~Chalkboard Walls~

While I am shopping around for furniture and deciding on paint colours for my daughter's room, I am considering painting a large chalkboard in her room. I am having a love affair with chalkboard walls lately and think it will give her room that teenage edge that she wants.  My daughter is constantly writing on her window and mirror with a dry erase marker, what better way to write messages to herself than a chalkboard wall? 

Chalkboard walls are everywhere, I have found them in blogs and in the pages of my favourite magazines. I love the modern vibe they give a space. Chalkboard walls could even be viewed as functional art with the images and messages on the wall constantly changing. I want one in my kitchen. A few houses back I had a door in the kitchen that I painted with chalkboard paint. Our family love writing silly notes to each other. It also helped me stay organized by jotting down the daily schedule.

Here are some of my favourites:

Isabella and Max Rooms

My House of Giggles

Martha Stewart

via: Remodolista

Isabella and Max Rooms


This isn't a chalkboard wall but you could use chalkboard paint to colour block a section of wall.

Source unknown but have it stashed in my tumblr files

Canadian House and Home

I am really drawn to this photo. I love the eclectic mix of modern (the chairs and chalkboard wall) with the old (the farmhouse table and chandelier) I can see myself enjoying my morning cup of coffee and reading the paper. 

Distracted again.....need to focus on the daughter's room!

Chalkboard Window~

Hanging in my laundry room is a chalkboard I made from an old window. 


A few houses back (we have moved a few times) a friend of ours came for dinner and brought me that window. I love old windows and doors. He was working for a construction firm in downtown Vancouver that renovated old homes. He saved this one from the dumpster and gave it to me. I was thrilled that he knew I would love that window. For the longest time it hung in my dining room. 

When we moved to Virginia we promised our girls that they could each have their own room. After we arrived I got busy painting and fixing up their rooms. Our youngest wanted a chalkboard in her room.  Being a magazine junkie I have a stash of articles of projects I like or inspirational rooms. I came across this one from a Better Homes and Gardens publication and a lightbulb went off. I also discovered that Gina from The Shabby Chic cottage painted one as well, you can check it our here.

Unfortunately I painted this window in my pre-blogging days and I don't have any before photos.

I didn't do anything to the window frame itself. I just taped around each pane and then painted chalkboard paint right onto the glass. Easy, easy, easy. 

After moving into our current home, our youngest daughter announced she didn't want that chalkboard so I decided to hang it in the laundry room. The kids write messages on it for me which make my day.

Linking to:
Make It Monday at Cottage Instincts
*edited June 5: SNS@Funky Junk Interiors

Rubbermaid Bins Get a Makeover~

My laundry room is not only a place where LOADS of laundry get cleaned but a room where I store craft supplies, sewing materials, etc. For storage I use Rubbermaid bins. I love Rubbermaid bins of all shapes and sizes, they are all over my house. We have moved so many times that a majority of our items that belong in the crawl space or basement are stored in them. The movers enjoy it because they have less boxes to pack and unpack! 

In the laundry room I had a collection of mismatched clear Rubbermaid bins but wanted to unify them. First I switched out the lids to white using other bins that are in various closets throughout the house. As I was rummaging through my paint collection I remembered my pint of chalkboard paint. Why not paint chalkboard labels onto the bins? I had attempted to paint some here, when I thought I could replicate a Martha project. If you look closely at my laundry room photos you will see I spray painted over that. 

First I taped off rectangles onto the bins. Using a disposable foam roller I painted an oil-based chalkboard paint over my marked area. I had to paint about three coats to cover the plastic. After letting it dry for 24 hours they were ready to be used. 

I am not sure if this would work with latex paints, it might not adhere to the plastic. I know Rustoleum carries a spray-on plastic primer that would then make the plastic surface accept latex paint.  I considered using that for the lids and spray painting them black but the weather turned on me and I didn't feel like waiting for a sunny day.  

Later this week I will share:

How to turn a window into a chalkboard
How to make a faux roman blind
How to make an ironing board cover
The story behind the license plate (someone asked!)


Linking to:
DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land
Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk
Make it Monday at Cottage Instincts
* edited Feb 26 :Frugal Friday at the Shabby Nest

Sneak Peak: Laundry Room~

I have finished painting the laundry room and am waiting for a free day to hop over to Ikea. I have been looking for some fabric to make a faux Roman blind for the window and re-cover the ironing board. I know they have some great black and white graphic prints that are inexpensive that I think would really spice up the room. Since I am renting I can't do anything too drastic and am trying to work with what I already have.  I am trying to re-do this laundry room for very little. So far I spent nothing. Here is a sneak peak....