Giani Granite Review and Giveaway -$50 value!

Contest closed...Thank you for entering, everybody! Winner will be chosen and contacted soon...

As most of you know, I have been packing and getting ready to move. My family was moving into a smaller place and I was moving as well so between the two of us, it has been really crazy. We decided to redo our kitchen counters and make them look beautiful before we put the house on the market in hopes that it would help our house sell faster. That's why I was so excited to be given a chance to review Giani Granite Paint for Countertops in Bombay Black! Its able to cover 35 square feet of counter space. The only problem was that our kitchen had both countertops and an island that added to 40 square feet of space and we didn't want to risk leaving half an island undone. So, the solution? I used it on our old wooden table and you know what? After seeing the results, I wish we had two sets of Giani paint to do both our countertops and the table... it was absolutely beautiful!



Here are some details regarding Giani Granite Paint as taken from their website:

• Unique blend of polymers and minerals create a countertop that locks out moisture - while showing off the beauty of India's exotic black granite!
• Great for upgrading Formica*laminate, Corian*ceramictile, butcher block, cultured marble and traditional granite countertops and vanities     
• Covers 35 square feet or 16 running feet of standard 24" wide counters 
• Quick, fun and easy 'paint-by-number' process  for beginning painters
• Project time - 4 hours of painting and 16 hours of drying
• Water-based safe and low odor 
• Hides any existing stains, scratches or burns
• Granite color is adjustable to your decor 
• Durable automotive grade clear polyurethane topcoat
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Before...

This is what my table looked before. It was so plain, so boring, and so old. My family were thinking of tossing it out and buying a new table to fit into the new place. Boy, are we glad we didn't! So, first I watched the instructional DVD that came along with the kit and it was simple and so easy, anyone could do it.  It works by a paint by numbers system, everything was labelled; you just have to shake and paint following the order of the numbers, it really doesn't get easier than that!



So, the very first day I received the granite paint, I sanded my wooden table to get the polyurethane layer off. For those of you who don't know, its the layer on your tables that give it protection and shine with gorgeousness! :) That same night, I then went out and painted on the primer and let it dry overnight. The next morning, I blotted on the mineral colors with their special sponge that give it the granite texturing and layered look. I used mainly pearl mica and bronze mineral and very little of the onyx mineral. I loved how you could decide how much of what color you use with Giani Granite and depending on what colors you chose to use more, the effect would turn out different with every single set, creating an absolutely unique look perfect for you!  After doing the mineral paints and sponging it on, I let it dry for 4 hours before going in and adding some more paint in minor areas. I let that dry and then did the final coat of heavy duty polyurethane to seal off the paint and give it that shine we all love. Let me tell you something, my family were so pleased with the way the table turned out, not only are they not tossing the table, they are already packing it and getting it ready to bring to their new place with them and they kept expressing how we wished we could have done our countertops with Giani as well. I heard earfuls before I left!



Did I mention everything comes in a kit as well? There is no need to go out and purchase any excess materials, everything is already in there, all the colors and paints you need, the sponge, the brushes, and the instructional DVD. You're probably thinking "Oh no, how much is this going to cost me?"; but amazingly, Giani Granite is not only beautiful, but its affordable (~$50) and you all know how much we all love to save money! 



The people at Giani are incredibly friendly as well. They were coming out with a second generation of primer at the time that they had wanted me to wait for so that I could try their newest and best primer. This new generation was supposed to adhere a lot more easily to a greater variety of surfaces and like the video said, one layer was more than enough!

After...

Overall, I loved Giani Granite! There is no doubt in my mind and if I had more time, I would have bought more to do my countertops as well. Its affordable and the results look great. Honestly, there would be no mistake in choosing Giani for your kitchen or bathroom renovations. It was easy and fun to do. If you are sick and tired of a boring kitchen or bathroom, or you just need to spice things up for a change and on a tight budget, Giani Granite is definitely the way to go. Look at our table, it went through such a drastic transformation!


If you're curious, look at these pictures of the countertops that others have done. I didn't get the chance to use it on my countertops but I did it on my table instead and it was just gorgeous!

Buy It: To purchase any of the items from Giani Granite, shop online now. It can be purchased online or check their website for stores to purchase Giani Granite in Canada and the USA.

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win a $50 value Giani Granite Paint Kit with their choice in color from Giani Granite.



To Enter (mandatory): Visit Giani Granite and tell me what color you would choose if you won and where you would use it on. This must be entered before the bonus entries count! I will check. Leave a contact email in all entries, if I can't contact you, you can't win. :)



Bonus Entries -Please make sure you put 1 comment for each entry. e.g. If it says 2 entries, put 2 comments.

• Like Giani Granite on facebook -1 entry
• Like Whirlwind of Surprises on facebook. Please leave your first name and last initial-1 entry
• Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post. Please leave your link. -2 entries.
• Grab my button and tell me where its at -2 entries
• Follow Whirlwind of Surprises on Google Friends Connect -1 entry
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• Follow Whirlwind of Surprises on Twitter and ReTweet this: RT @cinnybbs #Win a Giani Granite Kit #Giveaway $50 Beautiful kitchen & bathroom renos! http://bit.ly/9auuOd  (can be Tweeted up to 3x daily for extra 2 entries each time. Each tweet must be 2 hours apart. Leave your tweet link)

Giveaway ends 11:59 pm EST on September 10, 2010. Open to US and Canada. Winner will be drawn by a random number generator, posted on this blog and emailed. Winner must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above have been provided free of charge from the manufacturer or PR firm for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong to Whirlwind of Surprises and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view my full disclosure.

Until next time,

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