An Alternative Household Use For A Broken Piano That Turns Trash Into Treasure
Old upright pianos can be quite beautiful even when their playing days are over. The wood craftsmanship of a vintage or antique piano often reveals an intriguing mix of style and purpose that can be a stunning addition to your home. If you happen to have one in your home or stumble across these pieces in your exploring, you may wonder what use it might fill if it is damaged or unplayable. Old pianos can be difficult to move and store, which can prevent a challenge in removing them, so many people just hang onto them. But there's a great way to upcycle these beautiful pieces as part of your décor, including converting a piano into a stunning bar or a sewing table for your craft room. One very popular upcycle is taking these sizeable wood pieces and making them into a functional piece of furniture as a stylish desk.
Creating a desk is a great way to upcycle your old piano if you love music or just want a distinctive, unique piece of furniture in your home. If you don't have an upright piano to work with, second-hand venues like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist often have people selling non-working pianos or piano casings at a steal.
Convert an old piano into a functional desk
To turn a piano into a musically-inspired DIY desk for your home, you will need to remove the front panel above the keys, leaving the rest of the casing and leg. Remove the hammer bar from the inside, opening up the space that leads to the wooden back of the instrument. You can leave the keys in place since they are what will retain the look of the piano in your finished upcycle, as well as the wiring attached at the back of the piano's posterior soundboard. Add a custom piece of glass over the keys to create a flat surface for you to work on that rests on top. While you could also use wood for the top, glass will allow you to see the original keys underneath, giving it a bit more vintage charm. If the keys are missing or damaged, no worry! You can add custom-cut plywood to create your desk surface. You could also remove the wires against the backboard if you want a more finished desk look. Or, in place of the cables, re-surface the pack panel with old sheet music from your favorite composers or plays.
There are numerous ways to customize your piano desk, including painting it or adding lights around the interior, which will not only give you light to work by but also illuminate the piano interior and keys. You could also build a shelf within the casing or add drawers and compartments to store small items on the surface or underneath.