Upgrade your home office with a whiteboard wall

A dry erase whiteboard wall is a quick and easy project for your home office.

If, like me, you work from home a good portion of the time, you might be struggling with how to stay organized or brainstorm from your home office. When I do go in, I have a big whiteboard that I love to use for planning and brainstorming. I’m just one of those people who has to write things down in order to think straight!

Over the years, I’ve bought some whiteboards at Target or Staples, but they were never big enough or sturdy enough and they ended up in the Goodwill pile. But when I recently started working from home more often, and I was making some upgrades to my basement home office, I decided to look into making my own whiteboard wall. It turns out, it’s really easy and it has been a total game changer for me.

Table of Contents

• How to make your own whiteboard wall for your home office
• How to remove a whiteboard wall
• What can you use to write on a whiteboard wall
• Making your whiteboard even more versatile

How to make your own whiteboard wall for your home office

I used the Rust-oleum Dry Erase kit, available for about $50 at Walmart. The instructions were clear and it was really quite simple.

First, I cleaned the wall and sanded it lightly. You do want a nice smooth surface to begin with in order to have a smooth whiteboard at the end. I just used a sanding sponge I got in the paint department at Home Depot.

Then, I marked out the space where I wanted the whiteboard using blue painter’s tape. I used a level to make sure it was even on all sides.

Next, I followed the instructions and mixed the two parts of the kit together. One part is the paint, and the other part is the activator. Once you mix them, you have to use it all up within an hour.

Using a paint tray and a foam roller, I smoothly rolled the paint on. You definitely want to use a foam roller or a roller that is made for very smooth surfaces. No nap! After I got paint on the entire surface, I went over it a second time to make sure there was good coverage. Remember, finish it up within the hour.

I did a pretty large area (about 5 feet by 5 feet) and I had some extra leftover, so you can get quite a bit out of one kit.

Next, I let it dry. It said it would be dry to the touch after a few hours, but mine took overnight. Even after it dries, DO NOT WRITE ON IT YET. However, you can take the painter’s tape off at this point. I made a frame out of washi tape. I just stuck it to the wall right on the edge of the whiteboard. You could, of course, make your own wood frame for it as well.

WAIT THREE DAYS before you write on it. That will give it time to set and cure. Then, it’s ready to go!

How to remove a whiteboard wall

I can understand how some of you may be a bit wary to create a whiteboard wall because of its permanence. Persoally, I much prefer the wall to a flimsy whiteboard that wobbles and warps. But if I ever do want to get rid of it, all I have to do is sand it down and repaint.

What can you use to write on a whiteboard wall

Obviously, stick to dry erase markers, NOT sharpies or anything like that. I also did an experiment to see if chalk paint would work. I DO NOT recommend it. I did eventually get it off, but it was touch and go there for a bit. I would only use dry erase markers specifically for use on whiteboards.

To erase, you can just use a paper towel to wipe the marker off. If needed, you can use a spritz of water or a cleaner like Mrs. Meyers spray. I’ve had zero problems getting the marker off, which isn’t something I can say about all whiteboards I’ve used.

Making your whiteboard even more versatile

So, I didn’t do this, though I thought about it. You can actually buy magnetic primer to turn your wall into a magnet. I didn’t really foresee the need for this, but now I do. You can paint your whiteboard area first with the magnetic primer, and then paint the whiteboard paint over it. That way, you can also use your board as a magnetic bulletin board.

Since I didn’t do that, I just stick things up there with washi tape. The tape actually sticks quite well to the whiteboard surface, and then I can post inpsirational images, or whatever, right on my whiteboard.

I really enjoy having the whiteboard. I put my yearly goals on it and then track them by month. If something changes, it’s easy to erase and write something new. I have this set up right by my desk, so I can always glance over and get inspired by my goals, or check my progress.

What do you think? Do you see a whiteboard wall in your future? Let us know in the comments!

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