Last week was crazy.
With everything going on in the world, my anxiety ran a little rampant. So while I diligently worked on my ORC project, I didn’t give in an update. Sorry.
Fortunately, this week I’ve got plenty to update you on!
Concrete Countertops – How’d They Turn Out?
During week four of the One Room Challenge, I finished my concrete countertops. It was an interesting project and one that I would do COMPLETELY differently if I did it again.
As a reminder, here’s what my countertops looked like before:
Sorry for the cluttered picture. Apparently, I failed to take any good before pictures where the counters were cleared.
The counter and sink were both from the 1970s: a yellowy white counter and a lovely, beautiful brown sink.
I used Ardex Feather Finish concrete to apply concrete to both the counter and the sink. It was such a cheap way to update that I figured even if it didn’t turn out good, I wasn’t out much money.
I started by applying a thin layer of concrete with a trowel. I mixed the concrete with water at a 2:1 ratio. I gave each coat a day to dry before adding the second coat. In total, I did three coats.
I then sanded the countertops. (A lot!) Afterward, I sealed with Tuff Duck sealer.
Here’s what they look like now?
Are they better than what they are? Absolutely. Are they perfect? Oh my gosh, NO. Would I try this again? Probably not.
Here’s a close-up look at some of the imperfections:
In all honesty, they didn’t turn out near as good as I would’ve hoped. I’ll live with them for a little while, but in the long run, I’ll probably replace this counter and sink.
Other Progress Made
While week four was spent solely working on the counters, I tackled several smaller projects on week five and six. Here’s what I did.
- Cut, painted, and installed the quarter round trim.
- Painted the ceiling.
- Touched up the paint on the wall.
- Installed the shower curtain rod and hung up the shower curtain.
What’s Still Left to Do?
There are still a few things left to do.
For week six, I’ll be focused on finishing touches. This includes hanging up the towel rack, installing a toilet paper holder, decorating, and finding a suitable transition strip.
For week seven, I will work on closet organization, and week eight will be the final reveal.
You can check out the rest of the ORC guest participants here.
Katie Barton is the owner of Cabin Lane. She's also a home improvement writer for Bob Vila and Homedit. Her cleaning and organizing advice has been featured on Realtor.com, Yahoo News, GoBankingRates, and more. In her spare time, you can find her with a paintbrush in hand, searching for her next project.
I love the color of the doors and the counter top looks great.