I am not a chalkboard fan, but I have messy handwriting and it would always look untidy in my house.

You could do something like this for display

Kitchen Makeover · More Info

I would keep it open & add a large art piece or maybe a gallery wall. I love gallery walls made of black & white canvasses. If you need storage, maybe just s small/thin buffet.

I think I'd do a low bookcase that can store cookbooks and baskets full of toys or art supplies or materials for working on homework at the table. Above that, I'd do a fabric-covered bulletin board or a magnetic board as you'll probably want a place, not the refrigerator, to display artwork and papers done by your little one.

Does your little buddy like to draw a lot yet? I'd skip the chalkboard wall. Unless you use chalboard markers, regular chalk is kinda messy. Above a chair rail would be a perfect spot to display child artwork like this with the Ikea Dignitet

The half wall between the kitchen would be a great spot for a framed out magnetic wall for his letter/number/melissa and doub/etc. magnets. like HERE

No dishes with a young child. I'd do some great art. There isn't room for cabinets. It's too bad island wasn't made a bit larger.

I love your kitchen. So beautiful. Not sure if you have a Homegoods near by but they have very shallow counter height hutches (12" deep). In some really pretty colors and designs. Could you buy 2 and push them together to give the illusion of cabinets? Then you could hang the artwork above on a clothes line like someone pictured above.

I did permanent shallow cabinets like you wanted with some small shelves above and a whiteboard for messages. However I kinda wish I had done 2 moveable pieces of furniture instead.

I have one small hutch type piece from Homegoods and it's great storage for my kids sports water bottles, cereal bowls, plastic cups. My daughter can reach into the kitchen cabs but my son is still too short. This way they can get what they need without asking me and climbing on stools etc.

Beautiful kitchen!

If you can't go deeper for some of the great suggestions above, what about a recessed to the stud cabinet with shelves for cans or spices - or a message center - or both. Before our remodel, we had a wall cabinet like that and it was great - easy to see at a glance what spice you needed.

I have a wall somewhat like yours. I hung several pieces of art. I love the color and interest they give.

gw · More Info

thanks for ideas, keep them coming

I'd do one big piece of artwork. One of my neighbors did that in her kitchen on a similar wall. I've always loved the simplicity of one piece of art and the boldness of the design (hers was a large succulent, IIRC).

Why not a really large piece of really beautiful art? Personally, I have never understood the chalkboard in the kitchen...maybe for kids. I guess in the days of cellphones you could write your lists on it and take a picture of the list before you leave the house but otherwise they're pretty worthless. Also if the only stretch of chairrail in that room is on that wall I would not put it in the room at all.

I went to my local Homegoods, couldn't find a shallow hutch, but I know the store is a hit or miss, I do like the idea of displaying plates/platters on the wall functional and artsy in one,

Pauline, your wall color is beautiful. What manufacturer/color did you use?

I will throw this out though my style is cottage with one foot in shabby chic:)

I have vintage china and a few rose prints (Christie Repasy) on my kitchen wall. You may find a way to do a more beachy / contemporary look with the same idea.

My pics -work in progress: · More Info

How about Pier 1 or Marshalls? The last time I was in HG they had a ton of those shallow cabinets. Pier 1 might have something you can order from their website too.

*edited* I bet wayfair has a good selection too. I searched for entryway furniture 0-12". Here is the link. Tons of choices. In fact the one I bought at HG is listed here.

http://www.wayfair.com/filters/Accent-Cabinets-and-Chests-l157-c504731-P86242~0~12.html?sku_boost_list=HS1345&sortby=85

http://www.pier1.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-pier1_us-Site/default/Product-Variation?pid=PV850-4&dwvar_PV850-4_variationColor=antiqueWhite&Quantity=1#icid=cat_furniture-category_tile_entryway_and_hallway&nav=tile&start=1

the one below is 15" deep. the one I picked up at HG was actually only 10" deep. Perfect for my tight walkway thru my kitchen.

http://www.pier1.com/Plantation-Storage-Cabinet---Antique-White/2785439,default,pd.html?cgid=office-storage#nav=left&start=1&sz=90&showAll=146

Wow! What a lovely space you have. I'd totally put a nice hutch or shelving display on that wall. The first thing that came to my mind was this cabinet from Crate & Barrel. I could have sworn they use to sell it in black too but I only see red on their website. I also like the open hutch/second picture below. Both from C&B...

these 2 are totally catching my eye, I like the closed one a bit better, for dust reasons and the closed is more classier looking I love Crate and Barrel overall

Is your coastal style because you love coastal / island vacations? I ask because if you have a favorite vacation place, it would be cool to have a big map of that area, along with family photos or artwork that goes along with it. I happen to love maps (just bought a huge vintage pull down map), and when my kids were little they enjoyed looking at places where we had been or wanted to go. I also love the picture hanging shown by benje. (FYI that's how I do my holiday cards too, since 98% of my friends do photo cards. I love when there are 100+ cards all hung up where I can see pics of friends and their kids.)

When you look at it straight on, a nice cabinet like above would look great.

HOWEVER……...

When you look from either end of the hall, there is just not enough width between your kitchen table and the wall.

For the pre-school and primary school years, I love the idea of black frames to incorporate your kid's artwork. The kind where you switch out over the years. And trust me - you will be getting a TON of artwork sent home in the next couple of years.

http://www.amazon.com/Lil-Davinci®-Kids-Art-Frames/dp/B004FDG5GQ

I'm also a big fan of a large piece of artwork. Love Chicagoans idea of a map.

Check out Ballard's options:

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/wall-decor/art-by-subject/coastal/?pageSize=0&pageSizeBottom=0#w=*&af=cat3:walldecor_artbysubject_coastal%20cat2:walldecor_artbysubject%20cat1:walldecor%20pagetype:products

I don't know if anyone has brought this up, but you do not have room for anything behind the island seats - except wall art or a chalkboard or similar. Even going into the studs will be iffy - if anyone needs to get something from it and there's someone sitting at the island it will be an issue.

The minimum distance behind seating if there is nothing behind the seats except a wall and only light traffic is 44" - and that's the distance b/w the counter and the wall, not b/w seats. When you start adding cabinets, etc., even shallow ones, you now need at least 54" - and you won't have anywhere near that much. Add to it that it's a busy aisle, and you will need 60". Even with nothing behind the seats but a busy aisle, 48" is pushing it (should be 54" with a busy aisle & nothing behind the seats).

If you put something b/w the studs, just make sure it's not something that people will need to get to very often - then you will probably be OK. Yes, in the infrequent times someone needs to get to whatever is stored in the wall, people will just have to deal with it. It's not something I would expect people to have to deal with frequently, though.

Good luck!

the paint on my walls are from Sherwin Williams

the man at the store said its the most popular grey in their line

you all are so amazing and creative with your ideas

I guess I'm in the minority but I love the chalkboard idea. I guess it depends on how neat/tidy you are, and how much neatness/tidiness matters to you. :-) In our old kitchen we had a large magnetic chalkboard on the wall by the table. I hung a calendar on it, but also wrote out the days of each week and the activities planned for each day. I thought it was very helpful for my children to learn about days/months and also have an idea of what we were doing that week. It was great for hanging a changing display of artwork, or for learning things like our home address when they were in kindergarten: I could write it up on the chalkboard and we'd practice while we were sitting at meals. It was in a prominent place, so I kept it neat.

We don't have space for it in our current kitchen, so it's in a nearby nook where it mostly accumulates flyers from school, but I did buy chalkboard markers and we decorate it for holidays or any time we're having guests.

I'd put beadboard on the bottom half echoing the island. Then up above a gallery wall of photos/kid art/ casual decor.