We hosted a birthday party the other night.
I had planned to bake — ok, fine- heat up a frozen — blackberry cobbler, but we kicked our nasty, old, malfunctioning stove to the curb when we had the new flooring installed in the kitchen. And since a new stove isn’t quite in the budget yet, I opted for a store-bought birthday cake instead. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and boy did our niece and nephew (Lee Ann and Benton) get a good giggle out of everyone’s blue-stained teeth.
The week before the party, I made it my goal to finish up a big project on the right side of the kitchen.
I started by patching the drywall that got damaged when Kevin pulled the beadboard paneling off…
I got some DryDex spackling paste from True Value, and used a putty or “drywall knife” to fill in the damaged parts. I love using DryDex because it goes on pink, and shows you when it’s dry by turning white! After that, I used a medium-grit “Wall Sand” sanding sponge to smooth everything out.
Then, after I vacuumed up 18 lbs. of spackle dust, I broke out a fresh roller head and painted on a wall full of chalkboard black paint…
After that, the cabinets we salvaged from our guest bathroom came back into the room, and the heaviest-butcherblock-countertop-in-the-world (Ikea) got flipped over and stained “Special Walnut“. After that, the chalkboard wall got outfitted with some stainless steel shelves (Ikea).
Later that night, the kids and I had fun breaking it in.
Lee Ann and I drew balloons and birthday banners…
…and Benton taught me all about the wild world of Mario…
(Who knew a “toad” didn’t actually look like a “toad”?)
Nothin’ like bonding, blackboards, and birthday cake.
Ooh- and paper plates and plasticware. I enjoy those a lot, too.
This post is a part of our True Value DIY Blog Squad series!
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Disclaimer: We were selected by True Value to work on the DIY Blog Squad and have been compensated for our time commitment to True Value-related blog posts. We’ve also been given a gift card to purchase the materials needed for our True Value-related projects, however, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive reviews. Boom!
Love it! It looks fabulous as always!!! Looking forward to more pictures when the kitchen is all done. You and Kev inspire me to do more with my home.
OMG! What a great idea! I love this! I’m such a chalkboard fan and this tops them all! Awesome!
oh i want this so bad…but i was always sneezing around chalk when i was a kid. i guess i could get some of those chalk markers……hmmmmmm which wall??! love it!
Oooo, just noticed that dark counter top – LOVE!!!
Looks awesome! Great job and how fun!!
I love the stained butcher block. It’s so completely gorgeous and especially against the blackboard paint.
This is BEAUTIFUL! I love your style and your work is AMAZING! Thanks for being a great inspiration to us all 🙂 May I blog about this on my blog? I will make sure to link back to you!
WIDLOVE,
SP
I love a great chalkboard wall! I have always wanted to do this. Lucky you! It turned out great!
Ooh I really love this! I also love the counters, oh how I wish I wasn’t renting…I’d love to do something similar.
LOVE! I stained an island butcher top with Dark Walnut this year…. Love it. I sealed it with a water based poly and so far it’s held up fantastically! (even for vigorous scrubbing after I sprayed it with adhesive!)
Is that wall textured?? How does having textured walls work with chalkboard paint???? i love this!!!
You can”t go wrong with a chalkboard wall! It looks great. The possibilities are endless.
Cannot wait to see a kitchen reveal when you have it finished. I admired all the previous versions anyway so this one has got to be good. Oh, the anticipation…
The chalkboard wall looks awesome!! I’m so envious that you have the space to do that! And I’m the lovin’ the dark stain on the butcher block too!
Woooh i love it <3
I would LOVE to know what your countertops are made out of/where you got them, THANKS!!! Also, are your cabinets a revamp or new inside and out? [email protected]
Oh i just missed where you wrote—Ikea, right? Looks like you have something different in the rest of the kitchen. What would be your thoughts on having the butcher block over the entire countertop in a kitchen?
Oh I LOVE this. Love love love! What fun my little girlies and I would have in the kitchen while we cook. You did such a great job!
LOVING your blog…nothing like re-inventing, repurposing and Ikea. Your bathrm looks awesome and the wall in the kitchen?
I N G E N I O U S Can u come over and play at my house?
wowwwww that looks amazing! would love to see a shot of the wall like the one you took while you were painting…ive been debating painting one of the walls in my kitchen the same way but i dont know how well all that black would go in the tiny room.
Wow – this looks amazing. I hope your TV pilot is such a success that you go international cos I really need your help with my home!
Your blackboard wall looks great x
Everything about that wall is great. I love the shelving and the butchers block. Great job. Even your drawings are perfect. I’m really impressed that not even a black wall darkens your style at all. I need to look into that one. Great job, once agaiin!
Looks so updated and fun!
Oh my goodness, I love it! I’m always a fan of blackboard walls, but I love how it looks against the butcher’s block counters and the stainless shelves – amazing! I would totally do something like this in my own house if it weren’t for the fact that I’m awful at drawing with chalk, so it would always look ridiculous!
Thank you Amanda! 😀
You could always use white vinyl wall decals to put phrases and designs on yours! 😉
Wow I love that chalk board wall! Great job. Could we have more pictures please?
Sure thing, Samantha! Just a soon as we’ve got everything all trimmed out! 😉
That is spectacular! I love every inch of it! t. xoxo
Looks great!!!
Oh this is amazing! You are my hero. We just bought our first home and I LOVE seeing ideas/projects like this. Thank you!
LOVE IT! Those stainless shelves look great against the black wall. I also love how you’ve accessorized the shelves. Nice work you two!
This makes me want to paint some walls black (with chalkboard paint of course). The kiddos (even the big man one – aka: husband) would love this.
LOOOOVVVVEEE it!!!
What stain did you use for the butcher block countertop? It needs to be food grade and I have not yet found one. We are thinking of the Ikea top for our kitchen. Is it working out well for you so far?
Hey Jessica! We used Minwax Special Walnut-colored stain from True Value. We didn’t really care if ours was food grade because we’re not going to use ours to cut food on. It’s more of a serving counter surface. Think: pizza boxes, plasticware and paper plates- LOL! I’m not sure what you’d use if you wanted to cut on it. ?
Mineral oil is what ikea recommends because the wood looks so beautiful on its own but we did the butchee block in the country living room with a white wash on the oak.
You can use any stain and use Waterlox over it and it is extremely durable and food safe, which is what we used on ours. Here’s a link to the waterlox http://www.waterlox.com/project-help/faqShow.aspx?type=Countertops&faqid=56
I love the chalkboard wall Layla. Looks great and a fun place for you to express your endless creativity.
I’m confused! I thought you scored a great stainless range on craigs list not long ago? Am I losing it (again!!) The wall looks great!!
Hey Cyndi! That was our refrigerator! 😀
Oh you gotta show us a pic of the whole wall! Also, are those really your painting clothes??? Really???
Yep! They were that day anyway! 😀
Looks great! Lovin’ the stainless shelves too!
Love the color of the wood with the stainless steel!
Oh my! I absolutely LOVE this! And I LOVE those shelves from IKEA!!!
It’s funny, because I’m breaking out the ‘ol chalkboard paint today and sprucing up a nasty old hollow core door in my dining room! Wish me luck!
😉
Thank you and good luck, Mary! 😀
Looks fantastic. We’re big fans of Ikea and special walnut in our house, too! Love what you’re doing!
Love it, love it, love it! Trying to figure out where I can put a large chalkboard wall in my house now too…you are awesome with all of your handiness ( is that a word?) and great ideas! Thanks
Thanks Kathleen! 😀
Love it! I have a bit of an addiction to chalkboard paint… You can see it on my blog in SEVERAL areas. This looks great!!!
Oh man, that black is fantastic in there!!! Just adore it Lay!!!!
What a fun wall! It’s all looking great! You have some good little artists visiting!
What a great ideal..and looks great too…Hey I, saw you on the 700 club today…you did a great job you go girl 😉
Thank you Pam! 😀
That’s hilarious! I just painted an entire wall in my very small kitchen/dining room last night. This morning I’m looking at it thinking wow that’s dark lol It’ll grow on me though 🙂 Yours looks great!
Thanks, Kim! 😀
I love the chalkboard wall, and how the lovely white and green items pop against it!
LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! It’s perfect! I so wish that we could do a chalkboard wall but our walls are so heavily textured (not a fan) that we would never be able to write on them. I guess I could scrape it off buuuuuuttttt………too much work! 🙂
I love the butcher block.
I told my kids this a.m. —- “does it get any better than blackboard paint and IKEA? Only if raw oysters are thrown in”. Love the new wall. I have been wanting to paint a wall with bbp, forever!!!!! My husband is fighting me all the way! Can’t wait to show him your results!!!!!!!
Layla……..what do you suggest of you have textured walls???? Just go for it, anyway?
Thanks so much! 😀
I don’t know how it would work on textured walls. ? You could always give it a whirl and paint over it if you don’t like it! 😀
Love it! Seems like you have some good light in there, too, so it helps offset the dark wall. So much fun could be had with that wall! Colored chalk, seasonal drawings, notes to each other…..so fun!
Thanks, Kim! It’s actually pretty dark in there- but we’re hoping to put in a wall full of windows opposite the chalkboard, soon! 😀
LOVE the options you mentioned, too. FUN STUFF!
Oh that’s right, I remember now how you’ve mentioned putting in that wall of windows. DEFINITELY!! Can never have too many windows (so long as someone is willing to clean them;)
Love it, looks very similar to Lauren’s (Pure Style Home) kitchen….both of you have AWESOME taste! Curious what where in the house is the “Mario” wall? It looks like its in a little nook but wondering where..can’t wait to see the kitchen reveal! 😉
Turned out great as usual. What a fun wall to unleash everyone’s creativity!
So much fun! Layla your chalkboard wall and shelves look FABULOUS!
oxox
Jennifer