Most people see a piano and think that it’s just a musical instrument. Artist and musician Jonathan Miranda Sickmeyer had a different idea when he found an old upright piano on Craigslist. The thing was listed as free—the person posting it wrote that if no one wanted it, the 110-year-old piano was off to the dump. “All the keys were stripped of [their] ivory so I couldn’t salvaged any of it,” Sickmeyer recalled on Bored Panda. So rather than pass it by, he decided to transform it into a unique piano desk.
Sickmeyer began his DIY project by heading to a lumber mill. There, he selected a slab of wood for the desktop and had it cut into a 2-feet-wide by 6-feet-long board. This was just large enough to fit inside where the keys once were. He then planed and stained the wood. Afterwards, it was time to select lighting. “I wanted an elegant lighting system for the desk,” he explained; later, Sickmeyer installed warm, adjustable recessed illumination. In total, six lights were placed in the piano.
The most labor-intensive (and smelly) part of the project was coating the desktop with epoxy. “It was either this or glass, and this was cheaper,” Sickmeyer wrote. “And more fun, I think.” The process involved pouring multiple layers of the sticky material onto the board and then using a blowtorch to pop any air bubbles. Once fully dry, Sickmeyer’s work was almost done. He polished the rest of the piano’s wood and placed it among the cozy leather furniture of his home.
The handiwork is stunning. Sickmeyer’s one-of-a-kind piece of furniture showcases the intricate inner working of the instrument while producing a dynamic backdrop for his iMac. It’s easily the most eye-catching piece in the room.
Despite the incredible metamorphosis, some have criticized Sickmeyer’s project. “People will say that I ruined a fine piano, but I feel the opposite to that,” he responds. “I was able to take this piano, that was going to be thrown away, and give [it] a new purpose in life.”
Here’s what the piano looked like before Jonathan Miranda Sickmeyer found it.
The first step in the piano desk transformation began at the lumber yard, where he picked up this slab of wood.
Sickmeyer says he used a hand planer for about 30 minutes before buying an electric one.
After the desktop was prepared, he bought recessed lighting from Amazon.
Once the lights were shining bright, it was time to epoxy the desktop.
The blowtorch helped get rid of any air bubbles that formed.
The final step was to polish the rest of the piano wood.
Sickmeyer placed the unit in his house, and it looks fantastic among his cozy decor.
Jonathan Miranda Sickmeyer: Website | Behance | Facebook
h/t: [Design You Trust]