Adding Some Spice to the Dining Room

My obsession with chalkboards has yet to subside. Although the trend may be phasing, I am still riding that train! There’s just something about wiping the slate clean and creating new.

I’ve been making chalkboards for a while now but have always, always coveted chalkboard walls. David however, doesn’t share my enthusiasm for them.

Let’s take for example the Pantry Door Chalkboard Grocery List.

He kicked, whined and objected from the moment I said I was doing it. He begged me not to. Said no one wants a chalkboard painted on a door (albeit even on the inside) and that it wouldn’t bid well for resale one day. Um news flash, we aren’t selling and don’t plan to be selling for a very long time. So resale schmeesmale! And to counter that argument anyway, I cooly reacted with who wouldn’t want a chalkboard painted on the inside of their pantry? If anything, that could be a selling feature!

The black square got painted and we both love and use the list all the time. #iwin

So, can you imagine my surprise when he somehow agreed to let me paint the biggest wall in our dining room, in chalkboard paint?

Thunk. That’s the sound of me hitting the floor when I fainted.

Yeah, I was shocked to say the least. It may have involved some bribing, but that’s beside the point. The point is, he said I could!*

*Unfortunately I am married to someone who cares deeply about what I do to our house from a decorating standpoint and therefore everything I do has to be a mutual agreement. I mean really, why should he care what color the walls are or what I do to it? He’s got a large TV and a John Deere, and that’s where his decisions on decorating should end. Girls whose husbands don’t give a darn about what you do to the inside of the house, consider yourself lucky!

I digress.

After I got the go ahead, I didn’t waste any time. I cut in the wall that night with existing paint I had.

Then the next day I made a Lowe’s run and picked up two more quarts of Valspar Chalkboard paint. I don’t know of anywhere locally that chalkboard paint can be bought by the gallon. If you know of a place, let me know!

I couldn’t find a large foam roller so I got a low nap one that worked just fine.

I painted one coat, let it dry for about an hour, and then painted a second coat. Then when the second coat dried, I touched up in just a few places.

Then came the hard part, waiting the three recommended days for it to cure before using it.

Fast forward three painstakingly slow days…

First things first, I had to season the wall. Turn a piece of chalk on its side and rub it over the entire surface. Some tutorials I’ve seen then smear it all together with a dry cloth, I haven’t done that before and mine always turn out fine.

I started with a pack of regular chalk. That lasted about .20 seconds. Target to the rescue for big chalk!

Remi shared this message to our antsy Facebook friends.

After seasoning, I wiped the entire thing off with a damp rag. Repeat three more times…

Then the fun begins!

It could use a better wipedown between art. But technically the white streaks add to the charm. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

I am really excited about the endless possibilities in store for this fun wall. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it turned out. I also, as weird as it sounds, am totally crushing on the big black wall and the way it looks in the house. It adds some drama to the room and a cozy aspect as well.

Chalk writing tips:

1) I moisten my chalk and write on a dry wall. It goes on dull but is bright and crisp when it dries.

2) To get cool font ideas, go to dafont.com. Pick a font, preview your text (you can type it in) and reference it while you’re drawing.

3) Use a level for large art. I didn’t until the last line and by then it was too late.