Recently I shared on Facebook that we were doing a makeover on our powder room, aka the “World’s Smallest Bathroom”. The project I was most excited about was the sink. I had wondered how to paint a sink so I did a little research and found a product that would do it. Since the paint kit was only around $25, we decided to try it. Then if it didn’t work we’d just rip out the sink and put in a new one.
UPDATE: This project was originally published on August 14, 2017. We sold our townhouse a little over two years later. I get questions all the time asking how this sink is holding up. When we moved out, it still looked great. It never scratched or peeled at all. I was really happy with the finished product and would gladly do it again!
Here’s a little video I took of what my nasty old bathroom sink looked like BEFORE the countertop makeover.
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Supplies Needed to Paint a Sink
- Rust-Oleum Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit
- 4″ paint roller
- 1″ paint brush or sponge brush
- painters tape
- scraper to remove caulk
- Comet or other scrubbing powder cleanser
- Lime-Away
- scouring pad
- sponges and plenty of paper towels!
- 400-600 wet/dry sandpaper
- tack cloth
- bucket
How to Paint a Sink
Bikeman removed the faucet for me. Here’s another close up of the nastiness! I think the one-piece sink/countertop and the handle were both original to our townhouse, built in the mid-1970s! I was NOT feeling good about painting at this point.
The most important thing about painting a bathroom sink is the prep work! The painting was actually pretty easy but these steps take time. I think I spent about 1 1/2 hours cleaning the sink before I even started painting.
First, remove all the old caulk.
Place a bucket under the sink. Scrub with Comet. Rinse off. Clean with Lime-Away. Rinse off. Then sand, sand, sand. Rinse and wipe down with tack cloth.
Now the scary part. BEFORE painting, make sure you open all your windows, turn on the exhaust fan and aim a fan at you to get fresh air. This paint STINKS!!!! I can’t emphasize that enough. Don’t paint with kids or pets in the room. Seriously. It stinks. I mean it…
Mix the 2 part epoxy paint together, following instructions. The instructions say it can be rolled, brushed, or sprayed. I chose a 4″ mini roller and a 1″ foam brush to get the corners.
The paint is much thinner than I expected it to be. Aim for 2-3 THIN coats and be ready for it to look BAD after the first coat.
Here’s what my first coat looked like. Not even, but it’s a self-leveling paint. It looked much better after it dried. But definitely needed more than one coat.
See the difference?
The curved sink was a little bit of a challenge but between the roller and foam brush, I managed to get it all covered.
Here it is after 3 thin coats.
The Finished Painted Sink
And here it is all caulked and finished! What do you think? I’m glad I spent the time figuring how to paint a sink!
My review? I love it… so far. I want to reserve the right to change my opinion after I see how the bathtub paint kit wears. But I’ve heard good things from other users — IF you do the prep!!!
That, plus this is in our guest bathroom that doesn’t get daily use.
I’ll keep you updated on how it holds up. Keep watching the blog for our complete powder room reveal! Sign up for our Home DIY email list if you want to get them sent straight to you!
More DIY Bathroom Projects
If you enjoyed this countertop makeover, you might also like these:
- How to Paint Bathroom Cabinets
- $100 Powder Room Makeover Reveal
- How to Organize a Small Farmhouse Bathroom
- 17 Clever Ideas for Small Bathrooms
- 4 Quick and Easy DIY Bathroom Ideas
Thanks for reading! Got any questions about how to paint a sink? Leave ’em in the comments.
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
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Mother Deer says
You did a great job! I have the same sink/counter situation in my home, but with more counter. Did you use up the whole epoxy kit, or was there enough left to paint more counter space if you needed it? I’ll be interested in hearing about how well it holds up to cleaning and if color can be added to the epoxy. Thanks for sharing this project 🙂
ducttapeanddenim says
There was plenty left over for more counter. I think it’s supposed to cover a whole bathtub! We’re going to live with our sink for a while to see how it stands up before trying the tub though! I don’t know if you can add color but I’m going to guess not. And I didn’t see it come in any other colors.
Katie says
How has it held up? What do/did you clean it with?
Waiting reply
Katie
ducttapeanddenim says
It still looks great. I just wipe it with all purpose spray cleaner… nothing abrasive. I’m planning another Facebook Live soon so do a follow up.
Mimi says
You painted the actual bowl of the sink too? Did you use the foam brush for that? If it is thin, didn’t it all run down? Same question about the edges of the counter top and back splash.
ducttapeanddenim says
Yep… I painted the bowl and backsplash, too. With a small roller and I got the corners with a foam brush. Took a few coats but it worked!
Peggie Russo-Millard says
Can it this product be used on Culture Marble?
ducttapeanddenim says
I’m pretty sure it can be. Double check the package and/or their website.
Vickie Kuykendall says
Looks great! What a difference!
Cheryl says
You did a good job. I suck at painting and it was easier to buy a new sink!
Kim~madeinaday says
Great job! Sharing on FB. Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Courtney @ Pop It Up Girl says
Totally did not know you could paint a sink! Love this!
Brenda Young @Unique Junktique says
I had no idea this could even be done! I would love for you to share your project tonight at #FridaysFurnitureFix, hope to see you there!
Susan says
Wowza! What an improvement. I am pinning for when we finally tackle the kids’ bathroom redo. Thanks for sharing at the This Is How We Roll LInk Party.
Rachel Teodoro says
Just wanted you to know that I featured this on create link inspire party. Thanks for linking up.
Toni | Small Home Soul says
Ann this turned out great! I’d love to try this on my faux granite sink in my bathroom. It’s pretty scratched up. I hope it hold up really well for you, there are so many great products out today to save us big $$
Tracey says
Now that it has been a while, is the paint still holding up? I’m hoping to do this to my bathroom that has a sink that looks very similar to your original one! Would must rather paint it than by a whole new one at this point!
ducttapeanddenim says
Yes, it is! I still love it. And we just had our bathtub painted. (I was afraid to do that myself!)
Leigh says
How do you clean it? Any special instructions?
ducttapeanddenim says
Just no abrasive cleaners. I’ve just been using all purpose spray or Windex when I clean the mirror.
Ina says
I bet u could add in food coloring or something… and what website do u use to create ur blogs… is it free… I’m wanting to do my own and I don’t have any idea where to start and how much I could make….
Ms Rogers says
Hi there, I think this is a great idea. Right now I live in Vegas, and there are some beautiful hand-painted sinks (besides the primary color, there are beautifully hand-painted sinks of flowers) at some of the hotels, and I think they are just wonderful. But way too expensive, I’m sure. When I work on my farmhouse next year, I was thinking how I might be able to hand paint some flowers on a sink (since after all, the farm is a lavender farm). Do you have any recommendations for paint to be used on a sink in smaller, less expensive quantities (since there may be many colors in the painting)? Thanks so much! Great job on your sink!
Becky says
Did you seal it? Now it’s 2019: how has it held up?
ducttapeanddenim says
I just used the paint kit. We sold the house in December 2018 and it was still in great shape. We never had any chips or anything.
Cindy Sonntag says
Can I use this product on a plastic RV sink?
ducttapeanddenim says
I don’t see why not. But you may want to check the Rust-Oleum website. And make sure you have plenty of ventilation while you’re painting… it’s stinky!
Lisa says
I am hoping to paint my stove top. It is a separate unit from my oven. Do you think I could the same product?
ducttapeanddenim says
I don’t think so. But Rustoleum and Krylon both make a high heat spray paint. Here’s my affiliate link: https://amzn.to/30HZxHE — I haven’t used it but I have used their appliance paint on my washer and dryer and it worked great. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.