10 Ways to Decorate Around Your Piano

Pianos are beautiful and elegant instruments, but when it comes to placing one in your home or business, it can be a bit tricky to find the perfect space. Immediately dominating the room due to their size, pianos can either create a visual masterpiece or look a bit awkward and misplaced. We think your piano should stand out for the beautiful instrument it is, so we’re giving you 10 Ways to Decorate Around Your Piano!

1. Pick a Theme

(Image credit: Sofia Jansson)

This is a perfect opportunity to geek out over your favorite thing! Whether it’s your favorite musical artist, travel destination, or animal, picking a theme can be a great way to dress up your piano. You can even choose your family as the theme, decorating your piano with photos and family heirlooms. Check out this example of a travel-inspired theme:

Shop travel inspired wall art: here

Another one of our favoirite piano room ideas is, surprise, music!

Adding decor with a music theme to your practice space will keep you focused and inspired as your musical expertise continues to progress.

2. Choose a Color Scheme

There’s just something so aesthetically pleasing when everything looks like it goes together. Try using the largest pattern in your space for color scheme inspiration! Take colors from a large, elegant rug, or even from your favorite piece of art. Another strategy is limiting the color scheme to just three colors; narrowing down your scheme will help create a more cohesive space and makes it easier for your piano to fit in rather than awkwardly stand out.

(Image credit: Genevieve Garruppo)

Shop wall art here.

Color scheme is also important to think about when placing a piano in a larger room with a lot of furniture. Darker pianos fit well with lighter furniture, and lighter pianos fit well with darker furniture. The contrast between the two creates depth in your room, rather than everything matching and getting muddled together.

Adding a bold, stand-out piece to your music room decor makes a great focal point and conversation starter. Enhance your color scheme by starting with a basic palette and adding complementary colors.

(Image credit: bloglovin)

3. ‘Tis the Season

If you’re one of those people who goes all-out when decorating for each season, you may as well decorate your piano, too! Adding seasonal decorations to your piano is a fun way to keep things fresh throughout the year. Use the color and style of your piano as your base color, then decorate using colors that complement the hue of your piano. Below is a great example of how a subdued green, white, and red palette around the piano’s brown hue welcomes the Christmas season into the space.

If you have a piano that you leave open for aesthetic value or the sweet ring of the keys, you can still decorate it for the seasons. Large hurricane vases that flank the sides of the piano are great opportunities for swapping out seasonal decorations without having to place things on top of your prized musical instrument. Many prefer piano room ideas that are easily modified over stationary installations.

Shop seasonal decor at Michaels or World Market.

4. Keep it Musical

For those that are actually practicing on their pianos every day, it may be a good idea to keep your piano room an actual musical room. For this space, it’s all about what inspires you and keeps you motivated to play. Try balancing the space with white walls and floors, like the picture below, so any brighter colors can be eye-catching but not overpowering. It will definitely help you stay motivated and focused throughout your practice!

Following the theme of a music room decor, adding the musical instruments you currently play to your decor by displaying them on the wall hooks or stands is another wonderful wa to keep your skills sharp.

(Image credit: Kristen Loken)

Shop trendy and fun chalkboards: here. Shop music stands: here.

5. Set the Mood

Another way to maximize your piano practicing time is to create a relaxed environment with your decor. Cool grays and off-whites can help make the room feel airy and light, and adding a few candles, small photos, small plants, or whatever it takes to help you relax can make it easier for you to concentrate and play.

If you are concerned about the integrity of your piano and spillable items or open flames make you nervous, there are also alternatives to traditional soothing spa features that you can turn to for tranquility:

• Plug-in diffusers
• Faux greenery 
• Succulents and air plants 
• Humidifier to reduce swelling

Shop beautiful and relaxing candles: here.

6. Be a Minimalist

Minimalist decorators everywhere have proved that a little can go a long way! This kind of decoration is especially effective if you have a detailed piano (like one with a marble pattern) or a large grand piano. Sometimes, simple is best!

(Image credit: vtwonen)

Shop minimalist wall art: here.

Another way to achieve the minimalist look is to simply let your piano be the center of attention. Sometimes a piano is just beautiful enough that it doesn’t need any accessories. In this case, you’ll need to create space in your room, perhaps in a corner or nook, by moving your furniture around the piano. This will allow your piano to look like it’s there on purpose, naturally drawing eyes and attention.

If you decide that the area needs no additions and the space is stunning enough with just the piano, consider adding drama from above for your music room decor. A hanging chandelier, either hardwired or corded, can add focused lighting that creates a different feel for when your piano takes center stage.

(Image credit: houzz)

7. Channel Mother Nature

Plants definitely bring a fun and homey vibe to any room. If you’re not committed to the upkeep, grab a few succulents or fake plants! Also, be cautious of plants that are overly moist or require a lot of water, as the humidity can mess with the tuning of your piano.

Colors seen together in nature always work well in decorating a home, especially when pairing two most-popular earth tones: brown and green. Using different shades of green and brown around your piano will help give your space a more multi-toned look.

(Image credit: Erica Chan)

If plants aren't your thing, try some other piano room ideas with a natural vibe.

Rattan seating is both flexible and comfortable. Macrame magazine racks can be repurposed to hold sheet music and practice books. Macrame plant holders can also be repurposed for holding tuners, metronomes, kazoos, and recording devices.

(Image credit: Boston Design Guide)

Shop indoor plants: here.

8. Work It into Your Music Library

Or your regular library! Working books around your piano is not only a great decoration, but it’s practical, too. If you have a lot of books or extra decor, try keeping the color of any bookshelves light, like pictured below, to help keep the space feeling open and decluttered.

Keeping your sheet music books or theory binders easily accessible makes practice more straightforward and pragmatic. If you are teaching young ones simultaneously, the less time you waste is more time you can spend on practicing form and function.

(Image credit: Lovely Life)

If you need a place to escape from hectic and busy days, darker bookshelves can create a more tranquil and relaxed feel in your room. Try pairing dark bookshelves with dark furniture and flooring as well, like the picture below.

Image credit: olsonkundigarchitects.com

Shop fun and inventive bookshelves: here.

9. Mirror, Mirror

Mirrors have commonly been hung in order to make spaces feel bigger and brighter. Why not try the same thing with your piano room? Need help staying focused while playing? On the opposite walls that are reflected in the mirror, try hanging muted-colored frames and pictures, like pictured below, so your eyes aren’t as easily distracted. Otherwise, hang brightly colored art or musical decor so the mirror will help reflect your personality more!

Another smart way to use mirrors as part of the decor is to purchase antiqued versions that still offer reflection, but more patina and history. The reflection will be less clear and less distracting, and more mellow. Antique mirrors can often fetch a high price, but replicas are easily found in modern stores.

(Image credit: One Kings Lane)

Shop wall mirrors: here.

10. Create a Gallery Wall

Gallery walls can be a grouping of photos, paintings, mirrors, and anything else you could think of! It’s a fun chance to make something your own. Find frames that complement your piano hue to really make the space feel cozy and unique.

Gallery walls also serve as excellent backdrops for grand pianos. We recommend something subtle and not too distracting, as grand pianos generally grab attention on their own.

For your music room décor, consider all different kinds of sheet music that have been instrumental in your life to fill the frames of a gallery wall.

Musicnotes has a large selection of sheet music for diverse needs. A selection of frames can add interest, and nearly anything can be printed on wrapped canvas. Going the extra mile and creating title markers for each piece is a creative and personal memento that your family will treasure and guests will love.

(Image credit: Lekre Hjem)

Shop wall art: here.

We hope that these piano decorating tips have left you inspired and overflowing with ideas. But, most importantly, we hope you can’t wait to get back to playing your piano! #StayMusical!