How to DIY Faux Marble with Paint

As most new homeowners can probably relate to, the process of furnishing a new home can be expensive and time-consuming. Prior to our current home, Sam and I were living in a tiny city apartment and used the kitchen island as our “dining table”. So when we bought our house, one of our main furniture priorities was a dining table and chairs. We were fortunate to have family friends (who were coincidentally downsizing at the same time) gift us a few pieces of furniture including our dining set!

To make the table our own and fit into the transitional style I’ve been envisioning for our home, I became inspired to paint the table top to look like marble. I’d seen it done before on Instagram and figured, how hard could it be! Turns out, there’s a little bit of a learning curve to paint faux marble, but my hope is that I can share my learnings here so that others may create their own piece of marble beauty. I found this step-by-step guide and this video tutorial to be essential guides in my process.

I can assure you that you don’t have to be a pro-painter to paint faux marble. You simply need the right materials, patience and a good playlist.

What I spent: $223.27

I know what you’re thinking. Could I have just bought a new table for this amount of money? Maybe! But would it be real marble? Definitely not. In fact, I doubt I could’ve found a real marble table of this size for under $500 and that’s low-balling it. So, here’s a breakdown of my costs and the materials I used:

• Table: Gifted from family friends
• Paint: $4.47. I used leftover BM Chantilly Lace eggshell paint for white and darkened it with this black paint to make grey
• Softening brush: $65.99 (pricey for a brush but essential, I promise)
• Sea sponge: $13.08
• Paint brushes: I used existing paint brushes I had on hand, but linked a similar set
• Glaze Kit: $32.70 X 3 = $98.10. I used three kits based on the size of my table. I think this was a little excessive and believe I might’ve been ok with two kits based on the amount of waste that ended up on the floor, but I followed the sizing directions exactly since this was my first time trying it.
• Bucket: $11.43
• Glass drawer knobs: $30.20
• Plastic spreader: I used one I already had, but linked a similar one
• Palm sander: I borrowed my father-in-laws sander, but this step might not be necessary for everyone

I started this project by learning how to use a palm sander and sanding down the varnish. I might have been able to get away with going straight into painting, especially considering I applied an epoxy glaze to protect the paint at the end, but I decided to play it safe and do a bit of sanding before getting started. This also helped to sand off any wear and tear this table had received over the years.

I should mention that this table has a unique quality because it’s three individual panels. I took out the leaf in the middle to sand and prime it. While it’s probably better to paint faux marble on one complete surface so that it looks like a solid slab, I had to work with what I had and decided that my table will just be three (faux) slabs!

Next, I was ready to prime the table with white paint. I did 3-4 coats of white paint (allowing time to dry between each coat) before starting the grey veining. I wanted to make sure that there would be no trace of the wood grain so this step was essential.

Finally I was ready to start the grey veining! This step was the most involved and took me several days to complete due to all the layering that is required for a real marble look (plus I do have a day job). I would recommend having a few pictures of Carrara marble on hand for inspiration and guidance. I also recommend watching the video tutorial I mentioned above.

To begin, I dabbed white paint using the sea sponge to create the first layer of texture.

Next, I established the base layer of grey veining using a wide paint brush to get chunky veins that connected across all three panels (and continued along the sides of the table top). I softened the hard grey lines with white sponge paint and the softening brush.

From there, I started on the thinner grey veins. To paint the veins, I loosely held a thin paint brush (as you can see in pictures below) and created jagged imperfect lines that mirrored my inspiration photos. By loosely holding the paint brush and guiding it across the surface, some pointed edges along that initial vein arose that I used as a starting point for new connecting veins.

Working in small sections, I applied white paint via the sponge along the sides of each vein and then blurred the paint with the softening brush. I repeated this process about 3-4 times for the layered “underwater” look that is distinct to real marble. Because of the repetition and layering process, don’t worry about making mistakes or about waiting for the paint to dry. When the paint is tacky it helps to blur the white and grey paint together. And for mistakes, I don’t believe there is such thing. Sure, there may be veins you don’t like, but you can lightly sponge over them with white paint and the end result looks better because of it.

Once I had some thinner grey veins that I really liked, I went back in and darkened a few of them. Be sparing with this and don’t darken the entire vein. As you can see in the last photo below, I only darkened sections of the best veins to trick the eye into seeing veins that are going in and out.

Once I was satisfied with my paint job (and allowed enough time to dry), it was time to apply the high gloss epoxy.

To prep the surface, I lightly sanded the table top to remove any clumps of paint. Then, I used a vacuum and a damp paper towel to remove dirt and dust. You want to ensure a clean surface before applying the glaze. I used trash bags underneath and taped along the sides of the table to protect my floor and the table legs. This step should not be taken lightly! In fact, I should’ve taken more care and consideration to prep the table for the glaze than I did.

Once the prep work was complete, I began by gently mixing equal parts Resin and activator according to the directions. After three minutes of careful mixing, I slowly poured the mixture onto the surface. Using a plastic spreader, I dispersed the glaze evenly across the table and in a single direction to ensure best results. 

Next, I used a straw to lightly blow on air bubbles to help them rise up and disappear. This must be done quickly because any leftover bubbles will get trapped and dimple the surface once it fully cures.

As it was drying, I made sure to scrape off drips that formed along the bottom of the table. In hindsight I should’ve stayed by this table for a few hours, because it was difficult remove excess glaze in the morning once it had time to dry and harden. The other unfortunate occurrence I discovered in the morning was that a few small gnats had flown into and gotten stuck in the glaze. I dug the bugs out of the table, but it was a bummer to cause avoidable imperfections to the glaze. The directions suggest covering the surface during the initial curing process to protect it from dirt and debris (and bugs) by suspending a cover 4-5 inches above the entire surface. I have no idea how you would do this (which is why I didn’t), but now I realize why it would’ve been helpful.

We polished this table by switching out the old drawer knobs for new glass ones that I absolutely love. And after waiting 72 hours for the glaze to cure, it was ready for use and decoration!

It’s worth it to spend the money on the right paint brushes. But leftover paint is fine!

Layering veins is key. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes because the end result is better with imperfections. If it’s too perfect, it won’t look real.

Don’t get overly attached to blurring the veins. Some of them should be distinct!

Don’t underestimate the prep work for the glaze! Protect other parts of your table and your floors.

It is possible to overspread the glaze. Spread minimally and in one direction.

After applying the glaze, keep a close eye for the first few hours of curing time. Use this time to blow out air bubbles, scrape off drips and remove unwanted bugs.

While it’s not perfect, I’m really happy with my first attempt to paint faux marble. I’m loving the high-end look that I created and cannot wait to finish decorating the rest of this space.

I hope liked this project and stay tuned for my next high-end look for less on Instagram. Plus you can keep an eye on the blog for tutorials!

What do you think of the faux marble paint technique? Do you think this is a project you would try? Comment below to let me know!