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Workbench paint over a dirty garage workbench can take the space from gross to gorgeous.

Just because it’s a garage doesn’t mean we don’t want it to look pretty, right? I’m a firm believer that paint is the 8th wonder of the world. (At least, when it comes to painting a workbench!).

Just see for yourself below with my garage workbench makeover in this Beyond Paint countertop paint review!

This post was sponsored by Beyond Paint but this project, post, and opinions belongs to Thrift Diving.

 

My garage used to be a “hoarding ground” for all the things I had lugged home from the thrift store. (Stacks of furniture and odds and ends). It was so bad that you’d have to suck in your gut just to walk through at times!

And forget working on projects within the garage… There just wasn’t any space available for that.

Everything had to be worked on in the driveway. I’ve been chased by bees, mosquitoes, as well as sunburned working in that freakin’ driveway.

(Psssst! See how I made a DIY garage door screen with a zipper to keep out insects while working in my garage):

 

 

I had decided a few months ago–ENOUGH.

My soul craves for a clean, well-organized, bug-free, and pretty garage and workbench where I can be creative and without risk of breaking an ankle stepping over junk. 😉

Over the last few months, not only have I been working on my master bathroom makeover, but I’ve been simultaneously working on my garage makeover, too!

I have even finally accomplished painting my garage floor with 1-part epoxy paint and it looks gorgeous!

In this post, I’m going to show you how I painted my garage workbench!

 

 

SKIP AROUND THIS POST

No time to read the whole post? Click below to skip to a section! 🙂

Why I Did This Project
Materials Used
STEP 1: Clear Everything Off Your Workbench
STEP 2: Clean with a Degreaser
STEP 3: No Sanding, No Priming! Add First Coat
STEP 4: Add Second Coat, Sprinkle on Flecks
STEP 5: Sand and Smooth Flecks
STEP 6: Add Sealer
The Final Results
Where to Buy Beyond Paint
Save This Project on Pinterest
Subscribe
Watch the Video Tutorial

 

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of this painted garage workbench makeover, let me explain its evolution.

When we moved in at the end of 2010, there was nothing pretty here at all.

The workbench was a dirty junk collector and stayed that way until 2013. I was so intent on trying to fix up the inside of the house, who in the world had time to think about some dirty garage??

BEFORE – 2013

 

 

In 2013, the walls and pegboard were sprayed white in this tutorial on YouTube, but aside from that, there really hadn’t been anything done to this garage since that time.

Fast-forward and OMG, I can’t stand the fact that there was no organization of my tools and supplies! Everything was strewn across the workbench–and don’t even think I cleaned up after a project. “Cleaning up” was dumping everything on the workbench and walking away. LOL

Something had to give.

BEFORE – Early 2016

 

 

I got serious about this garage! I painted the floor with 1-part epoxy paint, hung up my supplies, and–gasp!–I even started putting things back in their place at the end of each project!

Suddenly, my workbench started to look….well….organized!

AFTER – Mid-2016

 

 

But it was missing something.

It wasn’t colorful or pretty enough.

So instead of keeping the back wall gray and the workbench white (snooze-fest!)…..

…..I decided I would make the workbench gray and the back wall turquoise/teal!

After just a few hours of work, here’s what it now looks like! Don’t you love the pop of color with the gray workbench?

AFTER!

 

 

This post will show you how I painted my garage workbench using I painted the floor with 1-part epoxy paint and decorative flecks (color: Ash gray).

You’ve seen me use Beyond Paint before on my pieces of furniture, but I had never used their countertop paint with flecks. Since you can also use this countertop painting kit for a workbench, I was curious to see how it would turn out!

 

 

I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t sure how much I would like it. I’ve never used flecks before, and the only time I’d ever seen anything similar is in garage floor refinishing kits. I had never seen them in a countertop painting kit.

But I’m from the camp that believes you try everything at least once (well…..not everything….but you know what I mean, HA!).

After trying to countertop paint with flecks, I’m happy to report that I do love the results!

This is what the countertop looked like before I got started. It was just plain white and had gotten pretty scuffed up since I had painted it in the fall. Plus, the white was very boring. I’ve always said I wanted a pretty workshop, but this wasn’t pretty. It was simply plain.

BEFORE

 

But now, I love the way the countertop paint with flecks adds dimension to the garage workbench! I didn’t realize just how boring my workbench was until I completed this project.

It kind of makes me think of faux concrete countertop!

 AFTER!

 

So let me show you how I actually did this project!

How to Paint a Garage Workbench Using Beyond Paint

(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites).

Materials Used:

• Beyond Paint Countertop Paint with Flecks (Color: Ash)
• Beyond Paint Indoor/Outdoor Sealer
• Small paint roller
• Paintbrush
• 400-grit sandpaper
• Microfiber cleaning cloths
• Simple Green or similar degreaser
• Painter’s tape (optional)

 

STEP 1: Clean Everything Off Your Workbench

Pretty common sense here, but make sure you clear everything off of your workbench. Don’t feel like you need to remove the things on the pegboard if you’ve gone one and aren’t painting that. Those things won’t really get in the way.

(I’m moving at the speed of light, by the way, which is why I’m blurry. 😉 )

 

STEP 2: Clean With a Degreaser

 

 

Don’t even think of painting over dirt, sawdust, dust, or grime. I guarantee your paint will look horrible and it won’t stick. I’ve gotten into the habit of cleaning with a degreaser, such a Simple Green or Spray Nine.

You might also want to pick up some microfiber cleaning towels. I always find them to be the best for cleaning. Look in the auto-detailing aisles. They’re often cheaper there than they are in the cleaning aisles!

 

STEP 3: No Sanding, No Priming! Adding Your First Coat

When I talk to people about painting furniture, countertops, or workbenches, they can’t believe you can paint over stuff without having to sand and prime. It’s always funny to see their looks of disbelief on their faces. But it’s true, folks.

That’s the case with Beyond Paint. You can literally paint over wood, plastic, old paint, masonry, and even glass, as long as it’s clean. No sanding or priming needed (make sure it’s in good condition, though). If you’ve got chipping or bumpy surfaces that could make your surface look shoddy, then you definitely should sand that smooth first. (Also, if you need to fill any gouges, use Elmer’s wood filler to fill the hole and then sand that smooth flush so that when you paint over it, it looks smooth and even).

Thankfully, my workbench didn’t have any major places of concern, so I could just start painting right away!

 

 

Beyond Paint recommends using a roller with their paint, and that’s fine by me. I find that I’m able to get through my projects faster with a roller than a paint brush. And I like with this paint that I can get a lot of coverage each time I dip my roller.

Along the edges of the pegboard, I used a paintbrush. You can see I don’t mind being a bit sloppy here. Tape off if you need to.

 

STEP 4: Add a Second Coat, Sprinkle on Flecks

For this step, you want to work in small sections because you need that paint to be wet when you sprinkle on the countertop flecks.

The flecks container reminders me of a spices jar, or maybe a small jar of little chili peppers the way they shake out!

You’ll see here that I have tried to evenly apply them. You can add as many or as little as you want.

They’ll literally be sitting on top of the paint like this.

 

 

Now, just let that second coat with flecks dry for 2-4 hours.

(Notice the texture of the paint?)

 

 

STEP 5: Sand and Smooth the Flecks

Once the workbench has dried 2-4 hours, take a small piece of 400-grit very fine sandpaper and smooth out the countertop flecks.

You’ll notice that it creates some dust and pieces of flecks will be removed that were sticking up off the surface.

 

 

Just make sure that you’ve got all the dust and pieces of flecks wiped up with a microfiber towel before you seal it. You don’t want that stuff ruining the sealer!

 

 

STEP 6: Add a Coat of Sealer

The Beyond Paint sealer is awesome. I’ve used polyurethanes before and they tend to turn yellow over time, which I don’t like.

This sealer goes on milky and then dries (and stays!) clear.

When you apply it, you’ll notice that it looks like it lightens your paint, but it’s only the temporary milkiness of it.

 

 

Just don’t overload your roller with sealer or else it might dry with a milky or cloudy appearance, which you don’t want.

 

Watch the Video Tutorial

Want to see this project in action? Just watch below from my YouTube channel.

 

 

 

The Final Results

Not only do I like that this Beyond Paint countertop paint with flecks adds some dimension to my garage workbench, but it also is likely to help hide imperfections (or sawdust!).

As I mentioned before, it kind of reminds me of concrete, which I like.

 

 

It feels fresh and clean. And without all that stuff cluttering the workbench, I can spread out wood and materials for projects!

 

 

See the other projects I have painted using Beyond Paint and their other shades of paint:

• My Thrifted China Cabinet Makeover
• French Provincial Dresser Makeover
• Pretty Bedroom Dresser Makeover
• Painting Outdoor Furniture With Beyond Paint
• A 1980’s DIY Desk
• Dining Room Bench Makeover Using Beyond Paint

(Pssst! If you need some garage organization tips, be sure to check out this post with 6 simple garage storage solutions that you can easily do yourself).

 

 

So this is what it looked like when everything was removed. You can see that the gray accent wall did absolutely nothing to make my garage look pretty, which is the look I’m going for.

BEFORE

 

 

The turquoise/teal and Ash gray do sooooo much more for this workspace!

 

AFTER!

 

 

This turquoise is the same Cabana Blue that I used to do the other workbench in my garage.

Anyhow, I’m excited how it’s coming together!

 

Where to Buy Beyond Paint Countertop Paint

Unfortunately, you can’t buy Beyond Paint directly in the stores. But you can buy it online from their website directly and from these online retailers.

• BeyondPaint.com.  Buy direct from the source, but shipping it a bit more expensive, at about $7.99.
• HomeDepot.com. Have it shipped to your local Home Depot or to your house. At the time of this post, shipping appears to be free! Looks like shipping takes about 1 week, though.
• Amazon.com. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get free 2-day shipping. Just check to see how many there are in stock, though. You can also buy the pint size container by itself.

 

Enjoying this project? Be sure to SAVE IT.

 

 

 

So what do you think?? A big improvement, right?! 😉

Leave a comment below and let me know if you also want to paint your garage workbench, too!

Tell everyone you loved this post! :)