5 Innovative Countertop Solutions to Elevate Your Rental Kitchen

UpdatedMar 31, 2023 10:36 AM EDT

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With their abundance of builder-grade appliances and cramped galley layouts, rental kitchens rarely inspire immediate affection. More often, you're met with stark-white surfaces or unconvincing imitation-stone finishes. When a costly renovation isn't feasible and preserving your security deposit remains a priority, creativity becomes your greatest asset. These five ingenious countertop solutions will breathe new life into even the most uninspired surfaces—and your landlord may well appreciate the upgrade.

Stylist Courtney Favini's strategy for transforming a lackluster dining area in her Atlanta rental into an inviting corner involved coating the dark granite counters with Ardex, a textured concrete-resurfacing compound readily available for approximately $40 on Amazon. After sanding the existing surface to create adhesion, she blended the powder with water, applied it using a putty knife, and sealed the finish with a water-based product. The resulting counters now serve as a polished backdrop for content creation and harmonize beautifully with the white cabinetry.

For her first New York City rental, Madelynn Furlong envisioned a Carrie Bradshaw–style apartment, making the stained white laminate kitchen an unwelcome distraction. Her initial instinct was a full gut renovation, but she discovered a more budget-conscious middle ground and presented her landlord with a $200 alternative: resurfacing the counters using a specialized paint kit sourced from Amazon that replicates the appearance of black marble. “It's remarkably convincing,” she notes. “It has the quality of an '80s-era resin, which I absolutely love.”

Imani Keal had long envisioned a pink kitchen. Benjamin Moore's Monticello Rose was a natural selection for the walls and ceiling, but she had a different vision for the countertops. She was drawn to a veiny pink and purple stone called plumeria, though genuine stone was far beyond her budget. Fortunately, a targeted Amazon search for swirled contact paper in complementary tones yielded an option that closely mirrored the coveted material.

When Emily Ward—half of the design duo Pierce & Ward—chose to embrace the 1970s IKEA cabinetry in her Los Angeles home, she opted for paint over renovation. The ultra-high-gloss finish was achieved using automotive paint, though achieving an accurate color match required several attempts. The primary bathroom received the same treatment in Benjamin Moore's Southfield Green. “I painted everything—the countertops, the sink, every surface,” Ward recalls. A fair caveat: her family had to relocate for 30 days while the fumes dissipated, “but when the result comes together, it's immensely satisfying,” she adds.

It took Mallory Fletchall nearly five years to request her landlord's permission for modifications to her Brooklyn rental. The actual transformation of the '90s galley kitchen required only three weeks. Among her most effective updates was replacing the tired green surfaces with a fresh laminate top—specifically, a 96-inch slab of IKEA's marble-effect countertop. Investing thousands in genuine stone didn't align with her circumstances, as the apartment may not serve as a permanent home. The laminate surface convincingly replicates the appearance of natural stone and, best of all, requires minimal maintenance.

Anna has a penchant for travel, fresh flowers, and books. You can usually find her on some sort of culinary adventure, seeking the best burgers or waffles in the city.

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