All It Was Chalked Up To Be

One of  the small projects I have been very eager to finish is finally done. I've been wanting to change the cork board in our kitchen into a chalkboard for some time now. It doesn't seem like it would make a big difference, but I think it's an easy way to add a creative touch to a space. I LOVE the idea of a chalkboard wall in the kitchen, or really any room for that matter.

The cork board was where we tacked our take out menu's, random pictures, and cards (a.k.a. clutter). Our hope was that by getting rid of the board we would clear up that space and make it look more sleek, clean, and modern. 

I really liked having another place in the kitchen to put some pictures. So when we were at Home Depot, we decided that we would try out the magnetic primer that was next to the chalkboard paint. But honestly, we didn't know if it would work that well. We've read some mixed reviews on it. So we applied more coats than necessary (seven to be exact... the directions recommend three) and hoped for the best. We were surprised with the primer because 1.) it was SO heavy! It must have been all the metal particles that were mixed in there and  2.) it was black. We were expecting it to be a different color, but since we were painting over it with black chalkboard paint, it didn't make much of a difference.

Finally, we added three coats of the chalkboard paint. I will say that it is important to READ THE DIRECTIONS on this one. Many people say that the chalkboard does not erase well and were disappointed with the results. If you read the back it says to wait three days before writing on the board. It also tells you to prepare the board by rubbing chalk all over the surface and erasing it before the first time you write or draw on it. We waited four days (mostly because we kept forgetting to get chalk) and it worked great!

Check out the difference! Way better than before! Also, the magnetic primer was worth it. I mean, it wont be holding anything heavy (even with strong magnets) but since we were aiming for displaying pictures and removing some clutter, it's great. Oh! And you  might be wondering what we are counting down to? Let's just say Lent is ending soon and so isn't our vegetarian diet.