DIY – Chalkboard Paint Addition to My Dining Room / Office

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Colorhouse Chalkboard Can

Remember awhile back when I painted my dining room with vapor-free Colorhouse paint?  Well, Colorhouse also makes chalkboard paint!  I was very excited to try it.  One of the first things I noticed was how easy it was to coordinate colors in the Colorhouse palette.  I decided to paint two chalkboard squares on my dining room/office wall and wanted the look of coordinating colors.  My background paint was Wool .03 and I knew that the chalkboard color I liked would match perfectly because it was Wool .06.

colorhouse paint colors for chalkboard post

 

Here’s the finished chalkboard, what do you think?

Colorhouse Chalkboard Paint DIY Menu du Jour KellysLuckyYou

 

I’m not a handy person or particularly creative, so at first the thought of making a design on my wall was a little intimidating.  But it turned out to be very easy!

Colorhouse Chalkboard Supplies

Supply List

Colorhouse Chalkboard Paint

Ruler with Level

Tape Measure

Pencil

Plastic Card

Painter’s Tape

Stir Stick

Paint Brush

Screwdriver

First, I drew a square, centered horizontally on either side of my dining room window.  There are many different ways to measure, this is the way I did it.  1.  Measure distance from window to wall.  2.  Subtract desired length of chalkboard square.  3.  Divide difference in half to determine distance from wall or window for vertical line.   In my case it was 54 inches from the window to the wall.  I wanted the square to be 24 x 24.  54 minus 24 is 30.  So I knew my line would be 15 inches from the window.  The second vertical line would also be 15 inches from the wall.

Colorhouse Chalkboard Level Closeup

 

To get straight lines, I used a ruler with a built-in level.  Have you ever used a level?  The goal is for the bubble to be in the middle of the two lines.  When the bubble is in the middle of the lines, you are holding the ruler at a straight line.

 

Colorhouse Chalkboard draw linesYou can’t just measure down from the ceiling or up from the floors because they may not be exactly straight, especially in older homes.  With a level, though, you will be able to tell that your line is straight.  I wanted the square to be at eye level, rather than centered vertically, so I just drew my “level line” at the vertical placement that I liked.

Colorhouse Chalkboard Card on Tape

Then I put painter’s tape to outline the square.  I’d read online that you can use a credit card to press down the tape as much as possible for a crisp line and it worked well!

Colorhouse Chalkboard Tape Square with Text

Always stir a can of paint before using, but stir slowly and gently.  You don’t want to add air bubbles.

Colorhouse Chalkboard Can Stir Paint
Colorhouse Chalkboard Paint Brush on Square Tape

With chalkboard paint, the more coats the better and the longer drying time, the better.  You need a minimum of two coats, which is what I did.  The minimum time between painting coats is 8 hours.  So, paint one coat, wait at least 8 hours and paint another coat.  Then let second coat dry at least 48 hours and “season” the paint.  Rub the entire surface with the side of a piece of chalk.  Dry erase and your board is ready to use!  You need to let it dry for at least 7 days before using water to erase.  Patience is key!

Colorhouse Chalkboard Seasoning

Bring out the colored chalk and have some fun!

 

Colorhouse Chalkboard A Fun Way To Keep Track Of My Twitter Parties 2

On the “Menu” board, I used the liquid chalk and on the Twitter Party Board, I used traditional chalk.  I love them both, but they have a very different look.  The chalk markers caution that they are only for non-porous surfaces and that you should test them before using on chalkboard paint.  As I was writing (and making mistakes), it cleaned off very easily with a wet paper towel.  I’ll let it dry and try again and let you know with an update to this post.

Colorhouse Chalkboard Dining Room Wall

Colorhouse Chalkboard Whole Dining Room

Where in your house would you use Colorhouse Chalkboard Paint?

If you are in the Chicago area,

check out the Colorhouse display at the

Naperville Home Depot and

update a room in your home!  

About Colorhouse

With harmonious, artist-crafted color palettes, Colorhouse makes choosing color for your home simple. Colorhouse low odor paints have premium performance and contain no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) no reproductive toxins, no chemical solvents, and no toxic fumes/HAPs-free. From packaging to paint, Colorhouse’ focus is on sustainability. Founded on the premise to create healthier paint and better color, Colorhouse’ sustainable approach has won the respect of designers, architects, homeowners and environmentalists nationwide.

Connect with Colorhouse

Colorhouse Website

Colorhouse at Home Depot

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Colorhouse on Pinterest

Comments

  1. 1

    I love the chalkboard paint, I chose pink & did a section in my daughters room, as a base I used the magnetic paint. She absolutely loves it. I put molding to finish it off.

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