We've seen them everywhere, from wine bars to glossy decorating magazines: those chalkboard walls that bring in a bit of retro chic and function as a place to make lists, air your daily affirmations or doodle to your heart's content.

Best of all, everything can be erased and made ready for new creations in a matter of seconds.

For adventurous DIYers, getting the chalkboard wall right requires a few lessons in skill, materials and self-control. Husband-and-wife design team Erin and Dan Benedict of Benedict August (www.benedictaugust.com) have aced the application for many clients, with chalkboard walls everywhere from kitchens to nurseries. Here are their rules for taking the trend out of the classroom and into the home:

Raw materials: Rust-Oleum's chalkboard paint from Home Depot works well. It's best to apply with foam rollers; they hold less paint than other rollers but give you a smoother finish.

Keep it clean: Take special care to make sure the wall is smooth. Any divots will collect chalk dust.

Worth the wait: Wait the full four hours between coats, even if paint feels dry to the touch before then. Keep in mind it usually takes four coats of paint to get a really even chalkboard finish.

Let it go: Remember that the wall will never look as black as when you first paint it. Once you start chalking and erasing, it will always have something of a chalky residue, which can look really great.

Insider's tip: After all the coats are dry, "season" the walls with a chalky eraser, and rub it all over the wall to give it as even a look as possible. Then you don't get that look where certain areas are super black, and others are chalkier.

Less is more: Limit chalkboard paint to one to two walls in a room. Any more and it can get too dark.

Contrasting elements: Chalkboard paint is extremely flat, meaning it has no sheen. Play that up by pairing it with furniture or accessories of varying sheens. Any color will pop against the deep charcoal color of chalkboard paint. Putting in high-gloss elements is another great way to manage all of that dark/flat color.