Emily A. Clark

design. simplified.

Our Kitchen: Chalkboard Paint Under the Counter

Since the space under our kitchen bar counter takes heaps of abuse, I decided to paint it with chalkboard paint.

Before:
painting under kitchen counter
After:
chalkboard paint under kitchen counter

It definitely wasn’t the easy afternoon project I had envisioned, but I really like the way it turned out.  But, for those of you considering this, here’s the good, bad and the ugly details of using chalkboard paint under your counter. . .

First off, ignore the mess on the counter.  I know you’re looking at that first, so I thought I would just go ahead and say it :)

I started by using painter’s tape to tape off the trim on both sides and the floor.

I wasn’t even going to use primer but someone told me that chalkboard paint would slide right off of that surface if I didn’t.  I actually rolled on a pretty heavy coat of Zinsser primer, and I think that was a good thing.
No turning back now. . . Primed and ready to paint:
I used some Valspar chalkboard paint that I had left over from another project:

I was planning on slopping on one coat and going about my business, but that didn’t work out.  Here’s the right side with one coat, and the left side after two coats:

Time to take off the tape and admire my work. . . Unfortunately, the two coats of paint and primer decided to come off right along with it in a few places.
I also decided how obviously stupid it looked to leave that one strip of trim unpainted and went back to work covering it up.

 

 

I found the best method for touch-ups was just to take a regular brush and “glob” in places that needed thicker paint to cover.

Two afternoons of work later. . . .
chalkboard paint in kitchen

So, here’s my take on this project.  I like the way it looks and the texture it brings into our semi-uninteresting kitchen.  Some of you had mentioned earlier that you wouldn’t want all of the chalk dust that would come along with it.  Honestly?  I would welcome chalk dust anyday over some of the other nasty stuff I find on our floor (day-old nuggets, chewed-up grapes, smashed cheese. . . the list goes on).  Dust is least of my worries.

And, what do the kids think?  They thought it was novel for the first week or so, and as with most playthings, are pretty much over it now.  I’m still glad I did it, even if it’s just for the way it looks.

painting under kitchen bar counter

 

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Comments

  4. Jennifer says

    What a cool idea! And I’m sure the kids love it! That could probably keep my kids busy for hours (well, minutes at least). :)
    Jen
    Scissors & Spatulas

    Reply

  8. [email protected] says

    The black really makes the white dishes on the opposite side of the room pop.

    When I had my dining room painted black the painter said it was best to let the first coat dry for 24 hours to avoid peeling. That’s what we did, not sure if that applies to chalkboard paint but I thought it was worth mentioning.

    Reply

  19. Megan {Honey We're Home} says

    I think doing the chalkboard wall there was a great idea! I’m so identifying with you about the food on the floor- we have smashed bananas, grapes, pancakes- you name it. I bought a splat mat for under the highchair but I’m forever finding food on the floor. And we only have one kid!

    Reply

  23. H.G. The Countess says

    I think it looks great, and worth it if even just for the design. Have you heard of idea paint? Similar concept but it’s like a white board rather than a chalk board, so no dust. All the rage in NYC right now :)

    Reply

  24. Carmel @ Our Fifth House says

    I think it looks really great against your light colored tile. I’ll bet if you had the primer tinted it wouldn’t have taken as many coats. The chalkboard in my kitchen is pretty much the same for my kids – old news. However, my son likes to do his spelling pre-test on the chalkboard so it’s still useful :)

    Reply

  25. Almost Always says

    it turned out great!
    my daughter has a large dry erase board in our den..she takes to drawing on it in spells…but one thing she loves to do is to draw a picture or “announcement” for every holiday or event…”Happy Easter”…has quickly been replaced with “Happy Mother’s Day!!”…maybe get the kids some colored chalk to spice it up a bit??! :)…we play hangman a lot on our board too!
    xo

    Reply

  27. Caroline Simas says

    Love the chalkboard wall…as you may know, we did one too the hallway coat rack area that leads from the kitchen to my art studio and then onto the back patio. It’s a high traffic area and gets a lot of use. Grocery wish list, scripture for the week, messages and love notes and art by the kids. Such fun…messy but fun!
    Here’s a link to our chalkboard wall http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6106592473454802238&postID=2414247470388310258 and again here for sight word practice. http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6106592473454802238&postID=1957073207166870280

    Reply

  38. Nikki says

    Hi! Just a quick note about the chalk… you can buy “dustless” chalk if the regular stuff is too messy. I love the chalk board under there – it looks great! Especially love the vegy message…

    Reply

  42. Lara says

    I love the chalkboard paint! I also love the plates on your wall. Do you have any suggestions on decorating with plates?

    Reply

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