DIY Checkerboard Chalkboard Wall Update + Friday Favorites

I went to a book signing/discussion at Terrain the other night for the new Remodelista book, The Organized Home.  I was chatting with Catherine who works in the corporate offices of Terrain in Philadelphia.  The diy checkerboard chalkboard wall  that I did last Winter came up in our conversation.  I was explaining what I learned about the difference in chalkboard paints and it occurred to me that I should update the post with this valuable information.When I first painted a wall in our kitchen with chalkboard paint I used the typical chalkboard paint that’s widely available.  It’s pretty inexpensive and still good for some projects, but if you are painting a wall, I would definitely suggest using Benjamin Moore Chalkboard paint. Any color can be made in to chalkboard paint. When we created our checkerboard chalkboard wall we used four shades of black/gray that we simply chose from the BM paint strips.  Since we already had a chalk board wall, we simply painted the squares onto the existing black chalkboard paint.  To the left of the grid which is a calendar the paint is the original chalkboard paint.  The difference is once you use the chalkboard and go to erase the chalk.  The original paint leaves a messy look that cannot be cleaned off. No cleansers, soap and water will remove the chalk completely taking it back to its original flat black. I tried to be okay with this, but really it kind of drove me crazy.  Sometimes I would repaint the entire wall before a dinner party.  Who needs that on their list when planning a party?  Once I started using the new checkerboard chalk board calendar, I realized I could use a wet sponge to remove the chalk and then dry with a cloth and it went back to looking like we just painted it.You can see the original paint to the left of the calendar where it looks messy. This used to be the entire wall.  Now I can just wash off the squares and start fresh each month.  It looks so much better and when I’m expecting a friend to stop over I don’t have to paint a wall!  Because who has time for that?

And here’s our Friday Favorites besides Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint!

The Organized Home is the newest book by the Remodelista team.  I enjoyed hearing the writers talk about the book.  They take a very thoughtful approach to organizing your home which is good for all.  There was a lot of talk about reducing the amount of plastic in our homes.  I’ve been trying to really pay attention to this over the last few years and love all the products from Anchor Hocking.

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels!

xo annie