** I’ve had a lot of inquiries from wonderful people offering the piano a good home and I believe it has found one. Thanks so much to all who were interested! **
Yep, you read the title right. I am offering our 100+ year old upright piano for free. If you read my book, you know the story behind the piano. For those who haven’t or need a refresher, Jeff gave me this piano. I grew up in a musical family and I’ve wanted a piano for a long time. When we moved to this area almost 8 years ago, one surfaced at a church yard sale. It was $300, which was more money we had to spend on something that wasn’t groceries or diapers. I looked a the posted picture and sighed, knowing we just couldn’t swing it.
A few days later, Jeff was working late and being very secretive about it. When he finally did come home, he told me to wait in the back of the house. I heard voices, shuffling, scooting and my curiosity was piqued. Jeff finally said I could come into the living room…and there was the piano.
It didn’t sell at the yard sale, so the owner offered it to someone for free. Jeff happened to be standing in the office when the church secretary was asked to try to find a home for the piano. He rented a truck and gathered six guys to help him move the piano to our house.
With all of the furniture that has come and gone, this piano has stayed put. Before I had a second baby and started a business, I would play through lesson books, trying to improve my very mediocre playing ability.
I’ve enjoyed the warm patina of the old wood and the beauty of the keys gently discolored with age.
I’m sure it needs to be tuned, but it is fairly in tune with itself, so it’s playable and it has a beautiful sound.
There are some changes coming up (more on that later), so we’re ready to let go of the piano and we’d like to give it away. It was given to us, so we feel it’s fitting. If you’re interested, you have to be willing to pick it up (we live near Gettysburg, PA). It has a full cast iron plate on the back, so it really does take about six strong people to move it. Just send me an e-mail if you’d like it (marian@missmustardseed.com).
Over the past week or two, I have started browsing Craig’s List for furniture pieces to refurbish for our second look book and for the Chapel Market. I spotted a Victorian settee and chair set and decided to venture out from my usual style and get them…
Just imagine this settee painted in Ironstone milk paint with natural hemp upholstery. It looks a little stodgy and serious now, but I think it’s going to look fresh and beautiful when I’m done with it. Hopefully this will be a successful venture into a different style!
I also picked up this killer screen door. I have no clue what I’m going to do with it, yet, but it made my heart go pitter pat, so I pulled the tag off in 10 seconds flat.
Lastly, I started styling a Christmas photo shoot today and had to share a preview…
Isn’t that just so pretty? I love it when simple elements come together in a striking way…
38 Responses
Oh how much I wish I lived in the area! I grew up playing the piano ( I used to have my own grand piano growing up), and after having two kids and not playing it for 19 years, I recently started to practice again with my electric piano. About a month ago, my electric piano broke and I sort of fixed it with packing tape (!) I still practice every day with the tape on, but buying a used piano is not within our budget right now. I really hope you’ll find a good home for your beloved piano! Blessings. xx
Check Craig’s List daily. My area has at least 2 pianos a month, sometimes more. In the last 3 weeks there was both a grand and a baby grand. Good luck!
Thank you so much Gay! I’ll definitely look into it! Hopefully I’ll find one soon 🙂
xx Yuko
I am absolutely IN LOVE with your web-site and blog Marian! My husband and I purchased a six piece set of East Lake furniture, which includes four dining room chairs, a rocking chair and a settee, which is about the same size as the one you purchased. Unfortunately, the pieces we purchased (and we got them for a STEAL) are basically just the bones & springs. There was no upholstery to remove & use for pattern pieces and I am SO overwhelmed at even the thought of upholstering them EVEN with after watching your tutorial, that I’m about to talk myself right out of trying. 🙁 I’m excited to paint them with your milk paint and I have lots of confidence in painting but upholstery not so much. Any good advice other than just DO IT? lol
* EVEN after (not with) 🙂
You can also sign up for FREECYCLE.ORG to get things for FREE. It’s so items that are still useful don’t get sent to landfills. Make sure to look for your local area. Good Luck!!
Oh that settee! Absolutely gorgeous it will be with milk paint and hemp upholstery.
Sue
Love the Christmas preview..so simple and pretty. Can we assume that the change you mention is that you have sold your house, thus needing the piano to be moved?????
That piano story is so heartwarming. I hope someone really special gets it.I’m so looking forward to seeing that sette when you finish with it, I know it will be stunning. Christmas already? well I guess it will be here in the blink of an eye. Beautiful pics, the Christmas shoot looks amazing.
Marian, can you tell me where I can buy more of that hemp linen you use to upholster your furniture? I bought some from you at Lucketts but I need more! Like a lot more! 2 chairs, 2 settees and 2 ottomans I’d like to use it for. Thanks 🙂
Yeah, it’s amazing stuff, isn’t it? There are some hemp sheets available in my online shop… http://missmustardseed.bigcartel.com/product/antique-heavy-weight-hemp-sheet. These are the heavier weight ones, which are great for upholstery.
Giving away what was given to you is like “paying it forward”! How refreshing.
The settee is just begging for your touch. Can’t wait to see the results.
Marian,
Hope the old piano finds a good home soon. Speaking of finding a new home, I think there will be some big news soon!
Glad you branched out! That settee is killer and will look fabulous mustardized!
What a nice way to pay it forward. i hope the piano goes to a home that is going to cherish it as much as you have.
I think my heart would have went pitter pat if i would have come across that screen door. It would make a great pantry door.
Love the Christmas styling. It is very stunning.
I purchased a similar screen door a year ago. Mine did not have the screening in it and was still mostly natural wood and had the hold hammered hinges I cleaned and waxed the wood and hung it horizontally on the wall above the sofa in our family room. I hang other objects on the wall in the spaces provided for in the door design, sort of like a giant picture frame. It looks fabulous.
Love the story behind the piano…I’m still trying to teach myself how to play…much harder for this Grandma to learn, but I’m determined!
I’ve seen screendoors used as a pantry door…maybe your new farmhouse will have a Butler’s pantry that you could use it in.
How amazing is that screen door! I would save the awesomness for your new home. The story behind the piano made me tear up. There is nothing better than a man who loves you..
Thank you for sharing!
Alison
That’s awesome that you guys would give your piano away. Too bad I’m not close. Can’t wait to see how the chair comes out, and to see the Christmas decor.
I can’t wait to see what you do with the settee. I have one and a matching chair from my great grandparent’s farm. My granmother recovered it in 70’s orange at one point. It looks great in my living room but I would like something more neutral as I want to get rid of the red and orange accents I have. I received an old screen door a couple of months ago and love it. I just placed it in my guest room and it softens the room beautifully!
Oh my goodness – I can’t imagine getting rid of a special gift like that! So sentimental. I hope the new owners will love it just as much.
Love the screen door and now I’m off to Etsy/Ebay to search for some of the little cups, perhaps in ironstone instead of transferware. Those would be lovely on a table anytime!
I can’t wait to see what you do to that settee!!!
I love that settee! I actually spotted one at a little antique store where we live and told my husband how much I loved it…and we went on our way. A few weeks later my husband went out to buy us groceries…and when he came back the little settee was in my dining room! It looks very similar to yours! I have always wanted to reupholster it, but I just don’t know with what yet. I am excited to see what you do with yours!
Ahhhh… Marian, i love it that you gave the piano away instead of selling it. That was the perfect thing to do. Love your little candles and moss in the cup too. So simple and pretty…
Cindy
Scored not one, but TWO matching screen doors at auction and am planning to hang them on either side of a awkward sized cased opening from a hall into a sitting room. Question now is wheather to leave in the lovely aged “many coats of brown’ state or to add a little new happiness with paint color.
I love the screen door… good call!!
I cannot wait to see what you do with that settee!!!
the old piano keys are real Ivory. Plus moving a piano is not hard, you just need to use your brain and not your brawn. Use a low rolling dolly (meaning not an upright one). Lift one end of the piano and have someone place the rolling dolly in the mid section of the piano. Make sure the piano is centered on the dolly. Roll it the beast up planks into the bed of a truck (or preferably onto a low trailer). Yup…moved a bunch of pianos with my father’s piano business. It’s an upright so it should be strapped in the center of the trailer or truck to keep the vehicle from swaying. Plus it’s top heavy and can easily topple over. Good luck to the movers.
It is practically IMPOSSIBLE to give a piano away. I’ve had my 1966 Gulbransen spinet/console listed on Craigslist for MONTHS (for free). Lots of people are interested but no one has come through.
Kaelsma, sometimes folks are suspicious of something for free…. Offer it up for $25 and it will sell immediately!!
Marian, loved your comment about the piano being “fairly in tune with itself”… ha, so sweet! We can all only hope to be in tune with ourselves also…. I was trained in piano, and still love to play the old favorites like Fur Elise and Love is Blue…..
Love the Holiday Preview too!!
Oh, I LOVE the settee, and I am sure it will look gorgeous once you are done painting and re-upholstering.
So, what changes are you talking about? Did the house sell? Are you moving?
LOVE the screen door. I didn’t read the rest of the comments, so maybe someone else already suggested this-turn it into a mirror.
That screen door made my heart go pitter patter, too. I finally found one to fit the narrow doorway of my pantry, but it has no gingerbread or trim of any kind. Your’s is a beaut!
Where did you find those skinny candles? I’ve been looking for some for a while without any luck. Thanks!
Looking forward to seeing what you do with the setee. I really don’t like that style at all.
Such a lovely piano and bless you for offering up such a sweet deal! and oh my goodness, that settee is such a fantastic piece, I simply cannot wait to see what you do with it! The screen door is pretty fabulous and I would have fallen for that too! xoxo ~ashley
the screen door is a definite winner…..WTG
I’d love a grand piano like that, it’s such a wonderful thing to have!