t normally think to use!
I love butcher block, too. Don’t have it in my house but i’m seeing it everywhere in blogland. We’ve lived with granite for the last 14-years and it’s my go to countertop. The cost will choke a horse but if you pick a color to last the ages and any changes you may make you can’t beat it. I would choose it again.
But I would dream of marble, butcher block and concrete.
I wish there was a easy fix for those of us who rent! Oh how I would love to rip these green laminate counters up and replace them with a slab of marble!
One of my best friends used contact paper (you know that sticky shelf lining stuff in a faux granite look) during college, it worked like a charm and lasted 4 years and actually looked really great. We even did this in our first house bathroom before we had the chance to remodel.. You just need two people to install it in order to keep it from bubbling and keep it straight. Maybe give it a try!
Oh and any spots that were imperfectly cut for any reason, like around our sink for example we caulked over.
The link for Kara Paslay looks like it’s the previous link for the penny countertop instead of the laminate cement countertop.
Fantastic roundup… now to decide which one to try!
Thanks Amanda, I fixed it!
I was just asking my hubby if he thought that with enough sanding & sealant, if we could cover our mismatched-ugly counter tops with pallet wood. We may just give it a go…thanks for the inspiration!
Be really careful using true pallet wood there are LOTS of scary chemicals in pallets, you do not want to mix that with your food. I would suggest finding another type of wood at all costs!
The granite kitchen counter tops look really classy and elegant but I’m more in love with the reclaimed wooden kitchen counter tops, so unique and quite natural.
A friend gave us some very nice oak flooring, I would like to use it for our kitchen countertops. not sure how to frame it out or a finish any ideas?
Can you do the quick concrete countertops on top of laminate countertops?
This is a great round-up. I’m dying to update our kitchen. Pinning this for the (hopefully) not-too-distant future!
I live in a tiny apartment and have old 1″ tile countertops. The grout looks nasty and its sooooooo hard to clean. I’d like to have a counter top that sits on top of it like a glove so I can actually use the counter. Thanks for some great ideas – unfortunately it doesnt work for me. But I did enjoy reading!
Thanks for reading, Tina! Sorry we weren’t more help!
Idk if I can upload a pic on here or not via my phone, but I did an unthinkable countertop(yes, I said unthinkable) checkered Pergo…. Let it soak in… Yep, checkered Pergo for a countertop, onto of white cabinets with black handles/knobs. Came out way better than it sounds!
Hi Dave! We’d love to see it (and hear how you did it!) — you can message us a pic over on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Remodelaholic. Thanks!
Love the wood counter tops, thinking about remodeling my kitchen in wood. Very unique n different.
Thanks, Felicia!
I would love to do copper counter tops. But I’m so afraid! I don’t know where to get the copper large enough. I know with the batina over time I bet it would be stunning. You would have a different look every year! Still, I wonder about the cost and if it’s difficult to put in.
My husband and I just purchased a small lake house, I am in the process of painting the countertops a cream color, primer, paint and now water based poly. I hope they hold up. So far they look wonderful
Sounds like a fun project! We’d love to see pictures and hear how they hold up!
I did skim coat concrete over my existing tile countertops and it worked out so well! It’s not a forever solution, but it has held up great for over a year
https://www.andthenwetried.com/2017/06/feather-finish-concrete-over-tile-counters/
Thanks for the comment, Michelle! We get questions about updating tile counters all the time, and yours turned out amazing!