After hauling the table home, Kate went back to Craigslist and was able to barter a few hours with an electric sander in exchange for meyer lemons from her backyard. Sanding complete, Kate primed then painted the table with two coats of custom mixed gray chalkboard paint. She let the table cure for three days to avoid any scratches to the surface, then set to testing it out. From the look of the dinner party shown in the last image, we'd say it was a smashing success. You can read more about Kate's chalkboard table project (and awesome bartering skills) at her blog, Mi Piace Kate Design.
(Thanks, Kate!)
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That's cool, but I don't want to think about all that chalk dust getting into your food...
You could use those chalkboard pens like they use at coffee shops --- no dust.
I wanted to do this with a Craigslist table when I was first moving into my new apartment, but couldn't find one to fit my space and ended up buying something new that I liked too much to paint. :)
what would be cool is if this was a coffee table and did the same treatment for a kids room.
That's cute, drawing the place mats on.
Great job -- love the way it turned out, and the drawn-on placemats are really sweet. (you could also write people's names on the table, instead of placecards, if you want to go *formal*) ;-)
Cute, but wonder what the spill cleanup process is like, since chalkboard paint is so absorptive.
wouldn't your forearms smudge everything?
I just painted my daughter's old PB Kids desk with chalkboard paint (only the top). Over the years it had become covered with Sharpie and nail polish and all kinds of other marks, and because it looked so bad I allowed her to draw on it intentionally. Now the top is a nice matte black and she is loving being able to write herself messages and then erase them.
maybe a cool idea for a simple office desk... a way to get rid of my overload of post its :)
I don't like this idea. It might work for an art table for kids, but a dining table? Even if chalk dust doesn't get everywhere, your guests will get smudges on their arms/shirts/etc.
I love it. and I would def. recommend chalk markers. They dry better and look less messy than chalk (unless you're into that). Plus, if they get too dried on, Magic Erasure (Mr. Clean product) takes the stuff right off (I know, I work at a coffee shop, and had a few signs get rained on and that stuff dries on to the sign like glue, it's the only thing that works!) I love the idea, and might be trying it myself. What an easy way to fix a blah table.
I think I'd pass on chalking up the table, but I do love the black finish it gives the table.
I -love- this idea. I'd definitely be using the markers though, not plain old chalk.
Something to mull over...
I like the look of the table sans chalk. I really like the combination of the country style table with modern chairs.
restaurants should do that instead of giving out crayons to kids. lol.
I love this! And I would have never thought about this. My intnetion would be to use this in my outside area. More fun that way in my opinion.
I did this about 6 years ago when my daughter was 5. I had a dinning room table that I didn't care too much for and thought it would be great if she could draw on it. CHALKBOARD PAINT to the rescue. It was perfect. She loved it. At the time we used regular old chalk and never had a problem with getting it in the food. When we moved I left it behind for the new renters. Right now we have our front door painted with the chalkboard paint. It looks really cool and it is wonderful for messages.
I don't like chalkboard anything. It just ends up looking messy. Wouldn't your guests end up getting chalk all over themselves?
Although I do LOVE that she traded backyard lemons for a hand sander. Nice barter!!
http://mylittleapartment.blogspot.com/
I have this paint on my fridge, and it cleans up better than you'd expect...including spilled food/etc.
Im sorry but this is ridiculous. It looks great, but it must feel awful. Ewww... (but my boyfriend says: "it's an awesome idea!"...he's younger [i'm a cougar] ).
Source for the chalk markers?
Knowing Kate (as I do) this is just one more of her fantastically fun ideas. She executes everything beautifully and isn't afraid of experimentation. She's inspiring. You should check out her Etsy.com site!
Thanks for all the feedback- I have to say, the table really isn't messy- chalkboard paint isn't the same as the chalkboards you knew in school. It has a fine grit, so the whole table is textured and holds on to the chalk really well, so our arms and plates aren't dusty with chalk. We don't have white dust flying in the air while we eat either, because it actually takes a wet soapy sponge to remove the chalk from the table.
We have yet to experience that awful chalkboard sound- once in a while the chalk squeaks as we write with it... but no nails on a chalkboard here, even with plates and utensils all over the tabletop.
@jennipenni
www.chalkink.com
(Our local Michael's craft shop sells them also.)