Let me preface this by saying I thought I was a chalkboard wall pro by now. I’ve had them in my coffee shop, prior apartments, there’s one in my daughter’s room and now this… but we still managed to screw it up at first.

So I’m just going to get right down to what I learned and what we messed up:

• DO NOT use one-year-old chalkboard paint. We ended up having to repaint the whole wall after it dried because it was hazy and uneven.
• You MUST break in the wall after it’s been painted by taking a piece of chalk and rubbing it across the whole wall then wiping it down. Also, monitor your 4-year-old because they will mess it up by scraping the chalk along the brand new paint job. *sigh*

That’s pretty much it. Otherwise it’s fairly easy with a big visual impact.

I used Valspar’s black chalkboard paint from Lowe’s.

Also, as you can see, this wall has lots of imperfections and I am the type of person who does not have the patience to sand those down or wait for my husband to sand them down! So instead, I came up with an idea to decorate around  the imperfections with fun pieces. Here’s the finished product:

It’s really hard to get a good photo of this wall in my kitchen so I apologize. For one, this wall is on a weird angle, the lighting is bad, and the kitchen in general is just ugly right now.

See the kitchen in our “before” photo tour!

I’m hoping to start tackling the kitchen this year, and for now this chalkboard wall was a cheap way to get started.

The best part? Almost every piece on the wall is functional like this Threshold clock from Target.

This cute piece of art also from Target serves a purpose!

This spice rack we had lying around. It was actually counter top style, but we just took the saw to the back of it so it would sit flush against the wall and hang. Bonus– it gives us more counter space now!

This Groceries sign from Michaels was the final touch that I really needed for the space. Best part? I got it for 40% off. Love a deal and I love how it fits in the space!

Finally, we threw up a few hooks to hang items like a potholder and these adorable ceramic measuring spoons. They’re either from Michaels or Giant Eagle. I can’t find them online, but I know they are from one of those two stores. 

A few quick pro tips:

• When writing something that you want to standout- dip the chalk in water before writing. It’ll be darker and last longer!
• Buy a chalk marker for writing lists or for nailing a fancy bistro look

How have you used chalk paint in your 成品人和精品人的区别在哪里? The possibilities are endless! Feel free to share links to your work and ideas below. Or tag me on 乱lun合集(三)!

For more ideas & inspiration- 不戴奶罩的邻居hd中文 now!

It’s been about 9 years since I quit my job in news to open a coffee shop. A lot of people don’t know the backstory, and knowing where I am today it’s funny how fate works out.

I had been living in Grand Rapids from the time I started college in 2004. I had been in a relationship that was messy (and was only going to get messier) and I set out one weekend by myself to Pittsburgh. I had never been, but when I arrived I knew that was where I wanted to move. When I got back to GR, I told a former boss who was a small biz owner and he begged me not to leave. He said he would fund any venture I wanted- so I said, “Let’s open a 24-hour coffee shop.”

But before we could open the doors of course, we had to find a store front.

We rented out two store fronts, tore out the walls in between and opened it up so that there was room for a kitchen, counters & pay area, and a full dining room.

We even had to put a new subfloor throughout because when we pulled up the flooring there was some rotting and the floors were very uneven.

We had to submit plans to the city for a beam to be installed after tearing out so many walls. That was costly!

That’s looking into the kitchen and where the counters would go. That’s also the very costly beam.

Hands down the coolest feature on this old building was the ceiling.

We took the old metal ceilings from a dirty white to silver.

While I wish I had more photos– this was nearly a decade ago. I had no idea I’d be selling the shop (just for one of the new owners to end up in jail- that’ll have to be a future post ), getting back in news, leading me to meet my husband, just to end up in Pittsburgh- the city that sparked it all!

But– that’s a look at how it turned out! We did baby blue walls in the dining area, with cool track lighting and tiger wood flooring from Menards– the same laminate I ended up using in my Michigan basement 一色屋精品视频在线观看.While poor Wired no longer exists, I learned a lot in the process about laws, taxes, but also about myself. I made friendships that still exist today, and it put me on the path that led me to the wonderful, albeit chaotic, life I have today.

And did I mention we also won “Best New Business” in Grand Rapids that year?

My gameface after winning!

Some risks don’t pay off right away, and I’m glad this one didn’t.

Like this?

Check out 5 Things Coffee Shop Owners and Baristas Wish You Knew!

Second Floor:

Here are a few before shots:

I did an awful job taking before photos… but the room was green (the previous owners LOVED green and purple we started to realize) and had carpet and an outdated light fixture.

See our “before” 成品人和精品人的区别在哪里 photo tour!

I decided to go with a blue that helps the room’s seven windows pop. We replaced the light fixture with something a little more farmhouse chic that uses Edison bulbs (be still my heart ).

When we pulled up the carpet, we DID find hardwoods, but I explain in my Pergo Install & Review why we went with the laminate. This is Bainbridge Oak.

Below are a few ways the sunroom has been styled since the makeover:

See more from our Christmas DIY photo shoot!

This Valentine’s decor post actually landed us as a featured photo on Pier 1’s 乱lun合集(三) account!

…and here’s a look at a different angle of the sunroom when I have it set up as a play area for the kids. It’s a great space really for the whole family and a big reason we bought the house.

In the meantime, I still need to figure out what kind of window treatments I want to do! Feel free to leave ideas or links in the comments below, or hit me up on 乱lun合集(三).

Also: Have you seen the 一色屋精品视频在线观看 on that dollhouse?

Products

Light fixture: Portfolio Valdara from Lowe’s