The Original Chalkboard Paint: Slate!

Regina Yunghans
Regina Yunghans
Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and children in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
published Feb 18, 2014
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(Image credit: Kerf Design)

Whether you’re over the chalkboard paint trend or still on board (get it?), consider this: slate! When a trend like chalkboard paint begins to feel as if it’s run its course, we can turn to the source for substance and fresh perspective:

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Via Kerf Design (Image credit: Kerf Design)

Though slate as a building material got its start on roofs (the material’s low absorption rate makes it perfect for shedding water), slate is a wonderful material in the kitchen, too. Whether you’re considering textured slate floor tiles to give traction underfoot or durable and non-porous honed slate countertops, slate is naturally functional and beautiful.

Don’t overlook the material for application on walls, either: when you apply common and not-too-expensive slate tiles (or better yet, scavenged vintage blackboards) to the wall, you achieve the function of chalkboard paint with the variation and materiality found in natural slate. Whereas a chalkboard paint wall doesn’t have much longevity once you’ve outlasted the novelty of writing on it, writing on a slate surface or not is simply icing on the cake!

The examples we’ve pulled together above show slate used as cabinet facing, countertops, and a wall finish. What do you think about the material when it’s the real deal and not just sprayed from a can?

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Inspiring Kitchens