Refrigerator Command Center
I am an organization freak, and I cannot stand it when things are out of place. I need a space where all of our daily things are organized and easily accessible. Enter the command center. I wanted ours to be in the kitchen because that's the first room we enter upon coming in from the garage (except for the laundry room, but who wants to spend a ton of time in the laundry room) and it's the room where we spend most of our time.
The only area that seemed to work for the command center was the side of our refrigerator. Our fridge is not built into the cabinets so the ugly side is exposed, and it's pretty much the first thing you see when you walk in the garage door. So the first step was to "prettify" the side of our refrigerator. I decided to use chalkboard paint. It is probably the easiest paint job I've ever done. First, I cleaned the side. Then, I gave it a very quick and light sanding to rough up the surface so the paint would adhere. I wiped off the sawdust, and that was it for prep work. Took me maybe 10 minutes.
I just used a 6" roller to roll on the chalkboard paint. I didn't need the edges to look perfect because I knew I would be adding a wood frame so I didn't even have to use a brush. It took maybe 10 minutes to do the first coat.
I did a total of 4 coats of chalkboard paint, but I probably could have gotten away with just 3 coats.
I used 1x2's for the frame. I measured the length and width and used my miter saw to cut 45 degree angles. A tip to make sure your mitered angles match perfectly: cut the 2 opposite side at the same time. I stacked the boards on top of each other and cut them at the same time so they were guaranteed to be the same length. I stained the boards with Old Barn Milk Paint stain in Weathered.
I didn't want the frame to be permanently attached to the fridge, in case I need to remove it for whatever reason. I used strong neodymium magnets instead (you can buy them here). I used a Forstener bit to drill holes the same thickness as the magnets. I drilled 3 holes on each long side and 2 holes on each short side. I used E6000 glue to attach the magnets to the frame.
Now the frame is removable but also sits flush on the fridge. Now it was time to add what I needed for the command center.
Whenever I'm working on a project like this, I like to take notes in an old school composition book. I started by listing out what I think I wanted to include in the command center. I listed out the materials I would need, and I drew a sketch of what I wanted it to look like. I ended up changing things a bit for the final product, but it gives me an image to work toward.
Obviously, the top priority was the calendar. I'm a bit of weirdo when it comes to customizing things in my life, so I created a calendar on Shutterfly using my vintage truck with its seasonal packages and my one word monthly resolutions with inspirational quotes that go with that month's word. I used different colored pens for each person in the family, and I keep the pens in a mason jar that is attached to the fridge with another neodymium magnet. I created customizable magnetic notepads on Vista Print (I told you I had a problem) for my weekly dinner menu and my daily chores. Each pad comes with 50 sheets so they will last me nearly the entire year.
I wanted a space to keep mail and coupons so I used a galvanized envelope I got from Target a long time ago (also attached with neodymium magnets). I used these magnetic hooks for holding keys and the kids' backpacks.
And, that's it. We have a central location to keep track of all our important stuff. Of course, my husband never actually looks at the calendar, but that's okay.
