I never imagined painting a wall in our house black, much less doing it at 5 a.m., but that’s exactly what I found myself doing a couple of weeks ago. Here’s what happened.
When our postcard wall went up last week, it meant our much-loved wallflowers above the desk needed to be moved. Some of them stayed, propped on the postcard shelves, but the rest needed a new home.
We decided to relocate the remaining wallflowers to the small section under the office/guest room/playroom’s single large window.
Rather than using the special nails that came with our magnetic wallflower kit — which lock each flower into a single position using magnet-backed pieces that grab onto magnetized nail heads — we wanted to try something different: magnetic paint. We’d been curious about it for years, and this felt like the perfect project to test the rumors: did it really work?
By creating a larger magnetic surface, the wallflowers could be displayed more playfully. Instead of being tied to fixed nail spots, the flowers (and other magnets) could be moved freely into countless arrangements, adding an interactive element to the room. It would also place them within easy reach for Clara as she grows, at a kid-friendly height.
It turns out the rumors were mostly true. The product is marketed as magnetic primer rather than paint. We found a quart of Rust-Oleum Magnetic Latex Primer at Home Depot for about $21, shelved alongside specialty paints like chalkboard or glow-in-the-dark finishes.
Before we left the store we noticed the instructions recommended having the can shaken by the paint department to keep the iron particles from settling. The label also advised applying two or three thin coats rather than one or two thick, gloppy layers for the best magnetic effect. That was useful advice.
In practice, we did even more coats — seven in total — and kept them all very thin to avoid any noticeable ridge where the magnetic primer started or ended. Admittedly, four extra coats were probably overkill, but we were determined to get the best result. I also realized after a few coats that vigorous stirring between each application was recommended, which I hadn’t consistently done. Luckily, the coats dried quickly, so completing the work took an evening, a morning, and one unexpected 5 a.m. painting session after Clara woke us for a surprise feeding.
Did it work? Yes — with some limitations. To test the surface I pressed various sizes of wallflowers to the primed area after each coat. The small pieces stuck almost immediately and held well. Larger, heavier pieces, however, tended to slide down the wall, hit the baseboard, and fall. In short, magnetic primer provides a decent magnetic pull for lightweight items but won’t reliably hold heavier decorations. That’s why a few of the larger wallflowers ended up on the postcard shelves instead — a happy accident that still looks good.
One reassuring discovery: painting over the black magnetic area with our original wall color (Glidden’s Sand White) was simple. It only took two coats of the regular paint to fully cover the dark primer, so there’s no long-term commitment to a black patch if you change your mind. The magnetic attraction did not appear to be affected by the subsequent non-magnetic paint layers.
The product is non-toxic and considered kid-safe when fully dry (as with any paint, it’s unsafe in liquid form and should be kept away from small children until cured). We kept Clara out of the room while the paint dried, with the windows open and a fan running, and we left the room untouched for a few days just to be cautious.
Although we couldn’t get every wallflower to stick, we’re happy with the result. The magnetic area adds a playful, flexible element to the space and will be great for Clara to interact with when she’s older. We’re already thinking about finding lightweight, educational magnets to round out the area — an all-white set of alphabet magnets would be perfect, if anyone knows where to find them.
Have you tried magnetic primer or any of the novelty paints like chalkboard, dry erase, or glow-in-the-dark finishes? We’d love to hear whether they worked for you, how messy they were, and any tips you picked up along the way.
Psst — If you want to follow the entire office/guest bedroom/playroom makeover, check the posts that document the project from the intro to the DIY desk, light fixture, hacked bookcase, and the creation of our postcard art wall.