I’m sharing my piano transformation with you guys today and I’m so excited to be able to write this post! I’ve wanted to paint it for close to a year! I love this piano and it was a gift from my Grandma to my sister and I when we were little, we learned to play on it and I’m sure it will be in the family forever. I’ve had it for a few years in my home and while the wood is beautiful, there are a lot of orange tones to it that I don’t personally love. My home also has several different types of wood running throughout and it feels so disjointed. It was really easy to paint and I love how it turned out!
^^ Originally there was a detailed wood piece for holding music, however, I took that off and have it stored. It made it a little more modern looking and less fussy. At some point I’ll paint that and put it back on lol.
To start, I gave the piano a quick dusting with a damp cloth.
I taped off the keys (not well the first time though!). I first only taped the edges, but they I had some spills that I had to clean up (I’m the messiest painter, honestly) so I went back and taped over the whole set of keys. I highly recommend just doing that and using a nice, thick painters tape. I also taped off the pedals and took the little knobs off on the lid.
I used two paintbrushes – one medium sized chalk paint brush and one tiny paint brush. I used BIN primer to paint the first coat on, since I wasn’t sanding at all, I wanted to minimize chipping as best as I could. I let this cure overnight for around 24 hours. Then I used the chalk paint that I bought (Rustoleum Linen White Chalk Paint). It was veeeery white. Like almost blue toned white. It looked awful tbh. The keys looked yellow next to it and it was so weird looking in the evening with the lights on.
^^ Before, first coat of BIN primer and then one coat of the chalk paint (which I didn’t keep! I ended up painting over it).
I did a little Pinterest research on light greys, beiges and warm whites and reached out to some friends on IG about their favourite whites, and I landed on Alabaster by Sherwin Williams. It’s the perfect white for this, very warm and cozy looking.
I am SO HAPPY I decided to paint our piano – if you’re on the fence about it, just go for it! You won’t mess it up I promise! My piano was beautiful as it was, but I find it suits our home so much more this way and it blends in seamlessly, The lines are also more modern and fresh, which I love.
I am not planning on using a sealant but you could definitely apply a wax or poly of some sort. Maybe I’ll update in a few months and let you know how the paint has worn and if there’s any chipping or anything.
To really see how changing the paint colour on a piece of furniture can totally change the feel of a room check out these two views:
^^ Both are beautiful – I love the wood tone (I edited the photo to tone down the orange undertones) but you can see how it really changes the feel of the space here!
Here’s an easy step by step for painting a piano:
Step 1 || Give the piano a wipe with a damp cloth, use soap and water if there is any grime or lots of finger prints. Let dry fully.
Step 2 || Tape off the piano keys, pedals and any knobs if you can’t remove them.
Step 3 || Prime the piano (not necessary if using chalk paint, but I wanted to be extra safe). I used BIN primer – this primer is really watery, so be careful when painting and even though it dries so fast, let it cure for 24 hours.
Step 4 || Paint the piano and use a tiny brush to get in all of the little nooks. I did two coats of the chalk paint and then one coat of Behr Marquee in Alabaster by SW. You could finish with a clear wax. Apply with a soft brush or cloth and buff off until no longer sticky.
If you have any questions please send me a message or dm me over on my IG!
