Today I’m bringing back this hugely popular post on our painted cultured marble tub surround.
Since I get so many questions on this topic, I thought I’d address them all here.
As you can see in the before images below, we had a green cultured marble surface surrounding the tub.
Actually, it’s more than just the surround.
The marble in our Rhode Island home was an early nineties/late eighties dark green.
It was something we knew we wanted to change, but getting rid of this was going to take up a lot of our renovation budget.
So a new pristine porcelain bathtub or white marble bathtubs were not going to happen here.
We did a little research and learned we could paint over it with epoxy paint!
As you can see below, we also changed out the bathroom floors.
How To Paint Over Cultured Marble Counters
Can you paint over cultured marble and stone?
The answer is absolutely, yes!
But, first things first.
Back when we first looked at this house, we were blown away by so many of it’s unique features.
It’s an older home with a lot of built in cabinets and interesting details.
However, one thing which stuck out was the dark green counters, vanity top, tiles and tub surround in the primary bathroom.
Here’s the before photos of our bathroom.
I saved these from the real estate listing.
Before images showing the green cultured marble bathtub and cultured marble countertop.
Before
The dark green cultured marble counter tops are not my style.
I toyed with the idea of leaning into this color and either using wallpaper or paint to make the green look more intentional and cohesive.
However, we’d have to go with a very dark color palette in this bathroom to do this right.
While a dramatic, dark green primary bath can be beautiful – this was not the vibe we were going for.
We wanted a light, coastal style bathroom to go with the rest of the home’s beach decor.
The Process for Painting Over Cultured Marble Sinks and Bathroom Countertops.
We hired a painter to do the entire house.
We asked him to try painting over the cultured marble for this project, he was open to the idea – even though he had never done this before!
So, the research was up to us, the execution was all him.
We looked into different types of paint and eventually chose an epoxy over polyester resin, as it’s much more durable.
Even using a professional painter for this – we still saved SO much money.
The cost of the labor and paint was a fraction of what it would have cost us to replace the tub surround.
We had our painter use this epoxy paint kit, which outlines the steps to take.
To start, the most important step in this project is the prep.
It stresses the importance of a clean surface, as did the online research we did.
You need to really make sure the surface is clean.
This is a critical step for getting the paint to adhere in a nice, even finish.
The Homax kit comes with a special cleaning solution for this very reason.
If the surface is not cleaned thoroughly, the paint will not adhere to the stone surface.
Once the surface has been cleaned thoroughly and dried, tape off the area with painter’s tape.
Epoxy paint gives off some very harsh fumes.
Make sure you’re in a well ventilated area, open windows and wear a ventilator mask.
Paint with either a brush or a high density roller.
Start with a thin layer and gradually build up.
It took three coats to completely cover the preexisting marble here.
You’ll need to let each coat of paint dry for about an hour before applying the next coat.
Once you have the desired coverage, you need to let the paint cure.
The instructions said 3 days but really it takes more like a full week, just to be extra safe.
Conclusion
The tub surround came out so great, we decided to go ahead and have our painter use the same paint to cover up the green marble in the shower as well.
The green cultured marble shower was not as intense, but I was happy to see it go.
As you can see, we went with a new solid surface of stone on the sink and countertops vanity.
We ended up replacing the actual bathroom sink bowls here, so ultimately going with a new surface in natural stone made the most sense.
In addition to painting over the marble here, the full renovation entailed painting the bathroom walls, putting in tile floors (taking out the wood floors) new mirrors and a sconce too.
The painted marble surfaces blend so seamlessly with all of the other new elements and really brought down the total cost of this renovation.
We also changed up the window treatments and went with just a simple shutter.
However, we did end up keeping the bathroom fixtures in the shower stall…I really like them!
Hopefully, you found this post helpful.
If you do end up painting over your cultured marble countertops, let me know!
Even better, send me a photo – I’d love to see it.
If you have any other questions, please shoot me an email or leave it in the comments below.
I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
One last note on this – when cleaning the painted area, be sure not to use abrasive cleaners.
And, be sure to use a soft cloth.
Which reminds me… I’ve already answered a popular inquiry on the best white paint colors to use for trim and baseboards, (just in case your wondering:)
I also wrote a very popular paint color review on the white paint we used on the walls throughout this whole house: Benjamin Moore White OC -151.
It’s a sophisticated bright white paint color, I think you’ll really love!
For even more info on countertop materials, don’t miss this review on marble vs. quartz counters.
Additional Inspiration
Finally, for even more great design inspiration, be sure to check out these posts by clicking each title below:
Nine Quick and Easy Ideas To Update Your Bathroom Counters
How to Organize Your Kitchen Countertops
Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black Paint Review.
Decor Ideas For Your Kitchen Counters
An Honest Review of Our Ruggable Rug
How to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger
Our Primary Bathroom Remodel With Before and Afters
Our Blue and White Bathroom Remodel With Before and Afters
Bathroom Renovation Wallpaper Ideas
Guest Bathroom Remodel With Before and Afters
Five reasons to consider laminate flooring for you next home improvement project
Last, but not least…
Design lovers! Have you joined our fun and VERY helpful design Facebook group?
In this group – members share their own photos with specific design questions and dilemmas from their homes and spaces.
Everyone chimes in with their best advice!
We also spill our favorite design sources and tips – it’s SO great for hunting down hard to find items and pieces.
Lastly, to help you even further with your home projects, download my FREE DESIGN CHEAT SHEET!
It’s loaded with all sorts of quick tips and handy measurements.
Sign up below to grab this, I know you’re going to find it super helpful!
And finally...be sure to PIN THIS IMAGE BELOW – this way you’ll have all this info conveniently saved for your next home project!
PS: Another great before and after bathroom renovation.
PPS: You can see more of our beach house renovation in this post!
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How are the countertops holding up after using Homax? Did you put any protective top coat over it? Thank you.
They held up beautifully. And yes, clear protective top coat.
I tried this with Rustoleum countertop paint and it was terrible. When I tried to sand it off to try another paint it melted to the sander. Customer support said nothing is going to adhere to cultured marble counters and that is why I am having the issue. I wanted to try again with Appliance epoxy, but worried I would have similar results. Would this work on countertops?
I’m not really sure to be honest as I’ve never used Appliance epoxy?
Do you think the bottom of a cultured marble show can be painted? The rest of the shower is glass brick which is fine. It’s at a house that would only get about 30 showers in a year.
Yes, I think you can!
Hi, would you be kind enough to give another update as to how it has held up over the past 2-3 years? Thank you
Of course, it’s actually held up beautifully! only one small chip, but in a location where I can hardly see it:)
How can I hire someone that would be willing to do .. what’s generalized cost
Most professional painters would be able to do this. Prices vary by regions, job size etc.
do you think this would work on a cultured marble bathtub? like the entire tub is cultured marble.
Can you give an update as to how this is holding up? I’ve got my window sills in a cream cultured stone, and want them white! I also have a full basement shower in a cultured marble that is severely outdated. I’d love to update that without a lot is fuss. Thanks!
Absolutely. So far it’s holding up beautifully! Keep in mind it’s only been a little over a year, but it still looks really great.