I love diamonds, feather down, and leather. I own some of each, but I also own their faux counterparts. Let me introduce you to my new favorite pretender: faux granite.

Last week I had the pleasure of presenting “Fabulous One-Day Room Transformations” at the Philadelphia Home Show. I love transforming a room in just one day, but there is one room in the house that is notoriously hard to makeover quickly and on a budget…

The kitchen.

Yes, it’s lovely to have new cabinets, new appliances, and new counter tops. But if, like me, your life doesn’t allow for contractors or a big budget right now, then you need to know there are great faux alternatives.

EZ Instant Makeover makes two products that can absolutely transform your kitchen in just one day. Their granite film is an amazing counter top finish that anyone can apply right over old counters and get a granite look instantly. I wanted to see this for myself, so I applied it to a client’s kitchen. I was amazed. She was amazed. Her friends are amazed. We all love it!

And you can love it even more for a10% discount when you check out using the code HW10.

You absolutely can not tell that it is faux granite from across the room. You have a very hard time telling that it is not the real thing even when you are standing on top of it. And if you are careful when installing it, even your trims and splices will look very much like the cuts in real stone. Does the corner cut below jump out at you, or blend in?

This film, kind of like contact paper, goes right over your existing surface and can be bent and trimmed to follow your current counter top. It cuts easily, so it can be installed around existing plumbing. And it looks great. When I prepared my demo slab for the home show, I noticed how the granite shone in my own kitchen, reflecting the windows, which I had never seen before on my dull laminate counter.

There are a lot of great things about this granite film, but the best part may be the price. We covered this entire kitchen for less than $200.

And if you have an appliance or two that works fine but doesn’t quite fit into your decor, you can cover that, too, with their stainless steel film. We did that to this dishwasher, and saved the clients between $300-600. The stainless steel makeover costs only $30 for the dishwasher, but the same film can be applied to other appliances, as well. Here’s the after from that kitchen you saw up above.

There are several granite colors and 2 stainless finishes to choose from. Click if you are ready to buy an EZ Instant Makeover of your own.

There are a few things you should know if you intend to install either the granite film or stainless film in your own home.

• This is absolutely a DIY project, but it helps if you don’t do it alone. Enlist a helper if possible.
• If you have an extra long stretch of counter, you can order your rolls in lengths exceeding 12′. Just contact the company.
• You can install the film without moving your sink, and it still looks great. Just lay the film over the sink, cut an x directly over the sink, apply the film around the sink, and then trim carefully around the sink, and finish with a bead of clear silicone.
• When applying the film, use your water spray liberally. Ensure the surface is slick (but not dripping). Having the water under the film allows you to more easily reposition the film and squeegee out the air bubbles that are unavoidable during installation.
• You will have air bubbles, but a sufficiently wet surface will make it easier to remove them.
• Seams that are cut by overlapping films with the backing attached, and then using one straight cut through all layers of granite film, such as a diagonal cut that may be needed on L-shaped counters (see above), will barely be visible. You can also overlap granite film if needed, however, you are more likely to see a tiny white seam at the point of overlap, so be sure that you face that seam away from the main vantage point.
• You can “fold” the film over the edge and up backsplashes. For these applications, it is very helpful to have a hairdryer to warm the film and make it more pliable and sticky.
• EZ Instant Makeover sells an installation kit with a knife and a scraper. It is well worth it to order this with your film.

This product has been featured on QVC, HGTV, DIY Network, The Today Show, the Rachel Ray Show, and now here!

Some of you might remember that I’ve halted all updates to our own kitchen because I’m hoping for a total remodel next year. But, well, I’ll be making this little change to our kitchen very soon. If you install this in your own home, I’d love to hear and see how it goes.

Ready to get started or get samples? Start here. Remember to enter code HW10 for 10% off your purchase.

(Want to know how to do it? Installation videos from yours truly. I love this so much, I put it in my own kitchen!)

Want to know how this product holds up Over time? This is our Faux Granite, Three Years Later.

Disclosure: I had the pleasure of receiving product to install for a client and have been compensated for this post, but all opinions are my own, and I only share products that impress me.

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