Chalkboard paint – not just for kids

At the moment we are all looking for ways to decorate our homes without spending a lot of money. One of my favorite ways to do this is with a can of black chalkboard paint. 

The coverage is far superior than normal paint and the finished look is that of old cast iron. Over the years I have used it many times in my home and no-one realizes that it is paint, let alone chalkboard paint. 

The most successful way to use it is on brass accessories. Over time these can become outdated, and we get tired of their perpetual  ”shininess”.

The first thing I painted was the stand for my floor lamp. I did not sand or prime it and within 10 minutes  the traditional lacquered brass suddenly looked modern and sophisticated. Once I changed the cream-colored shade, it looked like a new lamp for less than twenty dollars (see picture).

With can in hand I then moved onto my chandelier. Being a tad lazy I decided not to take it down. I used painters tape to attach newspaper to the ceiling, about 3 feet in diameter around the chandelier (a bit dodgy as the newsprint may rub off on the ceiling, but it didn’t). I also removed the lightbulbs and covered the bulb outlets with a piece of tape. Once the prep was done I just sprayed the entire thing with the black chalkboard paint. It didn’t even look like the same fixture.

 I started looking for more things to paint….