Antique French Country Kitchen Backsplash DIY Project

Creating a French Country antique paint finish on your Kitchen Backsplash is an easy project that can be accomplished in one weekend. To start this French Country Kitchen Backsplash project you will need a few different materials from your local home improvement store as well as some time.

Here is a list of supplies you will need to start French Country Kitchen Backsplash:

Primer
Bright or Royal Blue Paint & Sunny Yellow Paint or Terra Cotta and Blue Paint
Roller paint brushes
A variety of 2", 3", or 4" paint brushes
Wood stain
Glaze
Sandpaper
Drop clothes
Cheap, outdated, or plain Bookcases

Now, start sanding the surface of your plain Kitchen Backsplash. Once you have the surface lightly sanded, you should wipe off the dust with a clean dry clothe. An old white t-shirt will work perfectly here. You need to start with a smooth surface.

Now, you are ready to put a coat of primer. If you are painting over a laminate surface this is a very important step. Your resurfacing and French Country antique paint technique will not stick to your surface if you don't sand and then prime your Kitchen Backsplash.

If you want a rough more rustic French Country look try putting the primer on with one of the 4" brushes. This will give texture and create the look of real wood. If you prefer the smoother look you can roll the paint on with any type of paint roller. A foam roller will create the smoothest surface.

Allow your primer to dry completely.

Now, paint on a coat of a light gray wall paint. Let this dry. This will be your "grout."

Once this has dried to you can tape off a tile pattern with ¼ inch blue painter's tape. Press this carefully onto your wall. This will keep your "grout" protected while you paint the tiles on your pack splash.

Put on a coat of your base paint, which can be one of two colors. You can use yellow as your base and blue as your topcoat or blue as your base and terra cotta as your topcoat. This first paint should not be the actual color you want your French Country Kitchen Backsplash to end up, but the color you want to show through when you antique the Kitchen Backsplash.

Now you are ready to paint your French Country Kitchen Backsplash with the real color you wish them to be, so blue or terra cotta, whichever applies to you.

Don't be scared to choose a bright color because the antiquing process will tone down the appearance of the French Country Kitchen Backsplash considerably.

Once your French Country Kitchen Backsplash color has dried you are ready to start antiquing it. Remove the "grout" tape first.

Start by using the sand paper to rough up edges and other areas that would typically be used over time. Do not sand heavily. Use a fine grit paper.

This will allow your sunny yellow to show through the bright blue or your blue to show through the terra cotta color.

Once you have finished sanding the French Country Kitchen Backsplash wipe the surface down with a clean dry cloth. That old white t-shirt will work well here again. You can stop at this point, but if you want to go the extra mile you can use a mixture of ½ brown paint and ½ glaze to darken your Kitchen Backsplash.

Start by mixing your brown paint and glaze in a plastic container. Use a white rag or another old t-shirt to rub the stain onto the French Country Kitchen Backsplash.

You can do this process until you achieve the antique look you want for your French Country Kitchen Backsplash.

Tips:

For additional French Country antique inspired embellishments to a very plain Kitchen Backsplash try attaching some pre cut wood embellishments. You can find them at any home improvement store. You could put one in the middle of each tile.

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