How to Paint Your Piano (Without Ruining It)
When I first considered painting my piano, my first question was, “Will I Ruin It?”
I’ve painted A LOT of things in my life, but I’d never painted a piano.
I’m not going to lie…I was a little intimidated by the project.
The problem is that a piano has a ton of moving parts that may not continue to work if they are covered in paint. So even if the smallest drop of paint somehow makes it between the keys…they could stop working properly. Plus, there are a lot of corners, cracks, and curves that need to be considered.
However, even with the risk of possible failure, I was determined to paint my piano. I just wasn’t in love with the cherry color, and it no longer fit with the vibe I was going for in my music room. Plus, it was somewhat dinged up after 6 kids and years of piano lessons.
Can I Really Paint My Piano Without Sanding?
Normally when I refinish furniture, I almost always suggest lightly sanding the surface before applying paint. Sanding the surface gives the paint something to adhere to, and it can also remove and bumps or scratches. It’s also a useful way to smooth the finish in between coats of paint.
So this may be shocking…I didn’t use any sandpaper when I refinished my piano!
Instead of sanding, I used a special paint transformer that sticks to any surface. You don’t need to sand or prime before using this product, which brings me to a common question.
What Kind of Paint Should I Use to Paint My Piano?
When painting furniture, everyone wants to use a product that eliminates prep work, is easy to use, and provides a smooth surface. Am I right?
The solution is simple…and it’s a product called BB Frosch. What is BB Frosch? Here is the description from their website, “Our proprietary blend of all-natural minerals mixes with ordinary flat latex or acrylic paint to create rich and creamy paint that bonds to virtually all surfaces without the nasty prep work of sanding, priming, and stripping. BB Frösch is affordable and can be used to create a variety of finishes–including shabby-chic, rustic-textured, faux-stain, smooth modern, antiqued, and more. Basically, BB Frösch makes you feel like a rock star when you create amazing pieces of art without breaking the bank!”
Basically, BB Frosch is a powder that you can add to your choice of paint that will allow you to paint surfaces without any of the prep work. You can find more information about their product and how to mix it with your paint on their website: BB Frosch.
For my piano makeover, I added BB Frosch to one of my favorite paints Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Enamel. The color I chose was Tricorn Black.
Now that you know what kind of paint you should use to paint your piano, let’s talk about how to actually paint your piano.
Supply List
- Paint – Semi-Gloss Enamel(Your choice)
- BB Frosch Transformer
- 2 – 6 inch Paint Roller Frames(I will explain why you need 2 in the following steps)
- 1 – 6 inch Paint Roller – Foam
- 1 – 6 inch Paint Roller – 3/8″ Nap
- Paint Tray
- Paint Tray Liner
- Frog Tape(Painters Tape)
- Behr Finishing Wax
- Clean Paint Rags(Old T-Shirts work great)
- Dawn Dish Soap(This is my favorite, but any dish soap will work)
- Water
Step 1: Wipe down piano
I know at this point you’re thinking that there shouldn’t be any prep work. However, I did add a couple of drops of Dawn Dishsoap to some water and wiped my piano down before I painted. There were a bunch of dirty fingerprints and some remnants of a leftover sucker that needed to be removed before I started painting. It’s always a good idea to start painting on a nice clean surface.
Step 2: Remove Hardware and Gather Supplies
I wasn’t sure how many of the piano pieces/hardware I could remove without specialized tools and training. So I stuck to the pieces that looked simple to remove and replace. I removed the top, the music shelf, the piece behind the music shelf, and the large piece above the pedals. Every piano will be different. You may be able to remove more or less.
After I removed each set of hardware, I placed the hardware in a baggie labeled by the piece it belonged with. I decided not to remove the piece that covered the keyboard. The hinge was long and looked difficult to remove and replace.
I covered the floor around the piano with plastic and placed the piano pieces I removed on top of plastic cups. This made it easier to paint the pieces. I also grabbed my 6-inch paint rollers(foam, 3/8″ nap), painting tray, and BB Frosch/paint mix.
Finally, I used my favorite Frog Tape to tape off the remaining hardware and any areas that I didn’t want to be painted.
Step 3: Paint the Piano
Whenever I want a smooth finish I always follow this simple process:
- Roll on paint with 3/8″ nap roller. Work in small sections. Don’t paint the whole piano at once.
- Immediately after the first coat of paint…before it starts to dry…I roll over it with a slightly damp foam roller.
It works like magic. Can you see how smooth the finish is in the pictures?
Step 4: Apply Finish
After letting the paint dry for a couple of days, I decided to add the finish. I really debated which type of finish I should use. I knew that I didn’t want a glossy finish. However, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to use a was or a polyurethane. In the end, I decided to go for a wax. I used Behr Decorative Finish Wax and applied the finish with a clean paint rag.
Before After
How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Piano?
Some of the items I used for my piano makeover were purchased during previous projects. So I don’t have an exact price breakdown. However, I would estimate the supplies for the project to be less than $50, which is thousands less than purchasing a new piano.
How Long Does it Take to Paint a Piano?
It took me about a day to gather my supplies and to prep the piano. Another day to paint the piano. I chose to do 2 coats of paint, which probably wasn’t necessary. Add in a couple of days to dry and a 1/2 a day to apply the finishing wax. The overall time to paint the piano was about 4.5 days, with only 2.5 days of active work on the project.
