The white cabinet I bought to use as my daughter's wardrobe was designated as our new home office space upon arrival at our new house. However, it worked more as a dumping ground for any paper, receipt, battery, light bulb, and writing utensil brought home. Things teetered dangerously on odd edges after being shoved in and forgotten. If ever we actually needed to print something out or send a letter we'd have to pull things out onto the table first. It was a vicous cycle of moving piles that only grew with time. Exhibit A below after a slight purge in order to reach the printer.
I knew it was going to take some serious motivation to want to clean out and organize this mess so when Benjamin Moore contacted me to test their new chalkboard paint in the color of my choice I immediately agreed. Sometimes all I need is a deadline and things start happening around here.
They sent over a can in Seagrove as well as all of the supplies to get my paint on. My first step was to pull everything out onto our dining table and figure out what needed to be moved to another location, utilized in the office space, and thrown away or donated. Then I wiped down my cabinets and doors and prepped to paint. I taped off the inside panels of three of my cabinet doors and followed the directions on my paint can. I already had white paint from the last makeover on my doors so I lightly sanded those down and then added two coats of my Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint.
After figuring out how our new space would be used I brought in and arranged supplies accordingly. With a little more chalkboard paint on some display items everything shaped up nicely and is ready for everyone to enjoy.
The top doors are for the taller people in this house. This panel is for lists, project ideas, or reminders. I also added twine to hold the last rolls of washi tape that I use for art journaling. I think it's time to order more!
This door had been in use for a few weeks to hold photos, a calendar, and project lists. It's officially become an inspiration board that will soon be full of fall trends and found papers. The chalk holder is a vintage match stick holder that I had previously painted black (and used to store pencils) but with a little chalkboard paint on the front I can doodle away. It now holds our chalk and adds a nice touch of color.
Inside I used a wooden crate to create a shelf for paper storage and to contain notebooks, writing utensils, etc. An old cracker tin got three coats of chalkboard paint and is now being used to store envelopes. I clipped stamps to the edge and have a jar of sharpened pencils so there's a better chance we won't need to go hunting when the urge to write a letter strikes.
I've been collecting old staplers for a few years but recently came across a beautiful yellow one in great condition so it's found a place next to the rest of the office supplies. Magazine holders from the Target dollar section contain magazine issues, notebooks, ledgers, and packs of graph paper. A tin from JoAnn's that I've had for years holds colored pencils, hole punches, and a sharpie or two.
This clipboard used to be covered in black chalkboard paint but two coats of my new Benjamin Moore paint in Seagrove brightened things up nicely. It's being used as a photo strip display for now.
I purchased this old tool box on Etsy a few years ago with the intention of storing paintbrushes but it's finally found it's calling as a metallic display board. I love the two tones of yellow together and the texture and interest it's shape brings to the space.
An old contact pad has been repurposed into a note pad with a little chalkboard paint. I just taped off the edge with the alphabet and carefully added three thin coats. It went on well and helped transform something unusual into something that fits into this space cohesively.
The top shelf has various containers full of rubber bands, fancy markers, math flash cards, etc. I've used my Catherine Holm bowl to contain the growing Instax photos. The single slide out card catalog holds important documents should we ever have to grab and go in case of a fire.
The bottom half wasn't as bad as the top but only because there wasn't more shelving. I cleared most of the extra stuff out save the file cabinet, plastic bin, and white poster paper.
Now we use the top filing cabinet drawer for Army paperwork and the bottom for family. Vet paperwork, car tag info, shot records, school certificates, etc. go in there. The shredder is hiding behind the filing cabinet nicely with a hole in the bottom corner for the cord to thread through, the plastic bin is shredding dumping grounds, the poster paper has been carefully rolled, and there's a caddy with water colors, crayons, and little notebooks within reach so the kids can get them out on their own. They've also been given permission to chalk away on their own doors!
One of the things I first noticed about this paint was there is no fumey smell! Since this was an indoor project I expected to have to keep the windows open as I worked but was pleasantly surprised at it's lack of odor. It rolled on nicely and has been easy to draw on and erase.
One thing I do suggest as you think about your paint color is how your chalk color will contrast with it. We used standard white chalk from Crayola to start out and it worked nicely but didn't show up well in photos because it was so light. Then I used some colored sidewalk chalk in pink and orange and it also worked well but was still too light for photos. I finally found something dark enough after a visit to our local Hobby Lobby and also picked up some chalkboard markers that a lot of restaurants use and those went on so smoothly. We now have a variety of colors that work well on our new doors.
I'm really happy with the end result and thankful that I got to try out the new chalkboard paint by Benjamin Moore. I chose this color knowing it would compliment our house colors well and rather enjoyed not having to try and make my own as I'm not sure it would've turned out this nicely.
There are so many uses for chalkboard paint to be found online. I love that it invites creativity but is also so useful, too.
Have you ever used chalkboard paint in your home?
-Rachel
