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I am working on a thrift store cabinet and countertop I found for our daughter, Kristin’s new home.  The builder plumbed out for a sink in the laundry room, but they would have to pay extra for the sink cabinet.  This was going to be very expensive, I told her, I probably could find a cabinet at the Habitat Restore.

To my surprised the next trip to the Habitat Restore I found this cabinet.

The cabinet with countertop was only $65.00.  She is aware she has to buy the sink and faucet, but still way below what the contractor was going to charge them.

Thrift Store Cabinet and Countertop Makeover

Keeping the cabinet and countertop the same throughout their home, I am going to change the countertop and paint the cabinet.

Below is a photo of the cabinet and countertop in their new home.

The First Step

Step by Step Guide Cutting a Hole in the Countertop for a Sink

The sink we will be adding to the cabinet is from Home Depot.  Mustee 22in. x 25 in. x 13.75 in. Molded Fiberglass Drop in Utility Sink in White.

• Turning the sink upside down and centering on top of the countertop.

• Trace the outline of the sink onto the countertop for a template.

• The sink we will be using is a drop-in sink, we measured inside the template 1 ½ inches, this will provide enough space for the sink’s lip to rest on the countertop.

• Use a power drill to drill pilot holes in the corners of the marked cut-out area. This will make it easier to use the jigsaw later on.

• Using a jigsaw, carefully cut along the marked lines to create the hole for your sink.

• Sit the sink into the hole to make sure it fits.

• On the back side of the sink, it provides several templates to use when cutting out the faucet hole.  Using a carbide-tipped hole saw drill bit made this job easy, drilled out the center template.  We also outlined the hole on the countertop and drilled out a hole for the faucet.

The faucet is also from Home Depot, Glacier Bay Dunning Single Handle Pull out Laundry Utility Faucet with Dual Spray.

Second Step

Creating Faux Calacatta Quartz with Paint

I am both excited and afraid at the same time working this step of the project.  To do it correctly, it is a multistep process, which each step is very important not to skip or skimp on.

• Sand your countertop surface with 60 grit sandpaper to remove the slick layer.  I gave a misting of water to the countertop to help keep the dust from flying in the air.

• I used TSP cleaner to clean the countertop to remove any dirt and grease.

• I painted two coats of the Bulls Eye 123 primer to the countertop.  I used a paint brush to trim along the backsplash and rolled the rest with a sponge roller.  Let each coat dry before the light sanding.

♦ Make sure you use the right primer for the surface.

As you can see, it shouldn’t cover completely. When adding thin coats of primer, it acts as a base coat for your paint, providing a smooth surface for better adhesion.

• Now that the primer is dry it’s time to sand the surface with 220 grit sandpaper, using a damp cloth to clean the surface from any dust from sanding.  This step will be done with every step.
• After sanding and cleaning it’s time to add white paint to the countertop.  I am using GreenSheen White Eggshell paint. (I purchase my GreenSheen from Habitat Restore).

• Again, I used the paint brush to trim out the backsplash and a sponge brush for the rest of the countertop.

• I painted three coats of the white paint, sanding and cleaning between each coat.

• I have three coats of white paint on my countertop sanded and cleaned, it’s time to start the process of painting the calacatta pattern.

Painting the Scumble

The purpose of doing the scumble, is to soften the background of your countertop.  It won’t look real if you have a pure white background.  To create a faux calacatta marble to look more authentic, painting in layers is the key.

Supplies needed:

• Clear Mixing Glaze
• Color Paint of Your Choice (I am using Apple Barrel Country Grey)
• Water
• 1/4 Part of a Sea Sponge
• Dry Clean Cloth

• Mix glaze, paint and water together.

• 1 part paint – 1 part glaze – 3 to 4 part water.

• Making sure it is mixed thoroughly.  It should be a watery mixture.

• Using part of a sea sponge, should be no larger or smaller than the palm of your hand.

• Dip the sponge into the mixture.

• I am going to start at the left right corner of the countertop and work my way at a 45º angle down to the bottom right corner.

• Working in small sections, you do not want your paint to dry.  With the painted sponge do a hit drag type of pat to the surface.

• Do a weaving pattern in a 45° angle, leaving some spaces without paint.

• Once you scumbled a small area, take a rolled up dry cloth without any wrinkles, pat lightly with the cloth to your desire look.

• The more you pat the more it becomes lighter.  Keep turning your cloth for a dry spot, don’t work with a wet cloth.  Blending your scumble is a preference, heavy or light it’s up to you.

• A quick glance at the surface making sure there is not anything jumping out at you.  It should be blended to create a settle look.

• Let this dry completely, sand lightly with a 220 grit sandpaper and clean.

Create the Veining

This can be done two ways, using a feather or a thin craft paint brush.

Supplies needed:

• Clear Mixing Glaze
• Color Paint of your choice (I am using Apple Barrel Craft Paint Country Grey)
• Water
• Spray bottle with water
• Turkey feather is best (I use a crafters feather which didn’t hold up, had to use more than one)
• Dry hard thin bristle brush
• Paper towel

• Mixing your paint, glaze and water.  1 part paint – 1 part mixing glaze – 1 to 2 part water.

• Mix well, a little thicker than the scumble mixture.

• Dip your feather or paint brush into the paint, do not submerge it.

• Starting again at the top left corner working my way 45º angle move up and down, side to side sweeping movement with the feather.  You don’t want to make straight or snake like lines, create more ridged lines.

• Don’t be nervous, you can always wipe it off and start over.

• You can leave your veins like they are.

• Or you can soften the look of them by patting them with a dry bristle brush.  Do not drag the brush.

• When you are happy with the look of your veining, let it dry completely.

• Before the next step, sand lightly and clean.

Setting the Pattern

Creating a more realistic look of marble, it’s all about layers, layers and more layers!  We added layers of glazing paint to the countertop, now, adding a layer of water down base paint will tone down the pattern and make it look more authentic.

Supplies needed:

• White paint (the base paint you used)
• Water
• Sponge paint brush
• Clean cloth

• Mixing the paint and water.  1 part paint – 2 to 3 part water.

• Apply paint to the sponge and paint on the surface.  Doing small sections, moving up and down and side by side.  Making sure you get the entire surface sponged with the watered-down paint mixture.

• Pat lightly the white mixture with a cleaned rolled up towel.  Don’t not wipe the mixture, patting lightly.

• Keep blotting until you are satisfied with the look.

You can tell the difference between the two, before the whitewash and after.

         

• Let the whitewash dry completely, sand ever so lightly and clean the entire surface.

Seal the Work

Last step in this project, sealing our work, I went with Minwax Polycrylic instead of the Epoxy because I read where the Epoxy yellows as time goes on and Polycrylic seems to stay white.  I also went with a clear matt finish to keep it looking as close to stone as possible.  Instead of a sponge roller I used a sponge brush, it was the width of the surface I was working with plus, it didn’t form air bubbles in the sealer as the sponge roller did.

• I gave it 4 coats of the polycrylic for durability.  I sanded lightly, cleaned and let dry in between coats.  I applied it to the horizontal areas first and then the vertical areas.  I watched for drips making sure to wipe away before drying.

Prepping the cabinet for the sink

The cabinet has a top drawer that needed to be removed.

An easy fix.  I removed the drawer and tracking from the cabinet.  Detached the front panel from the drawer and attached it with wooden braces to the inside front cabinet.

This cabinet also was a center cabinet, which for Kristin’s room she will have one side exposed.

I used some scrap underlayment I had and framed the side to match the front.

I caulked and filled in all the cracks and nail holes, sanded and primed the cabinet.  I painted the cabinet and doors with Sherwin Williams Grey Mist in Eggshell, when dry I added the hardware to the two doors.  To show you how it all looks, I placed the countertop, sink and faucet temporarily.

The cabinet and countertop are done, far from perfect but it will work in their laundry room.  I feel comfortable about the project and feel like they will endure the daily routine.

Can’t wait to get this cabinet into their laundry room and show you how it all looks together.  Until then, I hope you were inspired to try something out of your comfort zone and be creative.  It does help if you are eager to try things easily, like me. 🙂

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