How-To Decorate with Paint and Chalk

By Lorin Drinkard

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and put on your painting clothes because this month’s DIY project will help you completely transform the look of a room with a little help from black paint and some chalk. Not chalkboard paint, but chalk and paint. To help us pull off this weekend project, we asked artist and lifestyle consultant Oni “Bella” Kitchens, owner of Joie de Vivre Lifestyles, LLC, to walk us through the steps needed to make it a success.

Before (Courtesy of Oni “Bella” Kitchens"

1. Locate your target.
“Taking a wall in a room, and adding a decorative accent can completely change the look of the room for very little money,” says Kitchens, who created a completely different feel in her bedroom with this very project. “I was reading a blog post one day and I saw a post on chalkboard paint and I thought I would try something similar.”

2. Gather your supplies.
“Just normal painting supplies – drop cloths, painter’s tape, rollers, primer and brushes,” says Kitchens. “The only thing that would be out of the ordinary from a regular painting project would be the chalk.”

3. Sand, tape, prime and paint.
“Whenever you paint a wall, you want to sand away any uneven spots and make sure the surface is smooth and clean,” says Kitchens. “Tape off any areas that you don’t wish to have painted, prime (if necessary) and paint.”

4. Grab the chalk and write away.
“After the paint is completely dry, embellish with the chalk,” says Kitchens. Whether it’s a beloved poem or one of your favorite quotes, use the text to add a whimsical touch to your bedroom, living room or other walls throughout your home.

After (Courtesy of Oni “Bella” Kitchens)

For more about Joie de Vivre Lifestyles, LLC, visit Kitchens’ website at www.myjoyfulllife.com.

Tags: chalk, diy, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, paint