Painting Begins

Progress has resumed with a few visits from the painting crew. Their work is an object lesson in the value of painting and the benefit of hiring true professionals to do the work. No, painting isn’t that difficult. But it’s clear that people who do this for a living know what they’re doing.

It’s largely preparation at this point. They’re filling holes, doing patches, caulking and otherwise getting all the surfaces ready to receive the paint. It’s weirdly satisfying to finally see the last vestiges of the previous owner’s marigold paint get covered with primer. It wasn’t my favorite color. I never painted over it because I knew — eventually — I’d do this bigger project.

The amount of artistry that goes into some parts of this process amazes me. Around the old kitchen walls, the ceiling looks pretty dire. Seeing the supplies and sheer quantity of filler required to patch and repair those wounds is fascinating. From what the painting crew said, it will take another day or two to finish up that work.

On the less damaged parts of the ceiling, you can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I never would have guessed that repainting the ceiling would make such a huge difference, and yet, it really does look a lot better. I may have to get a painting crew (or spend a weekend) doing the same in my bedroom after this project gets wrapped up.

Looking ahead, there’s still more painting to do. The plywood that closed the two walls behind the new kitchen needs to get a coat of black paint, to disappear behind the white perforated panels. The real constraint are the countertops, which would then let the finish plumbing and electrical happen.