Painted laminate counters

I have a cold that's been kicking my butt for the past week or so, but I managed to finish my little kitchen update over the weekend and I couldn't wait to share the results with you. I say "little", but the transformation is huge! As a reminder, here's what our kitchen counters used to look like:

I know, right? I've seen painted countertops in a few different places, but it was Chris and Julia's post last week that finally convinced me to take the plunge. Now I just wish I'd done it sooner!

We're still planning to tile the countertops - we even own the tile - but this is a great temporary fix until we get there (I should probably mention that we've already owned the tile for more than a year).

I started by clearing everything off the counters and sanding the old laminate - it was ugly, but solid - with my mouse sander and some low-grit sandpaper. The goal was to remove any sheen and scratch it up enough to give the paint something to stick to.

After sanding, I rolled on one coat of Zinsser's odorless, oil-based primer. I used the same primer on my BILLY bookcase hack and this stuff really holds up! Even better, unlike most oil-based paints, it dries really quickly.

Next, I rolled on three coats of Rustoleum's chalkboard paint, waiting at least four hours between coats. I kept everything off the counters, but still needed to use the sink, so I made sure to wipe up any water droplets right away. Otherwise, I found the paint - but not the primer - would wipe right off. Once the paint had time to set this wasn't a problem, but of course it still needed to be sealed.

For that, I used two coats of finishing wax. I applied the wax with a cloth, then buffed it to a low sheen within 10 minutes of applying. The counters feel very solid, but I plan to wax them regularly to keep them protected.

To really "finish" the look, I applied the same sticky trim used in bathtubs (it goes right over old caulking) to the line where the countertops meet the beadboard backsplash we installed. It's barely noticeable, but it makes everything look nice and finished, and it took less than a minute to install (you just peel the paper backing off to reveal the glue as you go).