http://www.katyshields.com/

scroll down to 2004, and click on the chalkboard bedside table...she was way ahead of the "pack".

I love the ease to unleash your creativiity or the convenicnes of writing messages right on the wall. but I've always wondered about having a chalkboard in the living area. Doesn't all the dust generated from the chalk can lead to lung problem? Let along getting on your hands and feet, floor and funiture? May be if I get one, I will see the advantage will out weight the disadvantages...

My kitchen backsplash is chalkboard paint. We use it to draw pictures, write memos, and generally provide a nice contrast to our rental's white cabinets.

Souk, to answer the dust question, for about $3 I picked up a dustless chalkboard eraser from the stationery store. It does a great job of picking up the chalk dust from my countertop. You just take it outside and smack it on the bricks (just like in 4th grade!) to get the dust out once in a while. Plus, water splashing from the sink (when I wash my hands so as not to get the chalk on the furniture) doesn't damage the finish - it just wipes away with the brush.

I've got a blackboard wall in my kitchen and I love it! My roommates and I can write each other messages and when friends come over they often draw on the board. Its an all around fun thing to have.

To avoid dust, ours is wiped off with a damp rag. This prevents the wall itself from having smears and dust all over it. I clean the whole thing probably twice a month with window cleaner to keep it from looking dinghy.

I do not seem to think this look is all that!!! In fact it looks kind of dated and over.