Friday, August 21, 2009

Piano Bench Revamp...


I was all energized and inspired yesterday so I picked up my handy dandy screwdriver (it has a cow print on it...it's pretty much cowtastic) and started taking apart the piano bench:



(Mom and Dad, you might want to look away now. I know this upholstery fabric was o-so-stylin' back in the day, but it had to go. What you'll see next might pain you.)

Next up, boring needle-nose pliers to start yanking out staples:



This got old QUICK. So much so, that I found a better method as opposed to yanking out each staple one by one.

I started cutting the fuzzy maroon upholstery fabric. It was actually kind of strange. Not to go and get all philosophical on you, but all three of us kids sat on this bench to learn to play piano. It almost felt like I was destroying a piece of my childhood when cutting it....OK, moment's over!



I found by cutting and then yanking the fabric I popped out most of the staples:



Then I traipsed up to my craft room to finish the project. I made sure to iron the fabric first and then centered the bench, foam pad side down, on top of it.



Start stapling! I love my staple gun. It's therapeutic. I made sure to pull the fabric tight and mitered the corners, like a good CNA should do.



Trimmed the excess fabric:



Then added a coordinating liner fabric, edges tucked in as nice as you please:



Then began the arduous task of reattaching the hardware...which I completed without the use of a drill or a male. Proud of me Dad? And yes, it DOES open and close, and yes it IS centered correctly.



Nevermind that I have one puncture wound and five blisters.

Here is my finished, revamped piano bench:



I TOTALLY would have painted the wood black, but I respect my Father's health way too much to do that to him. See, he made this bench by hand, and in his book painting Mahogany is akin to spray painting a diamond.

I am happy with the results, it makes me smile:



Hmmm, (peering around the house) what ELSE can I revamp?

A

Check out Kimba's blog for more DIY projects!

17 comments :

  1. It looks GREAT! And I agree, staple guns are therapeutic. I'm so jonesing for a piano right now. My piano, my childhood one, is 2000 miles away in WA. Did you dad make the piano too??

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  2. Great job, fantastic improvement! Again you are so talented!

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  3. Lovin' it! You are totally impressing me with your creative ways :)

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  4. Love it that it took you all of one day to accomplish what you said in your prior post might take months. :) AND so true about Dad and the painting, love it!

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  5. NICE! Nat was just telling me I need to do this at our home!

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  6. Um, you said you might not get to this for like a month! Come on! Your just making the rest of us look bad! Please tell me your house is a mess, you have a mountain of laundry and your kids watched TV all day, just so I can feel better about myself:) Great job though, It looks very cute:)

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  7. Sara Winterfeld (Eekhoff)August 21, 2009 at 1:04 PM

    I agree w/ Ande...please do tell us you let everything else slide when you turn into Martha Stewart. My piano bench is not currently upholstered....but it is also not looking too swell....maybe I too can upholster a piano bench. But then I'll have to commit to fabric, I'm not so good with decisions.

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  8. Well done! Really like the fabric choice. I've got some kitchen chairs that really could use a makeover so come on down when you have some extra time!

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  9. Well done! Really like the fabric choice. I've got some kitchen chairs that really could use a makeover so come on down when you have some extra time!

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  10. I love it! What great fabric! I really must redo my kitchen chairs!

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  11. LoVeLy!! Once in a while I'm tempted to paint my grandma's old piano....I just feel bad. I think I could manage to get away with a bench cover. Nice.
    ~Andy @ poppiesatplay.blogspot.com

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  12. It looks great! I love the fabric you chose!

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  13. Great makeover! I love the spray paiting a diamond comment! SOOO My Dad Too!

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  14. it turned out beautiful.. and is really inspiring! i'm getting a "hand me down" piano from my mom and can't wait, but have been dreaming of ways that i can update it. i'm definitely going to have to do this as well! a puncture wound and five blisters is a little scary, though!!!

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