Painting Ceramic Tile

My kitchen backsplash was kind of ridiculous.

 

White, blue and gray.  Great if you like "Home Sweet Home" happy duckling wallpaper, but not so much my style.  Ever tried to take down tile?  Sometimes you're fine, sometimes it peels drywall down with it and then you are screwed. 

 

I did some research and discovered, if you do it right, tile is paintable.  Especially kitchen wall tile since it does not get walked on, or subjected to showering and bathing.

 

It is very simple and inexpensive to do, it just takes a little patience and a steady hand.

 

First, rough up the tile you intend to paint with fine grit sandpaper.  This will help the paint stick.

 

After all the tile is sanded, clean it VERY thoroughly.  I used soap and water first, let it dry and then wiped it well with an alcohol soaked rag, letting it dry completely before the next step.

 

Using a sponge brush, paint each tile with a paint suitable for ceramic.  I find that sponge brushes leave a smoother finish than a bristle brush, which was important to me because I did not want it to be obvious my tiles were painted.  I used Martha Stewart Living metallic paint that is sold at Home Depot and runs just under $6 each.  Allow the first coat to dry and follow with a second coat.

 

Allow to dry overnight and cover painted tiles with two coats of a water based polycrylic.  This will give an authentic ceramic tile shine and protect the paint job you just worked so hard on!

 

These painted tiles can endure wiping, however be careful if you must scrub as they will scratch, so use a soft cloth.

 

So, before:

 

 

And after:

 

 

 

 

I was VERY happy with how my tiles turned out.  Is it something I would have picked myself to install, heck no, but I can live with it now.  So, if you have awful tiles, but aren't into a tear down yet, try this out.  It is a cheap way to make a HUGE difference!

 

***Like my colors?  The top color is Vintage Gold and the bottom color is Cast Bronze.***

***Got a sharp eye and noticed I changed my hardware?   I bought mine at http://www.atgstores.com/ .  Find my bin pulls here. Find my cabinet pulls here. ***