concrete countertops

it was obvious that we needed to do something with the bathroom upstairs. it was a wooden box that sometimes made me feel like i was being buried alive. we really didn't mind the walls, but the faux wood countertop and dark brown cabinets weren't doing it. 

we seriously considered doing granite, but it just wasn't in the budget right now. i couldn't handle the faux anymore and went google searching. i found little green notebook's concrete countertop tutorial and immediately emailed it to C. i was stunned when he loved it too! we bought the supplies that weekend and got to work.

little green notebook goes into the supply list, but basically it's feather finish concrete [we got ours at home depot], sand paper, and a trowel. i also needed a butter knife, a spatula, and my index finger. yeah.

1. sand everything.

 2. wipe it down clean. pray that it actually works.

 3. mix your concrete and slap it on. keep praying.

 4. involve the whole family.

 5. get a butter knife and spatula because you're not coordinated enough to manipulate a trowel.

 6. spread it on thin. like a peanut butter sandwich. we didn't mind the trowel butter knife marks. it seemed more authentic that way.

7. take a photo of your concrete covered cuticles. gasp when you realize you have your mother's hands. and that this stuff isn't supposed to touch your skin. oops.

 8. continue for two additional coats and then apply indoor/outdoor concrete sealant. 

here's a detail shot. it actually worked. i nearly died of shock.

it turned out to be incredibly easy. i worked on it for about three hours total. we feel like it made quite the difference up there.

it's not perfect, but it's not faux wood.

 painting cabinets is always a game changer.

 we also stained the walls an deep, dark ebony. the space looks bigger, cleaner, and richer.

next on the list is a new faucet and floor. so far we have spent $45 on the renovation [$15 for concrete and $30 for sealant]. we believe it has given us the update that a new countertop would have achieved, but at a serious fraction of the cost. will it last forever? we are not sure. but right now it's durable and not faux wood. i'll take it.