Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Have It Your Way: Use Paint to Create a Message Board

refrigerator with blackboard paint on the door

Maybe you want a memo board of some sort - a magnetic board, a chalkboard - but you have an unusual sized space, or you want something bigger than the ones readily available.

One option: Use magnetic paint (or magnetic primer paint) to change any surface into a magnetic board. You can also use chalkboard paint, dry erase (whiteboard) paint, or a magnetic/chalkboard paint combination.

Here's some good reading on the subject:

- A picture of an office with a magnetic wall, created using Rust-Oleum's primer; Rust-Oleum also makes chalkboard paint and dry erase paint [via Let's Talk Organizing]

- A discussion about magnetic paint that branches out into the other paint options, and an older post on the same subject

- A whole wall painted with chalkboard paint

- Some ideas on decorating with magnetic paint in the kitchen, in a child's room, etc.

- A wall calendar created with magnetic paint, and another with chalkboard paint

- Chalkboard paint on a refrigerator door (picture above)

- Mural magnets, for both decor and interactive play: underwater sets, flower sets, and individual pieces including an adorable kiwi bird

- Free samples of Magically Magnetic Paint

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is incredible! I am blown away. Unfortunately, my wife would kill me if I opted to do that to any surface in our house. Maybe you could talk to her and convince her to see the reasoning behind it.

Seriously though, I love that!

Anonymous said...

I have never really understood that whole blackboard in the kitchen thing - yes, it's a nice aesthetic, but it's inefficient as the whole list will need transcribing (assuming you leave the house to do the shopping!).

I'm a fan of pencil and paper - pure and simple! I use a magnetic notepad on the fridge that has a pencil on a cord. I love it's simplicity!

Jeri Dansky said...

Lissanne: I think the kitchen blackboard may work better as a message board to other family members than as a place to write a shopping list.

Bunk and Lissanne: Together, your comments illustrate something I say all the time - that the right approach and tools depend so much on the individual. Sometimes I read about an organizing technique or tool and think "I'd never use that," only to find myself suggesting it to a client months later.