A Bright Idea from IdeaPaint

Chalkboard paint has become something of a phenomenon in the world of design blogs. In fact, it seems like the megablogs Apartment Therapy and Design*Sponge post just about weekly on yet another room featuring a chalkboard wall. And, while I love the idea of writable (and washable!) walls, there are some drawbacks to chalkboard paint (like chalk dust and dark green-black walls) that make it not always desirable or appropriate.

For those looking for a way to create a writable surface without the dark color or the mess, there's a great new alternative out on the market: IdeaPaint, a paint that quickly transforms any smooth surface into a dry-erase board. While IdeaPaint appears to be primarily marketed towards businesses and schools, there are a million applications for the paint in residential use as well. While I can't guarantee that IdeaPaint will be the next big thing in wall treatments, Metropolitan Home's inclusion of IdeaPaint in its annual Design 100 issue makes it a good bet.

Since I'm allergic to chalk dust, I love this as an alternative to chalkboard paint, which is getting a bit overplayed at this point anyway. Although I'm not quite ready to commit an entire wall to my random scribbles, I love the idea of applying IdeaPaint to the surface of an old desk -- it'd be like working on one giant notepad. For a seamless look, I'd take a sample of IdeaPaint to the hardware store and get a customized white (in a semi-gloss to blend in!) to paint the rest of the desk. Very slick.

UPDATE: Beth from Style Redux and Chinoiserie Chic sent over a slew of pictures showing some creative uses of chalkboard paint that could easily be done with IdeaPaint. A few of my favorites include:

Kendell Chalkboard dresser from PB Kids

($299.99, but an easy DIY with some IdeaPaint and an old dresser)

Chalkboard Eggs via This is Glamorous

(The glossy white of the IdeaPaint would mimic a real egg and would let you draw with colorful markers.)

Chalkboard Fridge via The City Sage

So what do you think? Is IdeaPaint a good alternative to chalkboard? If so, how would you use it?