Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Handbuilt Bedroom, pt. 5: The Chalkboard

I’m back to post another entry in “The Handbuilt Bedroom” series (you can see the last part here).  With a dresser and a bed, my son was ready for something “fun” for his room…and he wanted a chalkboard.

A big one.

Jacob dresser 007

My son’s room is a little awkward, in that there is very little wall space.  There is a window on one wall, with about 3 feet on either side.  Then there are two blank walls, but the fourth wall has a closet and two other doors that fill most every inch.  With the bed on one wall, that left us with about 10 feet of wall on the opposite side of the room.

Initially he wanted the chalkboard to run the full length of the wall.  However, I didn’t just want to use chalkboard paint on the wall because of the orange-peel texture, so I opted to buy a piece of hardboard to get a smoother finish.  I couldn’t figure out how to “seam” the hardboard and still make it look good, so the poor boy had to be satisfied with a chalkboard that is 8 ft long and 3 1/2 feet tall!

bench chalkboard 017

You can see how I marked the studs on pieces of painter’s tape, and then I used small brads to nail the hardboard directly into the wall.

Then I had to trim it.  Since boards come in 8-foot lengths, and my chalkboard was 8-feet long, I couldn’t do nice mitered corners.  Instead I used 1x3 boards along the edges and cut down some 1x4 boards to make some nice corner blocks.  Everything was painted red and glazed with black stain to match the chest of drawers.

Jacob dresser 010

Of course, the most fun thing to do was to “decorate” it for him before he got home!

Jacob dresser 009

“Cubby” (that’s my boy’s nickname, much to his chagrin") loves his chalkboard! 

AND his mommy!

 Winking smile

Jacob dresser 008

 

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Linking up here:

Domestically Speaking Elizabeth & Co.
Primitive & Proper Thrifty Décor Chick
Friday Remodelaholic  
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special The DIY Show Off
Beyond the Picket Fence Coastal Charm
Knick of Time
Mod Vintage Life
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Perfectly Imperfect Sawdust Throwdown
Common Ground My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours All Star Block Party
A Little Knick Knack
The Scoop!
 

14 comments:

Cassie Bustamante said...

that is AWESOME! as in size and coolness!

Mimi@blueroofcabin said...

Very cool! I like how you framed it, great solution!

Susan - Uniquely Yours or Mine said...

What an awesome mom you are! Luckily for your son you're handy too... I love the huge chalkboard!

Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. said...

I love great big chalkboards! This is shaping up to be one really awesome room!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I love it, Korrie! I like how it fits in with the rest of his room colors, too.

Bliss said...

Another winning addition to Cubby's room.
Bliss

Hetty said...

Looks super Korrie! Like it a lot.

Leslie Anne Tarabella said...

A-DOOR-A -BULL!!!! How clever you are and what a lucky little boy you have.
Found you through Coastal Charm, and glad I did.

srpprcrftr said...

Great job Mom, wonderful chalkboard for your son. I'm glad to hear he appreciated your hard work. You sure are a handy gal. Happy Summer

My Repurposed Life said...

LOVE this chalkboard, the corners are the perfect touch!! glad you couldn't miter them. these are great.
love all the doodles too. ;)
definitely catching you this week Korrie!
gail

Rachel said...

Henny Penny has a white board in her room that she absolutely loves and has used for several years. I love the idea!! And I love your messages and I love embarrassing our kids with silly nick names.

SewSweetVIntage said...

LOVE chalk boards and this is a doozy:) New follower. Follow me too at http://www.sewsweetvintage.com/2013/06/handkerchief-party-bunting.html

Laurel Stephens said...

Oh wow, who wouldn't love a chalkboard like this one; it's fabulous! I remember how special it was when the teacher let us draw on the chalkboard. Your son will have so much fun with his. How smart to use corner blocks, and they look great, too.

thegreenworkbench said...

The frame looks great, especially the corner blocks.