I have been up to some decorative painting, actually faux Carrara marble painting last week and finally have the piece I was working on completed.
After stripping the wood cabinet that sits on top of an unmatched sideboard in my kitchen, I wanted to update the sideboard to help make the pieces look better paired.
In my next kitchen I would dearly love to have white Carrara marble counter tops. That may be a long time coming, if ever. Not one to do without when I can see a way to get the look by doing a little creative DIY, I decided it would be fun to create faux Carrara marble painting on the top of the sideboard.
I painted the rest of the sideboard using DIY Plaster of Paris chalk paint and distressed the edges and then used paste wax to add protection and shine. I used the paint color Alabaster by Sherwin Williams. It is the color of the trim molding in my house. It is not too white or too off-white, making it go perfectly in the white/off-white color scheme of my kitchen.
before
Remember how it looked before I stripped the cabinet? Two non-matching pieces to make one to fit and fill the space. The white sideboard looks the same in the photos, but now it is a bit whiter with distressing around the edges. Exposing the raw wood by distressing the paint finish – helps the pair look matched.
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I also switched out the gold pulls for glass.
How to Paint Faux Carrara Marble
supplies needed:
- White primer – Kilz if painting over a previously finished surface, Gripping primer if painting over a painted surface.
- Eggshell or satin finish White paint
- 3 colors of grey craft paint – light, medium, and dark . I used Apple Barrel Light Grey, Martha Stewart Crafts Wet Cement, and Apple Barrel Dark Grey. I also used white and black to produce a few more shades of grey to make the veins look varied in color.
- Smooth foam roller, and roller tray
- Feather, Sea sponge, Soft paint brush, paper towels
- Toothbrush
- Small mixing bowls
- Water in spray/misting bottle
- Medium and Fine grit sandpaper
- Tack cloth or damp rag
- Paste Wax and rags to apply and buff
To make the paint technique look as real – it is important to make sure the surface is as smooth as possible. Fill in any dents or holes with wood filler or Spackle. Sand smooth, then paint. Sand in between each coat with fine or wet sand paper to level each coat of paint. Clean sanding grit before applying the next coat.
1. Sand surface smooth with medium grit sandpaper. Remove dust and grit with a tack cloth or damp rag. Use one coat of primer over surface, let dry.
2. Roll on one coat of white eggshell or satin paint. Let dry. Apply 2 – 3 coats, making sure each coat is dry thoroughly before applying the next.
Once you like the smoothness of the white paint you can proceed to the veining.
To help make veining easier, buy a marble tile. It will help you better visualize what the veins really look like. Veins in marble usually run on a diagonal and they look like they are under water – slightly blurry. I used my tiles as my guides.
3. The veining is created using a feather. I bought my feathers at the craft store, but you may find one out in nature to use.
4. Mix each color of paint with water: 3 parts paint to 1 part water. Dip the tip of the feather into the lighter grey paint and then draw a diagonal line with the tip of the feather moving it on its side and back and forth as you draw the line. You don’t want it to be a solid line, the more variation you can give each vein in color and width – the more realistic it will look.
5. After you make a few veins – hold a spray or misting bottle of water about 12” away from the surface and lightly spray water on top of the veining. This will blur each line, spray a bit more on a few areas to achieve larger sections of blurred grey. If necessary, blot excess water with a sea sponge to fix mistakes or to spread out an area of veining. If you want to spread a the paint bit to soften a vein, go over it with a large soft bristle paint brush. Gently dab it up and down over any area that needs softening. Do not spray too much water or you could raise the white coat of paint – just a light misting is all that is needed.
6. After the water has dried, use the darker color of paint to accent the veins you have already made. Use at least 3 different greys and mix some black or white paint into one of the paint mixes to produce another shade of grey. For a realistic look, vary the shades and width of each vein that you are accenting. Mist with water and let dry.
Remember to continue the veining down and around the sides of the piece you are working on so the top looks like a slab of marble. When you have all the veins and accent veins completed, let dry.
7. If you look at marble carefully you will see it has some splotchy spots in areas. To achieve this, dip a toothbrush into white craft paint. Move your thumb over the loaded brush to create some paint splotches over some of the veins and white areas. To emphasize the effect even more, use the toothbrush as a paint brush, by bouncing the bristles right on the surface to create splotches. Let dry for a few hours.
8. Run very fine sandpaper over the top to ensure that the veins and splotches are not raised in any area. Remove sanding grit with a tack cloth.
Thick and thin veining.
More mottled veining.
The more varied the veins the more realistic it will look.
9. Mix your base white color of paint with water. 1 part paint to 3 parts water. Mix well and then roll one coat on top. Let dry.
10. I used paste wax to protect and add the shine needed to make the faux paint technique look real. I like Fiddes & Sons, the best. Johnson’s (not in photo), and Briwax work just as well. You can also use clear non-yellowing liquid floor wax polish. Pour it on and let dry, buff and then reapply until you get the desired sheen.
11. I applied 3 coats of wax. I let each coat dry to a haze and then I buffed it with an old t-shirt. I repeated the process 3 times to achieve a nice shine that resembles the shine on a real marble surface.
Ed can’t get over how real it looks. The only thing that would make it more real is if it felt real – marble is cold to the touch. Painted wood is not.
Many of you have commented on the cabinet I stripped. I am just smitten with the raw wood look and would do it again without any hesitation. It is a messy, smelly job, but worth it. If a piece does not come out the way you envisioned because the grain in the wood is not pretty or the color is off, you can always paint the piece.
When I was stripping the outside of the cabinet, some of the orange stripper dripped inside the cabinet. Some of you liked the way the drips of stripper looked on the inside– old and distressed. I can see why they liked the look, but I like a cleaner feel, so I sanded the areas where the stripper damaged the paint and repainted the inside of the cabinet.
Two hand-me downs have now become one of my favorite pieces of furniture.
Are you ready to try your hand at faux Carrara marble painting?
Update:
Want to see where I put this painted piece when I moved to a new home? It is no longer a desk in my kitchen, but I transformed it into a sink vanity in a powder room. Read all about it in this post: How to Repurpose a Sideboard to a Sink Vanity.
How to Paint Laminate Kitchen Counters to Look Like Carrara Marble
Check out this other way to paint a counter to look like Carrara Marble: How to Use a Carrara Marble painting kit to paint kitchen counters.
Can this be done over tile shower walls?
Hi John – If you sealed it with Marine grade varnish, maybe. But this may yellow the color. With regular water-based polyurethane that doesn’t yellow, no. It would wear away eventually since it would get wet on a daily basis. The technique works great on furniture and counter tops that may only get wet occasionally. The desktop I did it on, is now a vanity in a bathroom. It gets wet, but not like a shower would. It has held up great in this application.
I meant to add Diane you have inspired me to finally tackle my bathroom counter top. I’m going to paint it Carrera and finally do away with my builder grade beige! If all goes well there my kitchen is next! Your piece came out beautifully.
Hi Cathy – So happy to hear that something I did has inspired you to paint your bathroom counter top. Mine is going on a five years now and looks just as good today as it did the day I painted it. When I first painted it, it was a desk in my kitchen. We moved and the sidebar became a bathroom vanity. It has held up incredibly well. Go for it!
I painted the tile on my bathroom floor and used a Polycrylic to seal it. its not a shower wall but it does get wet and it has held up very well for over two years now. Just make certain your paint is DRY before you seal it. I waited 48 hours just to be sure. Hope this helps!
This is very cool!
Can you do this on a bathroom counter top? And how would you seal it so water does not mess up the paint?
Hi Amy –
I painted faux marble on a sideboard that we turned into bathroom vanity. You can see it here: https://inmyownstyle.com/2016/07/hpw-to-repurpose-a-sideboard-into-a-sink-vanity.html
I didn’t use the Gianni kit for it. You can read about that here and see how to wax the surface: https://inmyownstyle.com/2013/06/faux-carrara-marble-painting-technique.html
The lip of the sink is raised on the bath vanity above the surface so not much water gets on the painted surface. I sealed it with soft wax Johnson’s Paste Wax or Fiddes and Sons in clear. Once I applied a thin coat of wax I buffed to a shine, then repeated the process a few times to build up protection. It has held up fine, but the room does not get as much use as say a main bathroom that gets constant use. If it is only going to be used by one or two family members, I would say go for it. the most important part is to make sure to apply the primer and paint in very thin coats. This helps it to adhere well.
Omg this is absolutely AMAZING. I LOVE IT. I’m going to try it. Fabulous
Awesome – it really looks like marbel (I know its supposed to) but WOW! Well done, Im looking to follow your example on my plain light wood dining table.
Thanks for the tips
You’re a genius! I thought the pic was real marble, till I scrolled down . I want to try it, my husband doesn’t trust me, don’t blame him , but you make it look so easy. Looks amazing.
Hi Kelly – Thanks. It is not hard to do. What most people fear is the veining. If you get a sample tile with veining to copy it will help you get the hang of how the veins should look, like they are floating. Did you see how I painted my kitchen counters to look like Carrara Marble? I did it recently using a kit. You can read about it in this post: https://inmyownstyle.com/2017/01/painting-kitchen-countertops.html
HI Diane,I have an gas electric fireplace made of white tiles and would like to know if I can use this technique on it. thank you
So beautiful! You did an amazing job on this and your bathroom redo. Thank you for your inspiring post. After reading this I’m on the hunt for something to marble too :-)
can not re-find your video on faux carrara marble. so good. can you please help me locate.
working on a fireplace mantle. thank you di
Hi Donna –
I wish I had made a video of the steps on how to paint faux carrara marble.:-) I only have the step-by-step photo post where you left the comment.
Is this something I could do on laminate if I sand it down and at the end put epoxy or some sort of sealer over it?
It looks awesome, I cannot wait to try it on something :)
Hi Jessica –
Yes you can create the marble finish over laminate. You would first need to sand the surface to rough it up and then use a “bonding primer” over it. You can buy it at the home improvement store. I like Glidden Gripper or Behr Multi-Surface primer, but any brand name “bonding primer” will do the job. Roll it on using a foam paint roller with rounded edges. 2 light coats should be enough, let it dry and then roll on your paint. Let it dry well and then do the marble paint effect.
Great thank you so much!
If I did this on kitchen laminate, how would I treat the top to hold up to kitchen wear and tear?
Hi Chris –
You can seal it with water-based Polyurethane like Minwax Polycrylic. You need to use water based sealers as anything oil based will yellow the finish. Last year I used a Giani kit to paint my laminate kitchen counters to look like Carrara Marble. It turned out better than I could ever imagine and has held up wonderfully.
You can read that post here: https://inmyownstyle.com/2017/01/painting-kitchen-countertops.html
I would like to paint my tumbled marble on my kitchen backsplash and was wondering if anyone has tried it
Hi Carol – I have not tried painting tumbled marble, but I think you could. Is it on a backsplash or will it get very wet? Painting tumbled marble that is not sealed will be pretty easy since the paint will adhere well. I would sand it first and use a primer since any paint you add will soak into the porous marble. You may need a few coats to get even coverage since some spots may take up the paint in different ways.
It doesn’t get wet at all I do think it was sealed though. I thought I could put Annie Sloan clear wax on it to protect it. What do you think about the grout? Should I just paint it the same colour?
Thanks a lot, welldone
Amazing, Diane! I would have thought that really was marble! Incredible. x
Hi Danielle – Thanks so much. :-) Many years ago I used to do marbling for homeowners and even in a few walls and columns in bank lobbies. I might do my kitchen island next. :-) Happy Easter!
hi Dianne it look fabulous can you recommend some one to elp me o it
Hi Sergio – I would do a search in your area for artists or art schools and find an student or local artist that would paint the faux marble for you.
I have a marble kitchen floor. The SECOND something acidic touches it, it etches. So if you spill vinegar–every single drop STAYS on the floor, forever, unless you have it refinished. I really wanted a marble counter 8 years ago, but now I truly understand how easily damaged they are. Your painting looks perfect! I love it!
thank you for responding with your advice on sanding and getting a foam roller. it worked perfectly to smooth my surface!
i did the marbeling and it looked really good and then i decided to do 3 coats of polyurethane on top of my finished table to protect it since it’s a coffee table and i have kids. but then it turned my white table YELLOW. so, now i am starting from scratch, repainting and redoing the marbeling with my feathers. :(
do you think the paste wax will protect my surface from kids. i initially decided not to do that since my kids are at the age where they play on the coffee table with their barbies and cars and i felt like i needed some extra protection.
Hi Aubrey – It is OK to use poly to cover the painted marble, but you have to use water-based poly. It will not yellow. Minwax Polycrylic is a good one. It comes in a few different sheens -satin and semi-gloss.
I decided to tackle this project on the top of an old round coffee table I found at goodwill. Last night I primed two coats and painted two coats of white on top, but am disappointed about the “orange peel” type texture that my roller has left on the top of my coffee table. Your top looks so smooth. Do I just need to get a smoother roller {the one i bought says smooth} or a different kind of paint {i got latex}. help!
Hi Aubrey – It is not the paint, but the roller that produces orange peel texture. Applying the paint too heavy with even a high quality roller could also create it. I use a small foam roller with rounded edges. This will not produce orange peel at all.
I would go over the surface with a 100 grit sandpaper on a sanding block to smooth it out. You don’t need to take it back to the original finish. In fact if you just remove the bumps and then roll over another very light coat of paint over the new smooth surface – you will create more depth to the finish so it will look more real.
This is a wonderful tutorial and I wanted to follow it slavishly but I am finding it difficult to find Apple Barrel craft paint in the UK. Do you have the exact reference numbers for the Apple Barrel paints you used so I can order them directly from Apple Barrel.
Many thanks
George
Hi George – You do not need to use Apple Barrel paints. Any light and dark grey paint will work. I used Apple Barrel Dolphin Grey #20624, Martha Stewart Crafts Wet Cement, and Apple Barrel Dark Grey #20366. I also used white and black to produce a few more shades of grey to make the veins look varied in color.
Hi Diane
Thank you so much for your prompt reply – that has been most helpful.
Regards
George
Hi Diane
Can I just trouble you with one ‘final’ question. Firstly, I found craft paint similar to Apple Barrel and that worked perfectly. In fact the whole thing went swimmingly well until step 9. I wasn’t exactly sure what you are referring to when you say mix your base white colour of paint with water. Are you referring to the primer, silk or Apple Barrel white. I’m probably being very obtuse but will be grateful for your advice.
Kind regards
George
Hi George – Any of the white paint is fine. What you want to do is create a transparent watery veil of white over the whole surface to add what will look like depth to the surface. It should be very watery, just a tiny bit of paint.
Thanks for the post I used some of your ideas in my counters, and I have a link your post.
http://www.batchelorsway.com/2014/04/laundry-room-diy-countertops-part-2.html
Thanks
This is sooooo frickin’ easy!!!!!!!!!!! I’m going to do all the shelves and ledges in the house, lol. Thanx for the know how.
I love how your piece came out, beautiful. I, like yourself, always have a project going. I love making something that’s not so great into something wonderful. My house is full of furnishings that are refinished. It’s more fun than buying something new, to me. I have always wanted to try faux marbling. I recently picked up a desk that was tagged free at a church garage sale. Some people saw a desk, my son and I saw A BATHROOM VANITY!!!! I am now going to refinish it and try my hand at faux marbling the top. Your tutorial will help me. I will probably epoxy it instead of waxing, only because it will be exposed to water, obviously, but I do love the look of a waxed piece! I’ll let you know how it comes out……might be awhile, because I’m in the middle of a couple of other projects, but soon!!
Hi Christine – I would love to see it, especially with the epoxy. When you get it completed, please send me a photo.
Hi Diane, I finished the bathroom vanity. I am emailing you a couple of pictures (don’t know how to attach them here). Eventually, I will probably change the sink, because I used my existing sink and faucet, and it is almond. It would look much nicer in white. I did the epoxy, like I had mentioned, instead of waxing because it will be exposed to a lot of water. That was the hardest part. You are supposed to sand the surface before applying epoxy, but I couldn’t, because if I did, I would have sanded off the marble technique. So, I put the first coat of epoxy, which looked terrible, then sanded that and reapplied the epoxy. That looked better, but it wasn’t until the 3rd coat that I achieved the smooth polished look that I was after. Thanks for your tutorial. It was a big help, and everyone thinks the vanity looks great!
Lady, you have CRAZY skills! Seriously. Such a unique and beautiful piece. Found this on Pinterest. Love it.
Thanks Melissa – It looks harder than it really is. Having a real piece of marble to use as a guide helps, too.
I was very impressed with your marbling project,it looks great.I had wanted to do a piece like this but a little nervous how it might turn out.Your projects are wonderful and makes me more confident on trying new things.You have one more fan.lol I hit your site before going anywhere else just to see what your doing next.I want to thankyou for all your tips how to and photo before and after.Wonderful.
Thanks Loa – Look at the project this way – It is only paint, if you don’t like how it comes out, you can just paint right over it. :-) I would experiment with the technique on a scrap piece of wood to gain confidence.
Thank you for this great tutorial, I have been looking for weeks for help with what supplies to get to give this a try. Hope it looks like yours when done.
Very nice job.
walpaintig
It really does look real! Beautiful.
Fantastic job, and the best tutorial I have seen. You rocked it!
How gorgeous Diane!! It really does look like real marble! Hope you’re doing well!!
xoxo
Karen
I’ve been getting your updates, and you always inspire me to do something in my home. Several weeks ago it was cleaning my fridge. This past weekend I got out the old paint can and started painting around the kitchen floorboards. My kids were saying, “What’s gotten into you, Mom?” From now on I’ll have to tell them, Diane made me do it! Or maybe I’ll start calling it the Henkler Effect! tee hee! Thanks for all you do!! {hugs}
Hi Beth – :) I am happy to know that I have inspired you in such a positive way. XO Reminds me of a granite countertop installer I once worked with. He cut a clients counter tops wrong. He figured he would have to go back and re-cut a new slab of granite, but I asked why he couldn’t just add a piece and I showed him my idea. He and my client were quite happy with the fix. I ran into him years later and he reminded me of the job. He told me that he did the trick a few more times on other jobs and that he called the fix “the Henkler” :)
Wow! This looks amazing! What an inexpensive way to achieve an expensive look! Love it!
Thoroughly enjoyed this. I am about to make over a large desk and this is a wonderful idea on how to add some character without the expense. Thank you.
You did such an amazing job at creating the marble look, it looks like the real thing! Great work!
Your Marble look came out beautiful! I have tried this before and it ended up a hot mess… Great Job!
I don’t believe you, I think that’s really marble! :D You did an amazing job!!
I really like the raw wood. I’ve a bit of (unpainted) wood in my home but I always like bloggers’ painted projects.
Absolutely lovely, Diane! And amazing. I have a hard time believing I could do as good a job my first time out. I have saved this tutorial because I hope to finish a table top like this some day. Changing the knobs out to glass is the perfect finish. I love the entire unit. I’m sure you get a big grin every time you look at it!
Thanks Sharon – I have created faux marble on furniture before, back in the 90’s – mostly green marble. This is my first time doing the Carrara, but the steps are basically the same – except you use different colors.
You did an amazing job. Wow, you could work in Versailles castle to do all the faux marble they need!
Absolutely beautiful!! Love the glass knobs too! You are one talented lady!!
I’ve seen this done before and am always amazed how real it looks. You did a great job for your first attempt….not surprised! What a smart idea to use a real piece of marble as an example. Copying a design is much easier if you see it and don’t have to “visualize” it. Thanks!
WOW! Enough said.
Really beautiful look and I love the idea!
Love that look! Beautiful work,
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That is truly amazing!
You have got to be flippin kiddin me!!! I can’t believe it is paint. But why am I surprised, you do the most amazing things. Me, I would make a mess trying to to that. But wow, I sure want to try.
I am wondering if you put a finish on the stripped upper cabinet? I mean waxed or poly or such? I missed something about that part. I love them both so much…. they look like a million bucks for sure.
Diane – you always do AMAZING work! Awesome job. Again!!
Diane,
It looks Fabulous!!! Nice job!!
Wow! It looks great! Also the top cabinet with a new layer of varnish, it just all looks so new. I’m sure to mess up marbling this way (the knowing when to stop is the problem – it’s when I’m actually finished and just want to add a few more stripes here and there. Then it happens. I spill the paint, lean against a wet painted surface, drop a big drop of black paint on it, let the brush fall from my hands so it lands in the wet paint, etc. I’ll wait a few years for enough room and older kids before I even think of trying this, haha!
Hi Debbie – I say just do it, no time is ever right. I mess up plenty, but always tell myself “there is always a way to fix it” and I fix it somehow. I didn’t add a new layer of varnish on the cabinet, I just stripped it. I am keeping it raw. Maybe add a coat of paste wax from time to time, but just let it be. I love the look of the Restoration Hardware pieces in natural and unfinished wood, but not the price tag. :)
Ah yes I see! Although I do also like the varnish on the cabinet, I also like the removed version. The before state looks more..”harsh” – hard colours and edges. The new version looks softer. Also, the old version looks quite in splendid new state, which is why i was confused. I like old furniture too, not only raw state, but furniture with a story. Ikea furniture has no story. It has no history. Old furniture has a history.
(My house is full of Ikea furniture, and the one old cabinet I have, I have mixed feelings about. It would be an immense project to repaint it (actually, to sand it), but right now it’s kind of dark.
Do you sell advice on how to alter a cabinet to fit a certain (wannahave) style? (Or is it cupboard? I don’t know the difference). Or complete advice on a whole interior, about how things can match more? We still have lots of unfinished bits in the house, so that would come first. Actually, I’m going to enlarge the (physical) mailbox right now, so A4 sized mail can come in without being folded. Off I am, sawing a bigger hole in my front door…
This is stunning, Diane!
Thanks Rachael Wish I could have the real stuff, but until I do – this will suffice :)
You are truly amazing! That looks so real! I have white Carrara marble countertops in my kitchen. We had to completely redo our kitchen several years ago when we had a pipe burst in the bath above and flood the kitchen. Marble countertops were my dream – I kept looking at everything else in the stone yard, because I had heard so many negatives about marble. Finally, the sales lady said to me, “I don’t think you will be happy with anything else!” She was right. I absolutely LOVE them!
Wow Diane…fabulous job! You are a talented artist.
Beautiful work Diane. With faux-marble, knowing when “enough-is-enough” is tricky. You have nailed it to perfection!
Thanks, as always, for the tutorial and for sharing your expertise with us.
Wow, this looks great. Not sure I have the patience for this, but I certainly will file away for future reference.
Thanks Beth – The actual process of veining goes fast. It is just that you have to wait for each step to dry before doing the next one that adds to the time to complete factor.
Wow! That looks great!
Wow – that is very realistic and so neat. Thanks for the how to.
That is amazing, Diane! It definitely looks like real marble in the pictures. Great job. I did a marbelizing technique on the walls in our guest bath at the old house using Christopher Lowell’s paint technique for that {remember him?}. Guests always thought it was wallpaper and even when I said it wasn’t they had to touch it.
Thank you SO much for this tutorial, Diane! I love, love, love carrara marble – just not the price! This is awesome! Pinned! Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof