i’m going to be honest. i wasn’t so sure this would work. paint our piano? but i was so tired of the brown piano being the first thing you saw when you walked in the front door. don’t get me wrong. i am so thankful for our piano. it is a hand-me-down from my sister’s in-laws. the piano’s only shortcoming was that it didn’t match anything,

that’s actually how pretty much all furniture pieces start out in our house. slowly, one project at a time, i’ve painted and refinished each one. but the piano? i actually didn’t think i could paint it. for some reason, it didn’t seem like it would follow the rules of the other pieces i’ve painted. but guess what? it did. 

aside from the space around the keys, painting the piano really was no different than painting our kitchen table, coffee table, and hutch.  all this is to say, you can do this too! paint your piano! here are the exact steps i took to paint my piano in one day!

first of all, i know sometimes getting started on a project is the HARDEST part. for me, this overwhelm can sometimes take the joy out of DIY. at notice the LITTLE things we are all about keeping the JOY, especially when it comes to DIY projects. for this reason, i created this ultimate guide to painting furniture. overcome the overwhelm with this guide to all my favorite paints and supplies. you can grab yours here. this quick reference has everything you need to know about painting furniture in an easy-to-print format you can refer to during your project. the guide includes a list of favorite brushes, paints, and other supplies with pictures. it also has tips to help you feel confident the whole way through! find more JOY in in the process with this helpful guide.

now, let’s talk about how you can change your furniture from this…

to this…

step 1

gather/purchase your supplies

to paint your piano {or any piece of furniture} so it will not chip, you are going to want to prime, paint, and seal the whole thing. this is not hard and you do not have to be a good painter. i promise. you just have to be patient and see all the steps through.

you can purchase your brushes, primer, paint, and polycrylic at your nearest hardware store. if you want to know my favorites, you can download my supplies cheat sheet here. for me, it is also helpful to write down project ideas in one place, including supplies. no one has time to make extra trips to the store! without a plan, that’s usually what happens, so i created this super helpful DIY project planner to keep all project details in one spot. it saves so much time! you can snag your own copy of this printable in the LITTLE printable library. when you’re organized in small ways like this, you free up time and attention for the things you love the most about DIY!

step 2

apply your primer

wipe down the piece you will be painting with a wet cloth to remove any dust or residue. when your piece is clean, it is time to prime.

for the piano, i had to do this in place, right in my living room. pianos are ridiculously heavy and there was no way i could move this to a better area. my sister helped with this project because i was 8 months pregnant. i made sure the paint was all low VOS so baby was safe. sometimes a baby on the way is just what you need to stop putting off projects!

when it comes to painting furniture, using a primer is a must. sanding is NOT. i know. so great, right? really. you don’t have to sand. i have never sanded a single piece i’ve painted and everything i’ve painted has lasted for years.

primer, however, is a must. i tested out this theory on my hutch. my sister helped me with that as well, the same day we did the piano. she convinced me to try painting without priming. we did A LOT of painting that day, and eliminating a step sounded great. but it didn’t work. my hutch chips and none of the pieces with primer chip. moral of the story, don’t skip the priming! find my favorite primer here.

to prime the part around the keys, i used a super small brush i got from the craft store. i pressed the keys down and painted carefully above them to make sure the strip above the keys was done well. i did this very first, mostly to get it over with, because i thought it would be hard. it wasn’t hard. you just have to go slower than you will have to go on the rest of the project.

step 3

apply your paint

after your primer dries {two hours to be safe} you can apply your paint. i use a combination of a brush and roller when i paint furniture.

again, for the part around the keys, i used a smaller brush from the craft store. i pressed the keys down as i went, distancing them from the wood so i could paint without getting it on the actual keys. i kept a wet paper towel handy for any paint i accidentally got on the keys. paint wipes off easily if you get it right away.

i always wish i could get away with just one coat of paint, but i usually need two {especially on something like my kitchen table where i went from black to white}. again, wait a couple hours between each coat. my piano took two coats.

step 4

distress your piece and apply your polycrylic

once your paint color is dry, you can distress your piece if that is the look you are going for. i like the distressed, chippy look. plus, if your piece happens to take an extra hard from the vacuum or a kiddo, it will just blend in. chances are, your paint will stand up to this wear and tear anyways, but i prefer to distress and then completely let go of any worry.

i use a palm sander to distress my pieces. {this is a picture of my sister helping me with my bedroom furniture, the same day we painted the piano. we used the same distressing method on all of the pieces we did that day.} you can also use sandpaper. it gives you better control but takes longer i think.

let me tell you, taking that palm sander to my fresh smooth paint job makes me nervous. every. single. time. i am always sure i will ruin it. but a LITTLE sanding to the edges achieves that chippy look that is popular right now. i tend to stick to the edges when i distress, but you can venture to the flat surfaces as well. it’s completely up to you.

a word of advice? it will feel like you are ruining it as you distress, until you are finished with the whole thing. then it will look awesome!

after distressing, wipe your piece down with a soft cloth to remove the sanding dust. then apply your polycrylic. polycrylic is much easier and faster to apply than paint because it is so thin. use a new, clean brush and be careful of drips. i usually do one coat of polycrylic. if you are painting something with higher traffic, like a table, then two coats on the top part of the table is probably best.

it’s no secret. this painted piano makes me happy! i think it is my favorite before and after yet. this is probably because i doubted it could be done. our dining table, hutch, and piano were all hand-me-downs from different people. they didn’t match at all. painting them to match completely transformed the look of our living room.  

painting furniture is the most budget-friendly way we’ve used to transform our house to the colors and style we love. it is far easier than i ever imagined and gives me the freedom to spend in other areas. remember, the hardest part is getting started. 

don’t forget to make it easier on yourself to focus on the things you LOVE about DIY. grab these helpful resources, take a day to gather everything you will need, and take the leap! feel free to reach out with questions and good luck!

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