I’ve yearned for a chalkboard wall FOREVER – admiring them in magazines, *pinning* them, and generally salivating anytime I see a gorgeous wall o’ chalk, especially out and about at restaurants, where they’re often oversized and detailed with the most beautiful colors, images, and calligraphy.
My yearning deepened last year when I was homeschooling Mighty O in the Waldorf method, where chalk drawing is a central tool in exploring fairy tales and traditional rhymes with young children. We had so much fun with chalkboard artistry involving gnomes, fairies, golden geese, and so many other magical creatures.
has been the most daunting: how to paint the honey oak cabinets and island AND extensive trim in our kitchen for a more updated style that matches our light-and-white French country-inspired cottage decor. 
It seems too obvious now, but in all my DIY-ing about the house, this quick and easy fireplace update took quite a lot of consideration to figure out. What was it? Painting the old, outdated shiny ’80s brass fireplace door surround – fast, cheap, and looks SO much better!