I haven’t found anything yet that I positively would not paint. So I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear me say, ‘Yes, you CAN paint a piano!’
A piano may seem like a huge, daunting task. And if you take the whole thing apart and paint each piece and put it all back together, then, yes I would think that a huge, daunting task.
But if you just want the piano to have a better look, and it isn’t an expensive heirloom piece, it really isn’t that huge or daunting a task to paint a piano.
Before – orange oak. I taped off the pedals and the wheals and the hardware on the key cover. I taped paper over the keys but I wouldn’t use paper again. The paint that gets on the paper as you paint the wood beside the paper, sticks to the paper as it dries, and the paper then wants to stick to the wood. I’d figure something else out next time!
After 3 coats of paint.
This piano belongs to a friend, and I went to her house to paint it. They had moved the piano out from the wall and set it on a drop cloth. After the paint was dry they moved it back in place. If your piano is too heavy to move, simply tuck some drop cloth pieces under the edges and paint it right where it sits. That is what I did with this piano that I painted a couple years ago.
So much better in white instead of orange. It took me about 4 hours to paint 3 coats of paint.
My friend painted the piano bench with a chalk paint she had on hand. The seat was covered with vinyl and she painted the whole thing with chalk paint and waxed it. It turned out great!
3 coats of paint – all on the same day. I waited till the first coat was dry and then added another coat. I got along fine with this project painting the next coat as soon as the first was dry. Climate and humidity will make a difference on how quickly you can add a coat to your project.
I did put a topcoat on this piece too.
I recommend Paint Couture brand furniture paint and their topcoat for a finish. Their topcoat is a lacquer and is the best finish I’ve ever seen. It’s clear, water based, washes out with soap and water, and cures out so hard and durable!
So you see? You CAN paint a piano! I’ve done it twice now.
I should have done this years ago! It looks amazing.
Thank you Joanne!
This looks SO good, Jill! What a great option to freshen up a piano!
Thanks Jennifer! You need a piano to paint in that amazing green you like!
Ok, love this piano! I want to do mine. Where can I find Fusion paint? My piano is a light maple or other hardwood. Do I need the Color-bloc?
Thanks Liz – I emailed you about the paint!
The piano looks amazing!! Love it!
Thank you Lisa!
This piano looks amazing! Great job! When are you going to paint your piano??
Thanks Cathy! I know, I know! I will get to my piano soon I promise!
Great job! The piano looks very nice. This is a great idea. I was unaware that you could paint a piano without messing it up. Yours looks professionally painted. I just sent mine to the consignment shop last month to sell. It’s an ebony Yamaha studio piano. I can’t play anymore due to my arthritis & it was just sitting in the living room for years. BTW Feedburner is working again. I’ve received your last two posts.
Thank you Tricia! It really isn’t hard to paint a piano 🙂
Wow Jill that piano looks so pretty and clean looking. You did such a wonderful job. I’ll have to look into your new Fusion paint line. Would like to try it at least. Congrats on such a fantastic job, bet your client was so happy when you got done. Looks great in room.
Have great week dear friend.
Thanks JaneEllen! It’s a great paint for a lot of things!
I love this! I found a free console piano on craigslist. My living room is filled with 50’s tangerine colored furniture. I want to paint my piano a peach color to blend. I’ve already completed the bench. I did it in gold, found a blouse at a thrift store and used it for the fabric.
My question is; what type of brush would you recommend? How do you keep it from having brush strokes appear?
Thank you!!
the brush strokes can be more from the type of paint used than the brush. I love Zibra brand brushes available at lowes or home depot. Or a good natural bristle brush works well too. The paints, like Paint Couture brand, are created to be self leveling which reduces the brush marks to almost zero. If using a chalk paint you can sand it lightly when the paint is dry and this helps too.
Did you strip the old stain off the piano before you painted it? Or did you paint over it? If so, what did you use to strip it?
Shannon, I did not strip the stain – I simply painted it and then put a top coat on the paint. I would recommend Paint Couture brand paint and their topcoat – the topcoat is a lacquer and is the best I’ve ever used.
You used 3 coats of paint a 1 coat of the topcoat?
i only did 3 coats of paint because the bright color of the original finish didn’t cover quite like I wanted with 2 coats of white. Depending on the color, 2 coats might do it for paint. It all depends on the original color, new color and the kind of paint. Paint Couture is a paint I have found since doing this piano and it’s better than the paint I used on this. I refrain from saying what paint I used here as I don’t want to put negative stuff out there. I would recommend 2 coats of the topcoat when using Paint Couture lacquer and I recommend the matte finish. The PC topcoat goes on very thin and the second coat fills in anywhere that might have not got quite enough. It’s very easy to put on – I use a lambswool applicator for large areas and a good brush for the smaller areas and just make sure it goes on very thin and smoothly.