Our Kitchen Before
We had a corner in our kitchen that felt very unloved. It didn’t really have a purpose and as a result it became a bit of a dumping ground. I have been looking at putting up a noticeboard for a-g-e-s. You can read that post here. The arrival of Spring was the push I needed to finally sort out our kitchen. It was such a bland wall and corner and I really wanted to give it some interest.
As you can see it was a very boring white wall. Hardly very inspiring to look at when you are cooking the dinner or emptying the dishwasher. In fact I would go as far to say that I hated those walls. Well that is my excuse for not spending very much time in the kitchen over Easter ;-). Going back to my pinterest board I realised that chalk boards were the boards that I seemed to like the most. After much investigation I decided that the most cost-effective and practical board would be a paint on one.
After
After much research we bought the Rust-oleum magnetic chalkboard paint. I went for magnetic because it will allow me to stick up the many letters we get from school for Oldest. It will also give me somewhere to file Youngest’s artwork. It cost £12 from B&Q so it was a far cheaper alternative to buying a board.
We only needed one tin and it took 2 coats. It was really easy to paint on and it dried quickly.
Doesn’t it look great! I was worried that it might make our kitchen feel gloomy as our kitchen doesn’t get much natural light. However, it hasn’t made it any darker and if anything it has created a practical space out of what was a bit of a ‘nothing’ wall. I have tried writing on it in chalk and it works really well and the chalk also wipes off really easily.
We then wanted to add some interest to the neighbouring wall so we put up these funky box shelves. Again these are from B&Q and cost £13 for three. It has now created a lovely feature wall.
Eventually I would like to buy some trinkets for the two lower shelves, although I think they are still looking pretty good as they are. On the top shelf you can see three milk bottle type vases which are holding my daffodils. I purchased these from Waitrose for about £7. I think they are really lovely and look great in the shelf bringing a touch of colour to the wall.
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The shelves are a great way of adding interest to a room and displaying some of your favourite objects. I now have somewhere for my Cath Kidston egg cups. I am also a big fan of motivational quotes. These postcards are from Paperchase.
It also means that we can put money boxes up out of reach from little hands! We then had a general declutter of surfaces and it is amazing what a big difference it has made to the kitchen. We now feel that we have a space that has a purpose and personality. We couldn’t be happier with it and we did it all for under £30.
Sometimes it is the small changes that make all the difference, don’t you agree?
What changes have you made to your house recently?
I’ve always loved a chalkboard wall in a kitchen for families – it’s such a lovely and practical idea. And a nice bonus that it’s magnetic too! I adore your little white dogs too – they’re so cute! #HomeEtc
Thanks I love my dog egg cups, although me and the girls often argue over who gets the dogs as there only two of them and three of us. Being the selfless Mum I sometimes sacrifice my boiled egg in the dog cup 😉 x
Ohh what sort of things are you going to write on there? It would be so handy for shopping lists.
#HomeEct
I have been writing my shopping lists on there, it has been ace 🙂
You’ve made a great difference. Magnetic chalk paint is a very clever idea and saves having to have 2 separate boards. You’ve done a fab job at a great budget. It really is the small changes that make the biggest difference.
Thanks. We are really happy with it 🙂
Ooh I love it well done, I agree it is always the little things, the finishing touches that make such a difference x
Thank you, we are really happy with it 🙂 x
I am so intrigued by chalkboard paint, we haven’t yet had the chance to use it, but it really has made that corner look a whole lot nicer, I love the little box shelves too. x
Thanks. I have to say I love the paint. I think I might use chalk paint to update the girl’s bedroom furniture next! 🙂
Oh I love this, it looks great. You just can’t beat little shelves for knick knacks, I think they really make a room. We have similar shelves in our lounge and I love putting little bits and pieces on them. x
I am so happy with them. It has given the kitchen some much needed personality 🙂
The chalkboard paint is a really good price considering it’s magnetic too! It looks great in the wider context of the space with the yellow on the other side 🙂
Thanks 🙂 I have to admit that it doesn’t seem overly magnetic but it is holding a school letter up so it’s doing ok for what we need 🙂
This looks great! We had a chalkboard wall in our old house which I loved for writing up shopping lists and the kids played schools on it too! Miss it now and might need to paint another one somewhere! Love those cube shelves too x
The board is proving so useful for writing shopping lists on that I don’t know how I coped before! 🙂
That looks great and has made the space look so much nicer. We did a similar thing last year – we had a missing kitchen cupboard door, so I bought some wood to create a new door, then painted it with grey chalkboard paint (not magnetic though).
That sounds fab what you did to your kitchen door! I have to say that it is not as magnetic as I would like but it is doing the job 🙂
Looks wonderful, totally transforms that space, what a clever idea! x #HomeEtc
Thank you Molly. We are so happy with the shelves and board, although the shelves are already collecting my husband’s clutter!
That looks great! I quite fancy doing this in my boys’ bedrooms on the chimney breasts. Not sure if I dare though. We have a kitchen chalkboard (we painted a big bit of wood) and it’s been so great over the years. Those little shelves are really great too!
Aaaah I keep meaning to do this to our kitchen cupboard! We have a cupboard in the chimney breast and I keep thinking that a chalkboard would be perfect there!! 🙂 I love the little shelves — so lovely and perfect for showing off your nick-nacks! Thanks so much for linking up with us pet! 🙂 #HomeEtc
Thanks! I think a chalkboard in the chimney breast would be ace. I am loving the board and I don’t how I did without it now. I am always writing things and bits that I need to remember 🙂
Great idea!! I think you’ve made that wall so much more interesting, and handy too! The box shelves are superb 🙂 Thanks for sharing & linking up. Jess xx
#HomeEtc
Thanks, I am loving filling the shelves with little trinkets although oh is trying to fill it up with his junk! 😉
Great transformation – love the chalkboard paint an the funky boxes. Just goes to show it doesn’t take much to give a corner a new look #homeetc
That looks great. I have been toying with the idea of a chalkboard paint wall like that for a while but not sure how it’d look in my kitchen.
The shelves are very original and also look fantastice
#Homeetc
That looks great. I have been toying with the idea of a chalkboard paint wall like that for a while but not sure how it’d look in my kitchen.
The shelves are very original and also look fantastic
#Homeetc