Several months ago we were lucky enough to stumble upon a free piano on Craigslist; I was posting some of our no longer needed things and couldn't resist checking the free ads. The family who was giving it away were moving, had five kids, and were excited to hear that little fingers would be playing it again.
When Jeremy (and the students he talked into helping him - perks of being a professor) carried it into our home I was actually pretty happy to see that the finish had bits of wear and tear - though it plays beautifully. I had seen (and drooled) over several painted pianos on the internets and thought that when we got one it would be fun to paint it. Our home has original wood trim and floors (which Jeremy would never allow me paint) so bringing in new wood pieces can be tricky and tends to make our rooms feel smaller.
 |
| five kids - it was pretty beat up |
The painting itself turned out to be a bigger task than I thought - it took almost three weeks to complete! The process could have been faster but there were several days when I just didn't have any time to work on it. We wanted a smooth, shiny finish so we also went through a lot of steps: sanding, priming, sanding, multiple coats of paint, more sanding, clear coat sealant, and even more sanding. I have heard about the wonders of chalk paint (no sanding or priming required, minimal coats) but it almost sounds too good to be true, so I have yet to try it.
 |
| big buddy helping me apply the 1st coat of paint. we used benjamin moore spurce green |
One short cut that we did take was to not paint around the keys. While looking at other painted pianos around the web I noticed that Design Mom did not paint behind her keys; I showed Jeremy and he liked the look but suggested we create even more of a "reveal" and leave all the wood around the keys the original color.
We really like how it turned out. The light color adds a bit of brightness to our home and it's just plain fun. Here are few more views of the finished product.
Looking for more creative home ideas? Check out these great link parities: Transformation Thursday, Inspiration Exchange, Weekly Creative, Show & Tell Saturday, Share Your Creativity, & Sunday Life Party.
LOVE! I have always wanted a colored piano since I am an artist naturally. I am a singer/songwriter/and pianist. You did a wonderful job! I love your color choice and I never thought of the the fact that wood with lots of other wood such as your floors would make the room seem smaller. Thanks for the tip! :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings! Rebecca
Rachel, It came out beautifully! Did you prime it first or just painted? The piano looks as if it were made for that corner! It fits in so nicely with the style of your home. My mother-in-law is giving us her piano and I was debating about painting it...the timing of this post is perfect!
ReplyDeleteCarla M. (http://www.pinterest.com/carlaroni/boards/)
LOVE!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it! I've been nagging GS to let me paint ours for YEARS (I'm thinking red or bright turquoise!) and he refuses. But now that he knows someone irl that's done it....maybe..... just maybe......
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun, bright color - It really works well in your home. I probably would have picked something more toned down. You've got courage, girl! I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Little Lady looks adorable skipping past the piano in her fairy wings.
I LOVE that ice blue color!! I think it may be the same color as my Kitchenaid mixer.
ReplyDeleteHi, I just saw your piano, it is gorgeous. I am planning to paint mine. My husband, however has big issues with this who plan. He doesn't mind the painting over wood, he is worried that the paint would change the sound. I am just curious, does it change the sound?
ReplyDeleteHi, I just saw your piano, it is gorgeous. I am planning to paint mine. My husband, however has big issues with this who plan. He doesn't mind the painting over wood, he is worried that the paint would change the sound. I am just curious, does it change the sound?
ReplyDeleteWe did not noticed any change of sound. Granted our piano was not new or in the finest condition - the sound was probably not the most pure anyways. Except for when my husband plays around, the piano is mainly used at a beginning level. We did read, that painting could possible alter the sound, but for us it wasn't something we worried about. I think any alteration it would make would only be heard by a very musical ear. Let me know if you do paint. It was a fun project and we are still loving the results.
Delete