Dry Erase Project

As many of you know, our house was "flipped" before we bought it by a rather talented couple who remodel houses for a living. Indeed, the transformations our house underwent before we bought it are amazing. Of course, that doesn't mean our house is perfect. Far from it! There are still many details we would like to improve upon, but neither me nor Erik is exactly handy around the house.

And yet....one thing that has always bothered me is our kitchen island. Yes, I love having an island, I love the cabinetry and hardware, and the space for a bar that we will one day utilize. So what am I complaining about? Actually, it's the sides of our island!

For some reason, the sides of our island have always been rather embarrassing to me. The original cheap "wood" panels from the 70's or 80's are still there, and they don't really match the rest of the kitchen. My first solution? Let Ava use them as art boards! For several years now, she's been hanging color pages, drawings, and other artistic endeavors on them with tape. Which was cute, but not necessarily the best solution.

Enter Dry Erase Paint.

Somehow, Ava and I were discussing this issue, how she thinks of the island sides as her art area and how I want something better to display in our kitchen. She has been in my classroom and enjoyed my giant erase board, and suggested she might like something similar. I knew there was chalkboard paint, so I did a bit of research and discovered there was actually something as dry erase board paint! Amazing!

Thus, last Saturday night, after Hudson went to bed, Ava and I tried our hand at sanding, taping, priming, and painting. The result? Success! Have a look at our new dry erase "boards" on the two sides of our kitchen island!

Before and After

Both kids LOVE-LOVE-LOVE these new toys, and they've already spent countless hours working on them. Now, I can cook supper, organize dishes, or even work on the computer while they stay occupied and engaged. Brilliant! Honestly, I cannot believe we didn't think of this before, but I am so happy with the results.