Painting the Dining Room

November 2, 2025

With rain predicted for most of the week starting October 26, I decided to paint the dining room.

Bruce wants to pick up our hutch from storage soon. The hutch is big and heavy and requires more muscle than both Bruce and I have to move it. I wanted the walls painted before we put the hutch in place.

On October 27 (Monday), while the rain poured down, I moved the chairs and the bottom and sides of the hutch to the living room. I moved the microwave and the table it was sitting on into the kitchen.

I sanded three of the dining room walls, then I wiped them down. I marked all the spots that needed work with blue painters’ tape.

I discovered muscles I didn’t normally use.

During a break in the rain, I walked down to the mailbox. I admired the neighbor’s pumpkin patch.

On October 28 (Tuesday), I drove to Lowe’s in Muscle Shoals and picked up spackle and a gallon can of primer.

When I got home, I started spackling to the sound of the rain. During a break in the rain, I looked at the red pineapple.

I finished the spackling and waited for it to dry. Once the spackle dried, I sanded it down and wiped down the walls again.

Around the door was a real mess. I had to do a lot of work there.

I was really feeling the burn in my leg and butt muscles.

There was a thunderstorm with lots of wind overnight.

On October 29 (Wednesday), I started tapping. Ugh, such fiddly work. My muscles screamed at me.

I removed the light switch covers, the outlet covers, and the hat rack. I then painted over the spackle with the primer.

When I got a break in the rain, I went to the mailbox. On the way, I noticed the big pine in the front yard had lost a big dead branch. On the way back from the mailbox, I stopped to take a picture of the clouds to the south. The bird bath was full of water from the rain.

One of my friends asked me what color I was planning to paint the dining room. I sent her this picture. I told her I was going to paint the dining room the bottom color.

On October 30 (Thursday), I drove to Ace and bought the paint. The weather had cleared up, so once I was home, I looked around the garden and sent pictures to Bruce.

I started painted the dining room. Nox wanted to know what was going on.

I was so pleased to get the first coat of paint on the wall.

On October 31 (Friday), I got up early and painted the second coat onto the walls.

After the paint had dried several hours, I started putting the room back together.

I decided to leave the microwave in the kitchen. I moved Nox’s crate to the corner of the dining room that had held the microwave.

I am really pleased with how the dining room looks. It is still shocking to see color.

Bruce loves the color. He is happy with how the art pops against the color.