I think chalk in the kitchen or anywhere in your place makes it look messy. Not a good idea....keep it clean!

I have a big chalkboard in my little kitchen too! It's where I jot down thoughts that must be pinned down... sayings that get me through the day, week, month and where my BF leaves funny little notes, it's fun.

I found mine at an antique store a year or two ago for $30. it has to be 50 years old. I'll try to post a picture on my flickr page sometime today.

Mariette Himes Gomez did a cool take on this concept in a kitchen she designed, by including a Cy Twombly painting resembling a chalkboard above the counters on one wall.

And Aero studios here in NYC used to stock various large scale chalkboards (preframed) in some different and interesting colors.

i did this in our kitchen a few years back when i worked at a dot.com where we had floor to ceiling chalkboards in our hallways. Our chalkboard was great for jotting down lists, messages and the best for keeping a weekly calendar of appointments and to-dos.

Our chalkboard is in the dining room.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdeathstar/

It does get messy but that's why god invented Swiffer.

I've seen folks use it on the outsides of their cupboards to show what's stocked within as line drawings. Very, very cool. I use mine for inspirational quotes to keep me motivated. Love this trend!

Gave it up years ago.
LOVED the look.
*Hated* the chalk dust.

I like the look but chalkboard dust is disgusting.

With a toddler in the house, sweeping the kitchen floor 3 times a day is a must, so that makes it for the dust. For design*sponge's DIY contest I made a bottle rack - chalkboard you can see here: http://sol.pupazzo.org/?p=716
It is useful and makes the bottle rack look nice, in my opinion :)

There's "dustless chalk", which I strongly advise using if anyone is doing a kitchen chalkboard, especially if children are around.

Regular chalk particles are known to cause respiratory problems because they're so fine, like talc powder. Studies on school teachers have shown this conclusively.

Also, regular chalk dust gets into electronic equipment (stereos/ computers) and can cause premature failure.

Some links on this:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_dustless_chalk_and_normal_chalk
http://www.wisegeek.com/is-chalk-dust-harmful.htm

Where to buy dustless chalk:
http://www.nextag.com/dustless-chalk/search-html

Looks cute, but ouch! the squeaking!

I purchased the Wallcandy chalkboard "stickers" and I'm happy with their performance and the ease with which they're installed.

Cheers!

I don't think I could handle the chalk dust. Even the dustless chalk I've used generates dust--it's just heavier dust that falls quickly instead of hanging in the air. Alternatively, in college, I used to use dry erase markers on my mirrors, especially during parties for my guests. It still generated some mess, but most of it was caught up in the cloth while cleaning the glass off afterward.

Anyone a teacher here?

I like how it looks, especially on the fridge but it reminds me of the hours I spent in front of it at school... I'd rather leave chalk at school and come home to something else :)

I have a big chalkboard in my dining area. I took a huge gold frame I got for free, popped out the painting and put in a piece of wood I painted with chalkboard paint. I only write on it every now and then for holidays and dinner parties. Right now I have some music lyrics on it.

I think it's great. It shows a lot of personality, and honestly, the dust hasn't been a huge problem for me. It's kind of like those chalkboards restaurants having listing the specials of the day.

I too hate the feel of chalk and the sound it makes on the board. At work, we gave up real chalk a few years ago and switched to chalk ink markers. They are wonderful! The look of white or colored chalk without the yucky texture.

http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=10954

We have two pieces of black slate in our kitchen. I don't have too much of a problem with the dust as I usually use a slightly damp cloth to wipe them clean. The kids use the lower portions a lot, and we keep "to do" list for the house, on top. We salvaged many 8'x4' pieces of thick slate from an old school that was being remodeled.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freakstorm/154572710/in/set-72057594099602513/

Hey guys! New to AT from Canada. Anybody have any idea where to get the frame boxes in the top photo? Other than making them myself i've yet to see them anywhere.

Thanks!