We bought a piano!
I am REALLY excited about it and I can’t believe I finally get to hear the sounds of banging keys all day long 🙂
No but seriously, my mother is a musician and when I was growing up, we were encouraged GREATLY to play a musical instrument. I did piano lessons, violin, flute, and I even tried guitar….none of them stuck unfortunately but I really do love the idea of my kids maybe trying an instrument or two. My mother actually does teach at a private school and does private lessons so I have the perfect opportunity to give my boys lessons and give them bonding time with Nana 🙂
So over the summer I found this piano at a thrift store. It was just over thirty dollars and included a bench. I didn’t call Jeremy – I just bought it and we decided to put it in our playroom (it’s the only room on the first floor with a door!).
At first I thought I would put it between the windows but it just BARELY didn’t fit.
Under the shelving seemed like a viable option but it would hug the edges and I didn’t love that either.
It didn’t fit back in the nook.
So the only option left would be the under the map. I had a striped dresser there with the fish tank and it would need a new home.
The fish tank and dresser fit under the shelving and looked good…thankfully there was still a plug on this side too so that the filter would still work. I told y’all on Instagram my fish tank woes and you guys came to my rescue! The algae was out of control!!! I no longer turn on the light inside the tank and then I also taped a piece of paper to the window side to block the sunlight and now I am not up to my elbows cleaning fish gunk every week. I would have gone broke on water neutralizer and then the boys would have found the goldfish “swimming with the fishes” if you know what I mean….and I think you do. #fishmurderinthefirstdegree
So the plan was piano under the map, move the tank and dresser.
OH and I don’t remember if I showed you but my big ole bear head arrived! Isn’t it cute?! It’s like grumpy bear or something 🙂 I think I might jazz him up with a pair of sunglasses and a truckers hat just so that he isn’t so cranky-pants.
Weston just being Weston 🙂
So the other nook back there still stumps me but it’s nice to stash the crazy toys in there out of the way.
And don’t judge me on the art right now. This week my goal is to print some cute stuff and put it up there. I might also go nuts on Etsy. We shall see 🙂
When the piano arrived (aka we hauled it with the trailer and then didn’t take a ton of photos because DUDE WE WERE CARRYING A PIANO), we switched things up and started cleaning this bad boy up.
I had the best helpers in all the land.
My favorite part is the music stand.
We still have to get it tuned….my mom sent me the name of the guy but I have failed to make that happen yet. There were a couple sticky keys that I think he can repair so hopefully soon we will be good to go. Not too shabby for 30ish bucks though, right!?
I have a huge list of things I want to do eventually. I need to replace the chair – it’s very comfortable but it’s not my style. The shades could happen quickly if I wasn’t so lazy. Jeremy and I are at odds….the boys like their train table but I feel like they don’t use it enough to justify it being in here (we could move it to the basement!) and it takes up so much space. We will see who wins that debate 🙂 I don’t know if I will paint the piano or not but the thought of a white or blue finish is stealing my heart.
As for the rest of the room – we added the kiddo art wall back in the nook. It’s mostly Will’s stuff right now. (gotta remember to do more crafts with the little boys!)
And art gallery wall will need to change – this week, right?!
And I need to do some touch ups on the fish tank wall. We moved the top shelf up and added better anchors and now it is more Weston-proof 🙂
And after all that, I need to redo the bench that I got with the piano and start Will on lessons. My mom usually doesn’t do five year olds unless they have been doing Yamaha music but I think she will make an exception for her grand baby. fingers crossed 🙂
So what do you think….blue or white piano? any art recommendations? anybody else have a bear head in your playroom? Tune me in 🙂
Please don’t paint the piano! It’s a musical instrument and the finish is important to the quality of the sound.
Are you thinking the blue that’s on the dresser stripe? My vote would be to do the piano white and do the bench blue with a blue and white upholstered top to jazz things up. Added bonus: If you get sick of the blue or the fabric, that’d be easier to switch out than repainting the piano 🙂
This is always a manner of taste, but I wouldn’t paint the piano at all. If needed, I would refinish it! I have enjoyed reading your blog for long enough to notice painting wood is likely a preference — if so, I am a sucker for a glossy black piano (timeless and sturdy). I’ll be interested to hear if DIY painting a piano affects its performance at all (no idea!).
We have the exact same train table. Did you glue it down? I get so tired of putting it together to have my son crash it apart, but I’m hesitant to make it permanent – hopefully we can turn it into a Lego table.
You probably know this or at least it might not matter as much in the South, but you should always keep your upright on an inside wall. Temperature and humidity fluctuations make pianos (especially older ones) go out of tune very quickly and can even cause permanent damage to the instrument. My parents were scolded something fierce by the piano tuner the first time he came over for maintenance on our instrument. It’s stuck with me. We have an open floor plan so our kids are getting a keyboard.
Congratulations! We got a piano this summer and I feel like our house is finally a home. I grew up in a musical family, too. It’s so nice! 30 is a steal if the piano is tunable! Good work. However, it’s also really pretty as it is. It ties in with your floor and brings a sense of solid sophistication to the room, despite it being a playroom. I’d leave it wooden and paint other things if you need to. – Just my two cents.
I love the piano addition. My mother-in-law is giving us her old piano and I can’t wait to start my children on it although they are still a little young (3 and 18 months). I do want to paint hers/ours so I would love to see what you guys do with yours. Also, how did you make the silhouette art of Will in the nook? Love that.
So jealous! I wish we had the space for a piano. I have a possible solution for the nook! We did this for my son’s nursery and it’s been awesome! We found studs and anchored the whole thing into the wall (for when he’s older and decides to climb it 😉 ) I’m not sure how it would work with the wainscoting, but you guys are handy and could figure something out. It would also eliminate the big red bookshelf. Just a thought 🙂
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/270427152603044462/
I may be in the minority, but I don’t love a painted piano. I think the natural wood is so beautiful and classic and wonderful looking. And I’m one to paint any furniture my heart desires! So I say, give it a good oil and let that natural wood shine! Also, awesome find! Super jealous!
I have an old piano that I’ve been debating on painting for years. I thought about white, but that will make the old keys look really dirty, so I strayed away from that. The thought of a brighter or different color is intriguing, but it’s a big commitment- I don’t want to paint a piano twice . Right now I’m toying with the idea of very glossy black.
Oh and no bears here, but we do have a fish and a deer in the nursery 🙂
http://lifeonagravelroad.com/2015/06/02/last-nursery-post-i-promise/
Oh yeah… and a bear rug in the nursery 🙂
I love the idea of a painted piano! I have wanted topaint our piano for a long time.
My daughter took piano lessons up till High School.
I like the idea of a white painted piano with blue stripes (to match your dresser on other side of room).
Good Luck with Will and piano lessons…May the force be with you (it will be needed when it comes to practice time)!
PJ
Just leave it untuned for a week or to so that the piano can settle to the temp of your room before you get it tuned. If you don’t wait then it will untune itself a lot faster than normal because it’s still adjusting.
I’m painting our piano! It was given to us a few months ago by an uncle and has been sitting in our living room ever since. If I can ever get my hubby and his friends to move it (pianos are heavy!) into the playroom where it belongs I’ll be painting it navy. The bench was already done in a lighter bluish gray and covered in fabric. I’m so excited about it too!
That is soooo exciting!! I really would like to get music lessons for my boys, but we do not have room for a piano in our house! Is it still possible to take lessons without owning a piano?
I love seeing this room- such a happy space! I vote for a blue piano. The blue from your dresser’s stripes would be beautiful. Since it was only a $30 piano (and it lives in the play room), you can go with a fun color without feeling like you’ve gone nuts on an heirloom. My RC in college had a blue piano, and it was awesome!
What about adding really tall curtains to the nook to hide everything behind, they could be used for puppet shows or you could make a curtain just for the purpose of hidden a storage. http://pinterest.com/pin/Aw2PKwAQwBIBH2ksPGwAAAA/
I wonder if you could add a window transom (even an old one) to the top to bring the height down a bit.
http://pinterest.com/pin/A4E5KgAQQFEFg1ZwmnoAAAA/ It could be a reading nook. http://pinterest.com/pin/A1CxLQAQQPUD84pFa2oAAAA/
Although curtains may not be a good idea with boys 🙂
if it were me I’d just run the train table through my saw and cut of some of the height and then put it under one of your boys beds in their bedroom and that way they can slide it out when they want to play with it or else sell this one and build one for under the bed,
Hi Katie – Quick thought on the train table….. My nephew has one. As he aged, my bother turned it into a Lego table. My nephew is OBSESSED with Legos and he finally has a spot to spread them out and build. And, it keeps those darn bricks off the floor, since we know everyone loves to step on those in the middle of the night!!!
No! The wood is so beautiful as it is! great find
The piano is fine, the chair is fine, the windows are fine, the artwork is fine. Not everything has to be about looks. It all seems functional and great. Just leave it…..
Wood piano.
I think blue would pop nicely against the white wainscoting, instead of just blending in. Plus, with four boys, it will be easier to keep clean jus’ sayin’! 🙂
Ooh, I hope you paint the piano! I’ve been on the fence about painting ours and could use a good tutorial. 🙂
Blue sounds yummy .. over on Houzz, there is a chalk painted piano that the owner loves.
I vote for blue since it is the boys and it goes in this room – i found you a blue gray with just a bit of watery tone in it so it would be pretty with your yummy blue green walls http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/franklinlakes Or you might go to a deeper duck egg blue . . annie sloan makes those historic colors . . and you can mix them . .can’t see a greek blue in the room . .
omg – just thought about a teal side of navy? that would be wowsa . . look at bm in the midnight hour http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/inthemidnighthour
but since it is in the boys room – why not play with the stronger tones?
Look at this option – bm coat of arms . .http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/coatofarms
I know you will find something great!
May you buy earplugs now. And earmuffs. And wear them both.
ps. i read that studies showed the difference between THE most gifted musicians and very capable musicians who (as grownups were all working in symphony orchestras) was timing of practice. Musicians whose parents required practice to happen in the morning ( this before school!! i can’t even imagine adding one more thing to the morning but somehow the tiger mothers do it – maybe the kids got to escape the littles this way) . . that the difference between practicing more or less was completely wiped out by the advantage of the fresh, morning brain and what you can learn in the am versus tired / late day brain !!!
All my lack of having it stick may also go back to this precept. I think too that there was a social and cultural incentive to learn to play an instrument in the generations before radio – if you were shy you could sort of hide behind the piano but express yourself .. and a lady was considered more cultured if she had the art of music .. i think of judy garland musicals where people gathered round the piano to sing carols or other group hymns .. cue, the avett brothers singing “in the garden” my great grandfather’s favorite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfOG0xVfVR0
may the bower boys be inspired ..
My vote…DONT PAINT THE PIANO!!!
Personally, I’d leave the piano how it is! I like the warmth of the wood.
Piano looks perfect like it is – don’y paint it! What a great find.
I’m sure your mother will tell you this as well, but the piano needs to settle for about 6 weeks after moving before you get it tuned. It needs to acclimate to your home’s environment, humidty, etc.. And it’s good that it’s not on an outside wall, as temperature fluctuations can also cause tuning issues.
Hope the boys enjoy learning to play music – piano is a great gateway! I’ve played for 25+ years, and learned several other instruments along the way.
I would vote not to paint it at all. It’s a beautiful piece just the way it is.
Is the train removable? If so, that table (with containment edges) would be good for legos and hot wheels adventures too! If you pack up the train parts and bust out the chalkboard paint, you can open up a lot of imaginative play in that same space, which could *hopefully* keep legos and other sharp little parts out from under your heels and away from little crawlers!
Don’t paint it! I like the natural wood. Also, I don’t know if it’s just the picture, but that area with the chair looks kind of crowded, and I think the piano would look better centered under the map. Is there anywhere else in the room the chair could go?
I think the piano’s wood tones are beautiful as is! Is there anyway to restore it if it’s more scratched up than the pictures show?
An idea for the train table – Make a cover or lid. It’d look like a coffee table and could double as another play surface or coloring table when not being used for trains.
Congrats on the piano! My kiddos love ours. I wish every home could have a piano.
I vote white. Or white with some blue accents. 🙂 I love the way the playroom is shaping up. Looks so bright, fresh and fun.
Though painted pianos are SO tempting, (Then again, aren’t all pianos?!) I say leave it. Maybe slap a coat of lacquer finish, but Katie, the wood is beautifully and gets along great with your floors. I’d keep it classic.-If you ever want to move it, you’d have to tweak the paint, and if you ever wanted it original again…it would be a JOB! This piano is SO gorgeous and looks elegant with the pretty music stand. If it actually needs a touch up, (you can’t tell in the photos!) you could even try re-staining it in the same color or darker.-Or go for a glossy black!
Whatever you do, I’m sure it will be beautiful! (I can’t lie though…I’m lusting after your piano. haha)
Have the piano tuned before you paint it. The piano tuner will let you know what condition the piano is in, etc. We had one that was about $1000 to fix so that it would play correctly, definitely not worth the $$$$.
Oh no!! Don’t you paint that piano!!! It is a nice look to have the old wood there. I think it would be too much painted furniture in one room to paint the piano too. I do vote repainting the red book shelf, sticks out too much now. And I love the striped dresser, how fun!! May need to talk my hubby into that for our little girl, Agnes’s, big girl room. 🙂
You are a braver woman than I. I am a #fishkiller. They never seem to make it.
Oh wow! That’s a bargain to say the least.. How do u get so lucky?
Also since you have some knowledge in this area (cos of your mom). Would it be possible to suggest me a few of your top brands that I can buy…. And any particular website or store ? Please! 🙂
Thank u in advance
Love the big bear head, where did you find it?
Please don’t paint that piano. Please, I’m begging you with all my heart. Don’t do it. It’s beautiful as is. If one thing goes right for me today, let it be that you don’t paint that piano. And I love you and your blog and still will if you paint it. But don’t break my heart. Please. I love you. Bye.
A vote for a blue piano 🙂 Such a fun room!
Wow, what a great deal on that piano! I don’t think you should paint it…it’s lovely as is!
We absolutely need a chair in that room….I nurse in there daily and Jeremy sits in there if the boys are playing. So no…the chair has to stay…at least some kind of chair. And I do agree with you…maybe a smaller chair would work to help balance things out.
xo kb
Please don’t paint the piano. It is beautiful in its current state. Also, don’t let the boys climb on it…especially after you get it tuned. Pianos need respect, too.
I do like the wood piano but I love the idea of a blue piano too. 🙂 (no help here)
BUT have you ever thought of closing the nook (where the big toys are currently stashed) off so it didn’t look so awkward? If that door goes to a closet, that is. You could just pull that door off and it could be an awkward closet instead of an awkward nook. 🙂 Then you wouldn’t have to look at those big toys (my dream in my house…they’d be just out when Isaiah is playing with them)
I’m all in for painting the piano:)
Where did you get the bear head? I’ve been looking for similar faux taxidermy with little success.
Thanks!
Where did you get the white shelves? I have an acumulation of lego masterpieces and cars and such that need some shelves. I’m super pregnant too, so nothing DIY! I like the simple, clean look of yours. Whee can I get those?
PAINT IT PAINT IT PAINT IT!! I think you should paint it!!
Noooo, don’t paint the piano! It has such a beautiful finish and looks lovely just the way it is. 🙂 What a great find!
Where is the bear head from? Very cute!
Did you guys try the art gallery wall…………. it sounds like you are going to change up that wall anyway. How in the world did you find such a deal?? That would have sold for a couple hundred dollars at least where I live!
Yes paint the piano blue!!!
I really want to keep the shelving unit there because it is wider than the piano and that is the biggest wall.
xo – kb
The shelves are from Ikea.
xo – kb
That door is to the garage…weird, huh? But we would rather not remove the door just in case we need this space in the future to be accessible to the outside. I thought about making a wall and making that nook a closet that we could eventually remove but that is weird too. All these things seem odd so I am sure you feel my pain 🙂
xo – kb
My mom knows so many things and I wish I did. She told me to look for a really old english name when piano shopping. This is a very inexpensive student piano and there are so many that are probably better but I definitely went the cheap route 🙂
xo – kb
On ebay!
xo – kb
ebay! It’s made of straw!
xo – kb
EBay 🙂
xo – kb
The sides are more damaged than the front. I really don’t know if there is a way to restore it.
xo – kb
We can remove the train part but the table as a whole is what limits the space in the room.
xo – kb
I’ve been thinking that is the next step but honestly it’s not the top that is the biggest problem…it’s the sheer size in the room. If I had the piano bench in here, it would make nearly no room for playing.
xo – kb
Yes! My mom has lots of people that just have a keyboard!
xo – kb
Yes! We bought it back in Sept!
xo – kb
I’m loving this. I think curtains would probably be the best bet right now because at a certain point, this room’s function will probably change 🙂
xo – kb
The train part actually detaches. I did have some forethought there! It is all attached to a board that lays on the top of the table.
xo – kb
We actually made the train part separate. It is all glued to a separate plywood board. So if I need to move it out, I can.
xo – kb
Yes, we can remove the entire board with the train part on it. I love the table…I just don’t love how much space it takes up here. That’s what the problem is 🙁
xo- kb
I painted my piano (given to me by someone that had it stored in their garage) an aqua blue! I love it! I didn’t feel bad because it was free and not the top of the line piano. I am so happy I did it! 🙂 Please paint it! White or blue would be amazing! 🙂 Also, three cheers for being one of my favorite blogs! 🙂
Lookin’ good, Katie! I vote against painting the piano. It has a nice mid-century stain to it. Next to an updated chair, it will look really sharp and I love it’s orange undertone sitting under that map. What if you re-fabricated the train table into a murphy style train table? Could be fun! The underside could have elastic cords running across it so that you have a place to display art when it’s folded up. Or you could just get rid of it…we’ve got a train table and honestly, the boys don’t play with it enough. I’ve refabricated the top to be a lego top, but still even then, they seem to prefer playing on the floor (much to the dismay of my foot).
Seconded. As a musician and former piano salesperson, don’t paint it. It will ruin the sound. If you want to refinish it, get a piano restorer to quote you. The tuner will be able to give you a quote or a person to call.
Aww the three cheers made my day! Thank you!
xo – kb
If you decide to paint the piano, I’d go blue. It’s fun!
I don’t have a bear head in the playroom, but I do have an elephant head. We call him Oscar. Does you bear have a name? We also have a tall giraffe. He’s currently nameless.
Please DON’T PAINT THE PIANO!! The wood color is too nice to cover it up! I may be biased because I’m an instrumental instructor, but I grew up playing a black Steinway baby grand so I consider it sacrilege to paint over the gorgeous wood. PLEASE DON’T!! (Also, no telling what painting it would do to the quality of sound produced…) Wood helps it resonate!
I was going to suggest maybe a pouf or a seat similar (one that may be a bit more comfortable for nursing) may be good? It’ll be small enough to let the piano be the eye catcher yet enough detail to ‘finish the room’. Just kinda thinking aloud. 🙂
Perhaps you could make a bit of an entry way/storage unit there? I’m not sure if you use that entrance, but I would at least keep to where I could. So maybe a cute little table or bench there with a lamp and some fun art? Something boy friendly (and boyfriend-ly ;D) that you don’t have to worry about too much and provides some storage.(-something similar to your living room coffee table, but on a scale that would fit in there?)
I also vote that the train table get kicked to the basement or something. One thing that my mom did was rotate our toys. So she would put all but a few of them away, and we would play with those for a while. After exhausting those toys, we would get to pick out a new toy from the toy closet and play with it for a bit, while the ‘old’ toys got a break. It was like Christmas every time we got to visit the toy closet! Occasionally when we were sick, or really good, or were having a play date we would get to get extra toys out (with our other friends in mind. Like “what would they like or want to play with? What could we play with together?” etc. It helped eliminate clutter in our matchbox of a house, while still allowing us to be kids. 🙂
Instead of painting the piano. how about painting the book rack? I’m not one of those “don’t paint the wood!” people, but I just like the color of the piano in that room. The book rack looks bulky in that color, however.
Please, please, please do NOT paint that piano. The stain looks beautiful and in good shape and that will instantly devalue what might be the most amazing thrift deal ever. That brand of piano, while not a Steinway, is still very reputable and comparable new pianos from them run into the thousands. Enjoy your $30 find in its original, vintage condition (with replacement keys, if needed and tuning!).
Bear with me:
1. I haven’t read all previous comments, so I apologize if I repeat thoughts.
2. I say a $30 piano is worth being painted
3. IF you could move the aquarium to the wall across the bathroom, it would cut down on sunlight.
4. The train table takes up a lot of real estate
5. I see the 2 small wooden chairs. What about a table to use with the chairs and put it against that wall.
6. Bean bags or big pillows placed at the back of the nook for a special reading spot, twinkle lights would be nice 😉 and if there isn’t power back there, perhaps one could be put there?
7. Have you considered hanging some DIY mobiles from the ceiling?
8. I have a ‘gallery wall with framed book covers from favorite books. Wonder if a quality color scanner could reproduce some of your favorites?
9. Love your blog
10. Can you tell I’m laid up and can’t work on my own projects? ❤
I would not paint the piano because it is beautiful as is, but that’s just a personal preference so whatever floats your boat!
I’d also consider other options besides moving the train table out if they do play with it. I’d move the giant bookcase out entirely and put the books in something smaller. Then I’d move the train table over to the wall the bookcase was on, and you’d have most of the floor in the center of the room open. Not sure what you keep in the dresser, but I’d consider moving that somewhere else too.
another question, at what age would your mom recommend starting piano lessons? I have never done them but would love to start my children, just not sure what age to start.
Another vote for don’t paint it. I love the warmth of the wood & you wouldn’t want to mess with the sound quality!
As soon as I saw the piano the first thing I thought was “I hope she paints it!” Haha. I’m going to vote for blue. A navy blue would look so pretttttty!
Please, please dont paint that piano. That’s a legitimate piano manufacturer and a historic piece! It will be gorgeous for years.
I do love the bear head 🙂
Do you rotate your toys? I’ve found my kids play better with less toys, so we always keep at least half of them in the garage, and rotate through them every six weeks or so. I also keep puzzles and games in a different room, and bring those out for a special activity. You could rotate the train table in and out, which would help them play with it more when it is in the playroom!
Also, I think the book storage thing, while awesome looking, takes up too much real estate in the relatively small room. Could you move that and the dresser/fish tank somewhere else? Maybe the dresser and tank can go at the top of your stairs?
Oh my goodness. Serious jealousy alert here!!
$30!!! That is insanely amazing. I don’t have space for a piano right now but when it does happen I’ll be feeling the excitement you described.
Also, check out my Etsy store for art ideas. I’m happy to customise too.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/poppylovestogroove
I vote for a white piano! So gorgeous and will work in multiple spaces if you choose to move it. It makes me kind of sad how cheap pianos are these days. I have even seen some free ones around here. People need to play more! I love that you got one for your family!
I think that she recommends that students start at age four with Yamaha if you have it available in your area. It’s a really great program for little ones. She did that with Cole and then she usually starts lessons around 6. That way they have enough basic knowledge and the parent is learning too!
xo – kb
We don’t use that entrance at all – it’s kept locked at all times. I would consider rotating the toys (we used to) but honestly I feel like they should all fit in this room…I mean…that’s a lot of toys if you have a whole playroom PLUS storage toys. Thoughts?
xo – kb
Good thoughts! We actually did have a little table but LJ was doing too much climbing on it and we felt like removing was better than constantly flirting with disaster. I love the reading nook idea. Anything with twinkle lights is a winner 🙂 I love the book cover idea too!
xo – kb
A few ideas….what if you remove the red bookshelf and gallery wall. Then, do picture frame ledges where the gallery wall was, and put the books from the shelf there. Consolidate the items in the blue and white dresser so they all fit in the cubes. The dresser goes to another room. This might free up enough space to keep the train table in there!
Also, I’m in the don’t paint the piano camp. The stain is so classic. With a bench painted black to tie in with the cubes, I think it will really pull the room together.
Thanks for letting us all suggest ideas! It’s fun to see everyone’s take on it. Can’t wait to see what you decide 🙂
Do NOT paint that beautiful piano!!
I love the red bookcase! Vibrant colour is good, especially in a playroom.
I don’t know about the piano; I like the natural wood, but I’d paint that rather than the bookcase.
And I’d definitely vote for moving the train table. You could always bring it back up from the basement in a year or so and it would be like having it new again. Plus, of course, in the meantime, you’d have valuable floor space for playing …in the playroom. 🙂 🙂
It’s a lovely room.
I can’t even believe you bought that gorgeous piano for $30. I am JEALOUS! Seriously. I grew up with a piano. It was free and given to my parents by our church and we had it for a few years and a few dozen lessons before my parents ended up giving it to a friend who wanted to learn. Since my sister had no interest and I had given up on it my parents were glad to get rid of it. But honestly? I wish we had kept it. I would love to get a piano but sadly I have no idea where I would put it or how I would get it in my house. I personally wouldn’t paint that piano because the finish is gorgeous but if you do decide to paint it, you should go turquoise! Such a fun and pretty color. Whatever you decide, I hope your boys love it!
I missed where the bear head was from:( Too cute. Love it and need it. I think you can go either way with painting or not but the work involved seems daunting and might not hold up well with 4 little sets of hands on it often. So maybe leave it be:)
Piano is great!
For that nook, I think you would like a giant rolling storage cart. Maybe something like this… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylhw2YXsUYE. Stores a TON, and yet still easily accessed when you want it, throw it back in and it’s all neat again.
ebay! I will share a link when I get the art up!
xo – kb
I need the dresser because it is the perfect size for the tank and the craft supplies while still being out of reach of little hands (the boys crayons and coloring books and all that is in there as well as the fish tank stuff!)….and if the books are up high, how will the boys get them? Just wondering how I could make that work.
xo – kb
I used to rotate them but now I don’t…I do keep all the puzzles and games out of reach (they are in the living room cabinets) so that becomes new to them. I just feel like having a whole playroom is PLENTY of space for their toys (not counting the outside stuff and games and puzzles) so rotating things in and out was so much work!
xo – kb
That is with a piece of black paper and a light focused on him…just trace the shadow and cut it out! Then you glue the black paper on white 🙂
xo – kb
I agree with this!! I’m not against painting wood – but the piano color looks really great in the light bright room. I would totally paint the shelving under the art gallery instead!
Bahahaha, clearly I am a child-free commenter! I was focused on how to increase the floor space for playing and forgot about, you know, the whole kids wanting to reach things they can play with/needing kids to not reach things they shouldn’t situation. ;P
What I was thinking is that the red shelf, dark brown/black cubes, and blue/white dresser don’t have a flow between them. They all look great on their own but all together in one room, especially with a piano that may add a fourth color, and walls painted a different color, it feels a little chaotic. Maybe if they were all the same color it would feel less crowded. But, I think if all of those pieces stay, the train table just has to go because as you said, it takes up a lot of the floor space and then where will the boys play?
I love challenges like this…like Tetris but with stuff you actually use instead of pixelated graphics. In our house, I usually decide how I want the room to function and then remove things that don’t serve those functions. So, right now it’s a nursing/playing/trains/fish/music/storage room. Maybe if you pick 3-4 of those things that are most important and move the other 2-3 functions to another space, the design decisions will come clear. Please keep us posted!
I’m also looking into a piano! But my comment has nothing to do with the piano, but just the piano lessons. 😉 I STRONGLY suggest Let’s Play Music. They teach total muscianship – it’s a 3 year program that starts with 5 year olds. The entire first year they teach the “first” instrument: your voice. They sing, they play, they dance, all in a group setting. Year 2 they’re put on a piano and by graduation time most kids can transpose their own music. You do have a mom who can teach your child for free, but I highly recommend you look into the program, if its in your area.
PLEASE DO NOT paint that beautiful piano, Please! The wood is pretty as is and you have so much things that are painted, you could leave just one thing unpainted, the piano. go crazy on its stool. But it is your piano, so whatever you decide. 🙂