My First Chalkboard

Remember the old mirror I found at the rummage sale over the 4th weekend, for $3? I knew I’d paint it and do something fun with it, so I figured this was finally my chance to do a chalkboard, like I’ve seen ALL over blogland. I think I’m the last one to do this one. I was waiting for the right piece. :)

And this chunky wood shelf with the ugly faux grain laminate was a steal at $2, and I’m so glad I snapped it up. After a coat of black paint, it looks totally different and really a shoe-in for a Ballard’s look-alike shelf. Are you ready to see them finished?

I did a few coats of spray chalkboard paint on this one, then taped off the inside and sprayed the outside with the trusty Heirloom White that is all over blogland too. Great color, by the way! I have a quart of the stuff that I've had for a couple years, but the spray paint really comes in handy for fast projects. And to answer your questions, YES, I did paint right over the mirror with the chalkboard paint. It seems to be holding up fine, so even if you're not supposed to do that, you know I don't follow rules. I did about 3 coats, letting them dry in between. I'm sure it might scratch off if I tried, but it is fine for writing. Tape and newspaper come in handy for masking off areas you don't want to paint.

Used some Kilz on that nasty shelf to make sure the black satin spray paint would stick. Sorry, I missed the other spray steps, but you get the picture. See what I do for you girls?

Here’s the mirror with her fresh coat of white paint. Ahhh, so much better and such a great fit for my kitchen now. Maybe I will now have a place to display a weekly menu for my hubby who has been strongly hinting that I should do some meal planning around our house. Ha! Whatever for?? I actually did write the weekly menu (Monday - Friday) on here this week and he loved it. My man likes to eat and when he's not eating, he likes to read about what we are having for dinner. :)

And the black shelf. I debated on which color I wanted on these and finally came to the conclusion that I needed to mix it up with black and white. How you ask?

Well, here’s my thinking process. I looked over this area and decided that all white would be too much white in one area by my antique cupboard here in the breakfast part of our kitchen.

So, a mix would be better. Black on the shelf and with the chalkboard being black, the best balance in my eye was to do the frame in white and I’m really happy with the way it all looks together. Sort of picks up that black and white zebra runner too.

Now some would think this is all way too much stuff, but you know how I feel about that. I’ll say it again. I’m not a minimalist and I love to layer things. Added more of my green dishes to the black shelf to balance out that side and with the chalkboard underneath, it works for me. I love the trend towards a simple tablescape too, but I also enjoy hanging stuff on the walls. It just makes me happy!

Those are Splenda packets on the bunny dish within grabbing distance for my morning cappuccino.

There’s an old phone jack under the chalkboard that we’re not using, so this was also a good way to cover it up.

I know how we all love a good Before and After project, so there you have it. From shabby to chic! This wall makes me smile.

Kimba's DIY party is also going on, so stop by there for lots more DIY ideas!