Kitchen Message Center

Well, I found my digital camera and finally downloaded all of the pictures from it! So I finally have some progress/project pictures to share!

First project that I'd like to share is based off of a pin on Pinterest, of course! Chuck and I both have a bad habit of leaving our keys wherever they land when we get home, and then not being able to find them. I'm also a "list" person and seem to have them all over the place, and of course, Chuck disregards them. My solution? A "message center" for our kitchen.

My initial inspiration comes from Etsy seller "TheDoorStop":

(this is made from an old cabinet door!)

And also from Pottery Barn:

I love the wall pockets, the hooks, and the organization, and I hate that our kitchen counters (and junk drawer) fill up with junk we bring home with us everyday. Drives me bonkers!

So, after consulting with Chuck, I made a trip to Crazy Scotty's (yes, that's the name!), a discount building supplies store in Marysville that I had no idea even existed. They sell unfinished cabinet doors of every size for $10. Score!

I forgot to take a picture before I went crazy with painting, but here's the back of the cabinet - unfinished. I wanted plain and simple, with the most space for writing on the chalkboard.

I gave the cabinet a light sand, and then 2 light coats of black Krylon "Dual" (with primer) satin spray paint. I didn't want it glossy, and the satin has just enough sheen.

After letting it all dry for a day, I then taped off the edges with blue painter's tape, and used Rust-Oleum's Chalkboard spray paint that I found at Home Depot (I think it was less than $5/can). There is also regular chalkboard paint sold at Lowes, but it's $$ and I'm all about the ease of spray paint (which I couldn't find at Lowes, btw).

I gave it a few light coats per the directions and let it dry overnight.

Before actually writing on your newly created chalkboard surface, you're supposed to take a piece of chalk and completely cover the board in chalk, and then erase - prepping the surface. I did this and then tried it out!

We're good to go!

And following the lead of my initial inspiration, I purchased a drawer pull (Lowes) and 2 hooks for our keys (Target of all places!). Chuck attached them for me, and also added hooks to hang it on the wall, and we were in business!

But, I wasn't finished! I wanted a place to store all of our take-out/delivery menus, coupons and stuff we get, and our mail. I found a tutorial to DIY the wooden wall file boxes shown in the Pottery Barn picture above, but wasn't really wanting to get that crazy with it. So I hit up Target, of course, and found this for $10:

(file folders from Staples - $4-5 for 6)

(those are Chuck's keys hanging on the hook!)

So, not quite as fancy-schmancy as my inspiration pictures above, but so far, so good! I think in total I spent $40 on both the chalkboard and the hanging wall file & folders. Not too shabby!