Painting Tile

My kitchen really needs to be updated.  When we moved into the house I remember saying that the kitchen was going to have to be one of the first things that we redo.  Well, life has happened resulting in the same kitchen eight years later.

To help make the kitchen more bearable, I have done little makeovers over time.  The one that has made the biggest difference involved painting my tiled back splash.  Here is what it looked like before I painted it:

The green tiles felt very country to me and really limited the paint colors I could choose from to paint the walls.  Last summer, after talking to many people who have painted tile and doing some online research, I took the leap and painted all the tile white.

First I really scrubbed the tile with soap and warm water to remove any dirt or grease on the tile.  I then took some steal wool to the tile to scuff it up hoping it would help the paint adhere better.  After leaving the tile dry for 24 hours, I gave it two coats of bright white paint, letting the paint dry almost 24 hours between coats.  I did put an additional coat on the tiles behind the sink and the stove.  The last step was to put on 2 coats of polyurethane, again waiting 24 hours between each coat to allow it to dry.  I also again put an additional coat on the tiles behind the sink and the stove.

It was a lengthily process, but it was worth it.  Here is the painted tile:

I am amazed at how getting rid of the green tile has change the appearance of my counter top.  It used to look mint green, but now after painting the tile and the walls in gray, looks more grayish.  Overall, I kind of like my kitchen now :)  I am now okay waiting a couple more years to remodel it and being able to update our upstairs bathroom instead.