Chalk it up

For some reason the two of us have always been fascinated with chalkboard paint. We had always talked about turning a small section of the kitchen into a chalkboard. Having seen it done so well here:

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: MSTETSON

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: New York Times

So with the abundant inspiration we found online we chose a good spot in the kitchen just next to our pantry cabinet and bought two quarts of Valspar's Chalkboard Paint ($14.28) and went to town.



Photo: Lowe's



First we'll give you the before:

This stuff seemed to go on a little thicker than your average paint but wasn't difficult to work with at all. We did two full coats 24 hours apart. Oh, and it only took one quart to cover the 1.5' x 8.5' strip twice. Once you're finished painting the directions tell you to wipe chalk over the entire surface, then clean with a damp rag. The chalkboard is then ready for regular use.

Now the after:

Had to add the cheesy "Welcome" collage

You may notice above that another difference from the before to the after is that we were able to get rid of the liquor/wine bottles in the cove next to the chalkboard thanks to our new antique cabinet.

Our friend Angel & her recreation of the three of us!