Do you have an old piano you want to paint and/or give a little makeover? I’m sharing all the tips on painting a piano black in this blog post. It can seem like an intimidating project, but the tool mentioned make this project actually quite simple!
It’s been a few months now since I started the piano project ( it took about 2 months in all form start to finish– hello procrastination) At first, painting a piano black sounded crazy and my mom and husband thought I had lost it! But now that it is completed, I couldn’t be happier with the results.
Since it is officially completed (sealed and all), I’m sharing all of the details here!
Why did I paint the piano Black?
I know there is definitely some controversy here. I’m typically one who loves raw wood with a simple sealer to allow the natural beauty to shine through, however, I just was not loving the look of this piano in its raw state.
That said, the piano the focal point in our front entryway foyer and one of the first pieces guests see when they enter through our front door. With its cherry stain it really reflected a reddish hue on the room – along with our floors that still need to be recovered!
All in all, it just didn’t feel like it fit our home. And carry the philosophy of if you have something in your home, you should really truly love it or let it go!
The black painted piano really stands out now on our white shiplap walls. You can see a tutorial on how we hung this faux shiplap here!
What type of paint did I use?
After reading several reviews, I decided to go with Rustoleum Milk Paint in Eclipse. This offered a classic, matte black look reminiscent of colonial furniture and I LOVE how it turned out!
I would describe this paint color as a rich, deep dark, TRUE black.
How did i paint it?
Carefully and VERY slowly over the course of about 8 weeks. Most painting was after my kids went to bed or during naptime! Actually, it really wasn’t too difficult and I only have maybe 8 hours total in this project! Like other painting projects, most of the time is spent doing the prep work. I taped off all exposed
Did i sand First?
This totally depends on the paint being used and the actual piano. Rustoleum Milk Paint says no sanding is required, but I tested an inconspicuous area and was not convinced. Because our piano had a very shiny lacquer and sheen, I gave it a quick rough up with a sanding block. I spent maybe 20 minutes in all sanding!
How do you seal milk paint?
There are so many options for this! But since I needed a very simple and effective seal, i went with the Jolie Clear Finishing Wax. I rubbed this on with a rag and wiped the excess as a i went! Super simple!
Should YOu paint YOUR piano black?
I think more simple, less ornate pianos in fairly good shape make the best candidates. I’d also suggest investing in the time and materials to get it right! This is not the time to get the cheap paint brushes or to use that leftover paint sitting in your garage!
If you decide to go for it, let me know!
see my finished and decorated piano for christmas
Happy painting!
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Rustoleum Milk Paint in Eclipse
