i still really like the chalkboard idea when it's well executed.

Though I love everything else in the room (the mix of steel wall on one side, wood (?) on another, that rug! that ceiling!)... I just don't get the chalkboard wall! It just takes me back to school, when those chalkboards could just never really seem clean, and always just looked dirty to me.

When I was 5 years old I thought it was a good idea to decorate the front door with crayon drawings, so the chalkboard wall has always been an A in my book - who doesn't want to be able to write on the walls and have it be OK?

i like the idea of a chalkboard wall if its executed properly too...and Criv227, depending on the decor of the rest of the room, I actually don't mind the dusty/dirty look of a chalkboard

I just did the chalkboard door in my kitchen this summer and it is a great solution for busy families. I have kids of all ages in my house, as well as a husband, who forgets what I tell them need to be done in the house while I am doing my errands and tasks elsewhere. I just write it all on the board in the morning, they wake up and see it and it gets done! Some days there is a lot of stuff on the board, sometimes nothing - and I always leave space for creative expression...

It bothers me too that you can usually see ghosts of previous notes. One can wash it off with water but now that's just another large surface needing to be washed.

We only had them in elementary school. In HS and now in Uni all my classes use white boards or Smart boards.

I think the best part is that the chalkboard wall is never really clean and you can see ghost of the old notes. It gives it a subtle, mottled look that's more interesting than just flat black. Not that I would ever have this problem, but it keeps the room from being too pristine and perfect.

elissa, i totally agree

chalkboard walls can be both tacky and very awesome depending on the application, IMHO.

I recently did the sliding barn door in my hard loft in chalkboard paint as it sits beside my home office in my hard loft and wanted to add some more visual texture to the otherwise all white walls and vintage furniture.

not only visually interesting but actually very useful (has all my work to dos and weekly calendar updated every two weeks).

I went one step farther though than normal chalkboard paint and wet sanded the wall about 6 times so the actual surface is super smooth like a real slate chalkboard.

next addition I'm planning on the same lines is a cork tile wall. I'm into the 60's office space type feeling as you can see in the pics :)

pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25843617@N00/sets/72157621940502383/

R