Just wanted to share a project I recently completedāpainting my old upright piano. I shared about this on Instagram, but I got this piano about two years ago from Craigslist (for FREE, I just had to have to moved). When I got it tuned, the gentleman who tuned it let me know that it was in very poor condition and has some issues that would cost a lot more to fix than the instrument is worth. I don’t even play piano, I just have a few people in my life who do. So, although this was disheartening news, it wasn’t necessarily that surprising. I mean, a lady who doesn’t play piano got a free one off the internet and turns out it’s not worth muchāgo figure. š
I was considering paying to have to hauled off, but then I thought, why not keep it at least a few more years and just think of it as more of a decor item than an instrument? You can technically play this piano, but it has a few dead keys and some issues like that. Anyway, once I started thinking about it as a decor item, that really changed my perspective! And that’s when I made the decision to paint it. I used Elsie’s tutorial for painting kitchen cabinets because I wanted the paint to last and not be sticky. The whole project took two days and less than $50. I’m really happy with how it turned out!
Here was the piano before. And no, the bench didn’t match. Like I said, it was FREE. š
Supplies:
–Cabinet & Trim Enamel Paint (I used Behr “Terra Cotta Urn” PPU2-12)
–Primer
–Fine sanding block
–Degreasing all-purpose cleaner + rag
–Paint brushes + drop cloth
–Painter’s tape
I think what really made this project turn out so well was the fact that I used cabinet paint instead of latex interior wall paint. Just make sure you paint in a well ventilated area, as the fumes are a bit worse than standard wall paint. Generally speaking, you should always paint in a well ventilated area.
Step One: Clean the surface of the piano, removing any dust or grease.
Step Two: Lightly sand the surface of the piano and bench. Run a clean rag over the surfaces after to remove the dust.
Step Three: Tape off any areas needed. Then prime the surfaces.
Step Four: Once the primer is dry, paint the surfaces with the cabinet paint. I used two coats, allowing the paint to fully dry between coats.
Painting my piano was simple, but a little time consuming to do. However, it only took up one weekend and I am so happy with how it turned out! Thanks for letting me share. xo. Emma
10 Comments
I love it! Did you use a brush or a roller for your final coats? It looks like you can’t see any brush strokes at all!
I used a brush. Thank you! There is one brush stroke I can see IRL that drives me a little nuts, but I’m not perfectionist I must admit.
I never would have thought of painting a piano (clearly I’m not very creative), but it looks SO charming and great! So glad that you were able to use it in such a cute way. š
I just got done sanding an old piano i picked up at a school auction! I decided to whitewash it. Might do some decorative painting on it, but haven’t decided what…
Whitewashing / staining it sounds pretty!
Cute! NB If you are painting an instrument that you do intend to play, be sure not to paint the sound board (the back!)
Very nicely done! A decor piano in such a bold color is pretty neat!
I was wondering if you all thought that paint would be a good option to paint a table top. My dining table has been stained so so much and we were thinking painting it might make it a little less āhigh maintenanceā with two messy little kids. Thanks!
I think so. This paint (cabinet paint) dries very hard so that’s what I would use on a tabletop that gets used often.
Hello Emma! How long did it take you to sand the piano?
I liked the result afterward. Added it to Pinterest.
Thank you for the tutorial! I am totally going to paint my piano this month. I want to use the same color as well. Cant wait!