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Chalk Painted Piano

The following post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

So I painted my piano…..AGAIN! I know it’s still white but what can I say? I love neutral things and this was no exception. I figured I still wanted it to be light and bright. I really tried to choose another color. I thought about other colors like pink, navy, black, and a few more. Ultimately, I landed back on white. This time a clean and modern white. No distressing or decals. Don’t get me wrong, it looked cute before I started. It was just time for a change. You can find the post on the first time painted this beauty here.

 

Ok, first the first thing I did was pop this decal off I had wood glued on the first time I updated the piano. Next, I took my painters tool ( or putty knife) to scrap over the distressed spots. This just helped get rid of any chipped paint. Once all that was wiped off, I filled all the distressed brown spots with spackle and let it dry.

After it dried I got to sanding all the spots smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I have an electric sander but I ended up just using a sanding block and elbow grease. Some major arm muscle later I was ready to wipe it all clean from the dust. I used a little vacuum too. I taped the pedals and keys off with painters tape. Now comes the fun part. The first time I painted the piano I made my own chalk paint. This time I used some I had on hand from Chip & Joanna. Remember when they sent me that amazing package of their new chalk paint? Well, I put it to good use again.

The color is called “Shiplap” and it took two coats. This chalk paint has great coverage and low odor. I let the piano dry for 24 hours and started putting everything back together. I like to use what I got. I decided the abstract art canvas didn’t work with this room anymore. I got a little artsy and gave it a new look with new colors. Who knew I was so artistic? 😉 Sometimes I surprise myself, considering I have the handwriting of a kindergartner. I also put a $5 wood frame around it to finish it off. I used the same DIY frame method here.

A different rug from Home Dynamix really helped bring the room together. This sitting chair is a great affordable piece and comes in three colors. We played musical lights and took the light from the dining room and put it in here. The scalloped flush mount light that was in here got moved to the pantry (reveal coming soon). Okay and this green sofa. I am a little obsessed. So, what started as just painting my piano turned into a little room update. If you give a mouse a cookie…..well you know what happens. 🙂

Magnolia Home Chalk Style Paint

The following post is sponsored by Magnolia Home and KILZ. Read my full disclosure here.

I was beyond excited when I received this happy mail! KILZ and Magnolia Home sent me this box full of goodies to try. KILZ recently partnered with Joanna Gaines to make a line of chalk style paint, wax, and brushes. As part of the goodie box, they were so kind to also send me an autographed book, bookmark, apron, cute bag, wooden crate, and a sanding block.

I have been wanting to read The Magnolia Story since it came out. When I saw that Chip and Joanna had autographed my book, I did a little (or extremely big) happy dance. As I took the next few days to read their story, I loved every minute of it. Chip and Joanna share the trials and success that lead them to Fixer Upper. It really is a genuine and honest account that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Ok, back to the chalk paint. I was so excited that KILZ was working with Magnolia Home to make this paint. We all know how much I love my KILZ spray primer. It is my one and only go-to primer for all my projects. I just love their products. I knew that this would have to be a good paint if it came from KILZ. I was excited to dive in and test it out. The color they sent me is called Shiplap. It is a beautiful white color. Not too gray or yellow. A really soft and true white in my opinion.  I received this cute wooden crate that was made from a local Waco Texas artisan. The crate came stained and I honestly had a hard time bringing myself to paint that beautiful wood. I love white and I knew I would love it painted just as much. I have done a lot of chalk paint projects in my DIY years. Including my piano that I ended up using my own homemade chalk paint to finish.

As you can see, the first coat gave really awesome coverage. It didn’t give off hardly any odor. My nose was a little stuffy from some sinuses though. I am not sure if that had anything to do with it. However, chalk style paint is usually pretty low in odor anyways. After the second coat, the crate looked really good. That was all it took. Two quick coats of this chalk style paint. The coverage was really good. The brushes were like butter. I have been needing new paint brushes and these were top notch quality. I love the black handle and the bristles were silky smooth creating a really clean finish.

I decided to lightly distress some of the edges. The stained wood showing through gives it some fun character. I didn’t want too much distressing. So, I lightly sanded a few spots with the sanding block to get this look. I decided to use the clear wax to seal it all in. I wiped it on with a clean lint-free rag. I buffed it out and it gave the crate a velvety smooth finish. The wax was really easy to work with. I used a different brand with my piano that was a lot harder to work with. It was an orange finishing wax that ended up turning some spots orange. I am happy to report the Magnolia clear wax worked a lot better.

This was such an easy product to work with. I was able to finish the crate from beginning to end in just 2 hours. It really took only about 20 minutes to actually apply and the rest was dry time. It all comes down to whether or not I would buy this or recommend Magnolia Chalk Style Paint. Is it worth the money? Does it work? Yes, yes, and yes! It isn’t as cheap as some other brands but you get what you pay for. This is quality chalk style paint that gives great coverage. They have so many other colors to choose from. The brushes are fantastic and I would definitely use this again.

 

A big thank you to Joanna and Chip at Magnolia Home as well as KILZ Paint for sending me such a fun box of products to try. I am excited to paint more projects and use this amazing chalk style paint!

Chalk Painted Piano

Kate

Hi there, I’m Kate. Welcome to White Lane Decor. Thanks for stopping by. I love neutral, bright, and airy spaces. I’m always looking for new ways to turn our house into a home. Have a look around and find inspiration for your next project.

Disclosure

Some of my blog posts, ads, and banners contain "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate compensation. However, I only recommend products or services I use personally and truly feel you will enjoy too! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” White Lane Decor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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Chalk Painted Piano

I know what your thinking….wow that was a lot of work and I could never do that. Well STOP! It was not a lot of work. It just took a little bit of time. Trust me, you will thank yourself later. I have had this piano for years. I bought it second hand on a yard sale page. I had it tuned and then it just sat in my living room in all its brown glory for years. I wanted to paint it SOOOOO bad but I just couldn’t commit. Until one day I had enough of that brown eyesore.

I did a lot of research and decided that the best method, that would require the least effort, would be chalk paint. Chalk paint is kind of amazing. Have you heard of it by now? There is NO prep work. By that, I mean no sanding or priming. That’s rights people, just get your paint brush and start painting. How much easier can it be? I knew that I was not about to try and sanding that beast of a piano. So I was so excited to take the dive and just use chalk paint.

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Chalk paint can be expensive. There are a million different brands out there. It comes in all different colors as well. A very small can ( I mean the size of a quart) can cost $40. It can last a long time though because it doesn’t take very much. When I painted my paint a few years ago, there weren’t many options to buy chalk paint that we’re affordable. Since that time, everybody and their dog have released their own version of chalk paint. You can now go down to Lowe’s or Home Depot and find a brand for $13 a quart. I have never used these but I’m sure it will be just the same. So I went to Pinterest and found a recipe for homemade chalk paint. The recipe I used called for 1/2 cup Plaster of Paris (found at Home Depot), 1/2 cup warm water, and 1-1/2 cups latex paint. Dissolve your Paster of Paris in your warm water first while mixing well. Then once that has dissolved add the 1 1/2 cups of latex paint. Mix well and get to painting. I used just a regular angled paint brush. Some people say you HAVE to buy a special chalk paint brush but that is NOT true. My regular paint brush worked great. My piano took three coats of paint. I let it dry nice and good between each coat of paint. Also, I only mixed small amounts of paint each time because it doesn’t stay good for long. The paint will dry out and harden after a while so make sure to stir frequently while you are painting too. imag0934-1

Now here is the thing about chalk paint, it is grainy. Just like the name; it has a chalky finish. If you want a smooth polished look then don’t use chalk paint. It also shows brush marks from the paint brush. It is definitely a more rustic / shabby chic / distressed look. That is why a lot of people also sand or distress it after they are done painting too. You can see in my pictures where I distressed the piano to have some of the brown come through. This also makes the paint indestructible. My kids can race cars and bang toys all day long on the paint and it looks just like it was meant to be. This look isn’t for everybody but considering how easy it is, who cares?

Once you have enough coats of paint to your liking, and it has cured, It is time to wax. Now wax, in the chalk paint world, is the same as sealing latex paint with a polyurethane. It is just a protectant layer to seal the chalk paint. A lot of people also recommend buying a special brush and special wax for this too. No need! I used Minwax finishing wax/ paste. It worked great. Just take a lent-free rag and wipe/buff in the wax. make sure to rub it in good until there is a small sheen to the finish.

chalk-painted-piano
I didn’t even paint the inside of the lid. I left it brown so I wouldn’t have to mess with spilling on the keys. I’m messy and lazy like that ;). I think it still looks great because of all the brown showing through in the distressed parts. It really was just a little time consuming to sit and paint all three coats. I didn’t have to worry priming, sanding, or any prep. Just mix or buy your chalk paint and brush it on (Just make sure to brush it all in the same direction as much as possible). It’s that simple. Anybody can do it.

Kate

Hi there, I’m Kate. Welcome to White Lane Decor. Thanks for stopping by. I love neutral, bright, and airy spaces. I’m always looking for new ways to turn our house into a home. Have a look around and find inspiration for your next project.

Disclosure

Some of my blog posts, ads, and banners contain "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate compensation. However, I only recommend products or services I use personally and truly feel you will enjoy too! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” White Lane Decor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Shop My Home