Thursday, April 24, 2014

how to paint stone tile...

I loved our kitchen tile - the diamond shape with beveled edges but the tan
 color was feeling a little dated and I wanted a fresh white update. When we
 originally remodeled our kitchen I chose to have it extend from the counter to the
 ceiling, an expensive proposition to replace all of it. I'd heard you could paint tile and
 thought I'd give it a try and I LOVE IT!! 
It looks like a totally new space for the cost of paint.
And, it wasn't hard at all!


BEFORE

You can see the full kitchen reveal here on May 7th, when my One Room Challenge
is complete. But I had many questions about painting tile after this post on Week 3 
and Week 4 where I gave progress reports, and thought I'd go ahead and give you the
 details now.

My tile is travertine, but different tile and paint will may give different results,
 you should test in an inconspicuous area first. 
I sanded, filled holes, applied two coats of primer, then two coats of paint.
After testing and talking to sales associates, I decided on using the same primer and paint
that I used on my kitchen cabinets:
 Sherwin Williams - Premium Wall and Wood Primer - Latex - White 
Sherwin Williams - Pro Classic Waterbased Acrylic Alkyd - Semi Gloss - Extra White  

1) Sand your tile to create a rough surface for the paint to grab.


2) Clean with a scrub brush and dry.


3) Apply two coats of primer, sanding between coats using 220 grit paper to
 smooth over any imperfections. My tile was so porous and dried quickly so I was able to
apply a second coat sooner than the manufacturer recommendation.


3) Fill holes and sand smooth with a light touch.
It was easier to see where holes needed filling after we had the primer on. 


4) Apply two coats of paint, again sanding lightly between coats to remove
imperfections. A high density foam roller gave the most efficient coverage, was
quicker and easier than a brush.


5) The tip of the roller worked perfectly for getting into the grout lines.


That's it! 
The power of paint...a fresh new look for a little time invested and the cost of paint!
Let me know if you try it, I'd love to see your transformation!







28 comments:

Annie {flourishinfertility.com} said...

I am so excited for May 7. I cannot WAIT to see the final product!! Thanks for the status updates along the way - you have me on the edge of my seat :) xo

Lisa @ Shine Your Light said...

You rock my world with your go get 'em attitude! I painted over hideous peachy pink tile in my window sills, but I would have been afraid to paint the nice travertine in a kitchen; I love your willingness to try it in an inconspicuous spot, and then just go for it!!!!!!! What a huge difference this is going to make for the color scheme you are going for! And the shape of those tiles…..love love love!

therelishedroost said...

Looks great , how does it hold up to cleaning? I have a place I would love to paint over but I'm afraid of the maintenance! Can't wait to see reveal!

Brandi said...

Such a beautiful difference, Pam!

Dana Frieling said...

This was such a gutsy move! What would you have done if it didn't work out?! Cha ching, cha ching. So glad you didn't have to worry about that option. It looks amazing.

Katie {Miss Dixie} said...

Ahh thank you for posting this. I am so intrigued since I am doing the same thing very soon! So, you did not have to do an actual tile paint? That is awesome! All the articles I've read suggest a very high odor tile paint- which I'm thinking might be necessary for a shower, but maybe not for my backsplash? Looks awesome!

Monica said...

I cannot believe you can paint kitchen title...you did an amazing job it looks beautiful!!!

Julie Taylor and Danni Greenwalt said...

That looked pretty easy...can you tell it looks painted or does it look like tile?

Patty Day @Pattys Epiphanies said...

Words can't say enough! This is AWESOME!

pam {simple details} said...

Julie - I think it looks like tile, everyone who's seen it thinks it looks great. I don't think people expect it to be painted and it doesn't cross their mind that it could be. Let me know if you try it!

Bmore Bungalow said...

Wow, I would've never thought to paint tile, but it looks great! Can't wait to see the finished product.

Leslie said...

Never thought of doing this Pam.. it looks fantastic! so fresh. I need to catch up here! With our move and blog issues I'm out of the loop. xxleslie

Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles said...

I cannot believe you had all of those teeny tiny holes to fill in. I wouldn't have thought of that being a factor before hand. It looks SO good, I bet your kitchen feels 10 times brighter!

Jen (House of Ruby Jean) said...

It looks amazing...makes me want to paint the tile in the bathroom that I'm doing for the ORC!

Unknown said...

Love how things are coming along each week on the ORC, Pam!! I may paint my kitchen tile, too! Great idea! Can't wait to see next week's progress!

Julia@Cuckoo4Design said...

I love filling holes after priming too.
Love the clean white

Just Spiff It said...

You are a very brave woman!! It looks incredible!

Unknown said...

Wow, this is so cool! I have a few friends who will benefit from know this :) Thanks Pam!

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

LOVE how this looks and so want to do this in my laundry room...I can't wait for the full reveal!!

cindy hattersley design said...

This looks fabulous Pam. I have been tempted to try this in a couple of our rentals. Love the transformation!

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

Looks great...never knew you could paint tile!

Unknown said...

Fantastic Pam, you said it, the power of paint! What a fresh new look with minimal cost ( and lots of elbow grease!) Youre the master. Great job. xo Nancy

Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door said...

Really, that's it?! I'm so impressed with how great it looks. And I love that you thought outside the box instead of just ripping it all up. The pattern is so great.

ElevenGables said...

So glad to find your blog! New follower!!

denise said...

Hello! I am thinking about doing this to my travertine tile as well. It has been 2yrs. since you posted and was wondering how it held up? We are in the kitchen alot and have a larger family . This house we moved into has orange,rust ,cream tavertine. I am not crazy about the orange and rust. I appreciate any update on this!

pam {simple details} said...

Hi Denise! It looks exactly the same as the day I painted it, absolutely no chipping, flaking or any damage at all from cleaning. I do always wipe it down with soap and hot water around my stove area after cooking if it has grease/food splatters. I think the specific paint I used is a great quality paint. Good luck if you try it!

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Hill said...

We’ve been stumbling around the internet and found your blog along the way.

We love your work! What a great corner of the internet :)



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