what to do with this piano?
Heather
5 years ago
I have a piano which neither looks attractive nor does it create a particularly nice sound! I wondered if anyone had ever turned a piano into something else, like a desk? Or anything else? And how they went about it? I have zero ideas other than a desk...
I’m loathed to sell it as it belonged to my late grandmother so it does have sentimental value, but I don’t play it much and it’s just taking up space at the moment looking rather ugly...
Any ideas?
I’m loathed to sell it as it belonged to my late grandmother so it does have sentimental value, but I don’t play it much and it’s just taking up space at the moment looking rather ugly...
Any ideas?
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Comments (7)
E D
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Patrina
5 years agohmmmm unusual but not uncommon as i've found on another app, here are the pictorial evidence I've gathered :-)
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Comments (37)Looking at it, I think it's a mishmash of periods. the mantelpiece and overmantle is characteristic of a late victorian/edwardian style. We are more used to seeing these with vertical side panels of decorative ceramic tiles and a cast iron firebasket raised off the floorlevel. the actual ceramic glazed fire you have in there appears possibly to be anywhere between 20s & 50s, probably a replacement because the original burned out (assuming it's in the main living room it will have been a main source of heat for the house). So the question is, what do you love and what do you hate about it? Because it's not working for you right now. Usually edwardian fireplaces with an overmantel (and edwardian/victorian furniture in general) comes apart into sections. the tricky bit is finding which sections! But I'd imagine the entire overmantel with the mirror could be taken off leaving the mantelpiece intact, albeit with peg holes that would need filling on the top of the mantel at the back. Usually there were wooden pegs and holes for placement. If you are on a very tight budget, and assuming you don't want to keep the rather lurid carpet, simply keeping what is there, and adding a fender would work (as someone suggested above). You can get low level ones in brass that are extendable to fit relatively cheaply, or there's vintage ones that range from low level right up to having padded seats. If you intend to actually USE the fire, then it may be possible to pull up the 20th century ceramic tiles (if that's what they are) lay a screed underneath and then relay the tiles a bit higher so they are proud of the floor level. If any are broken it might be possible to relay them at the edges where they are less in the way - but at the end of the day, open fires are messy and what you really need is a slab of clean smooth hearthstone to make it easy to keep clean. Alternatively if you don't like early 20th century mashups, then you could (carefully) take out the fireplace, sell it on (someone would love it - personally I don't like the murkiness of that sort of fireplace ceramic colourwise, but I do recognise it's a nice and unusual example of the genre) and buy a replica more suited to the surround. You can get some rather nice ceramic edwardian style tiles for the sides. Have you tried to light the fire? it may be the hood is necessary if the chimney doesn't draw well. Or it could just be an aesthetic choice a previous owner made without considereing how the fire actually performs. As people have said above, you can paint it. Whatever paint you use, make sure you aren't totally knackering the wood underneath in case you want to have it stripped back to wood in future. The suggestion of hanging a picture over the oval mirror is a good one. Though I suspect with a different less instituttional carpet and the fitted cupboard gone, a judicious choice of plants or ornaments might make the whole thing recede into the room as a whole and be less 'in your face' at the end of the day, it's actually a time and labour intensive decorative heat source, so if you aren't going to have an open fire, and it's not a listed building, consider selling it and getting rid completely. It's a mishmash anyway that doesn't work so well aesthetically, though individually the separate parts of edwardian/ mid 20th century do have charm. but together? ouch you are living with some dearly departed's poor design choices! Which I suspect are not going to be so easy to marry together. Though as people have said above, painting it white is going to help a lot! My final thought is that you've got off lightly with that overmantel with a plain oval glass! When I was a kid we had an edwardian house near manchester, in what was the day nursery, behind a baize door, on teh first floor, had an overmantle with a plaster of paris insert that weighs 25kg with rather terrifying fairies playing in the moonlight as it's subject. The house was due to be demolished so we took the plaster behemoth with us. It's currently hanging in my hall and scaring all small children that pass by!!! 40 years on I still can't decide if it is actually totally hideous or so ugly that it's beautiful. Mostly though I just don't want it to fall off the wall and kill one of the cats! Here it is in all it's fugliness. Framed in the 1980s in somewhat ungracious proportions to just top off the general weirdness of it!...See Morewhere to position the baby grand piano
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Comments (10)@James Neal thank you for your comments. I'm definitely wanting to avoid "causing any problems with planning departments as it flags up the possibility of the house being split into 2 residencies." The planning application should be going in next week and then we wait 8 - 12 weeks...... There will be a generous utility and office in the basement and there will be another office in the front reception room, I'm not looking to add more reception rooms and my kids have decent sized rooms for toys and entertaining. It's getting this kitchen right which is proving tricky, the new extension isn't full width as it would impact the basement plans (push back the garden and have a lower terrace). I've attached the old floor plan to provide more detail. Maybe I need to start talking to kitchen designers and see what the space would give me....See MoreWhat do we do with our garden?!
Comments (7)Hi, if you garden was mine I would paint the shed and fences with black or dark brown Cuprinol which is like coloured water, and not paint which would have to be redone every few years to keep the bright colour, it has the advantage of being a preservative as well. Second job, cut the grass back an make a border for plants, the add compost to the soil and in the spring give the whole border a dressing of Growmore to give plants a good start, do this before you buy any plants. Thirdly, how about putting a simple seat, something like a raised railway sleeper, under the tree where the soil would be more difficult to grow plants, it would give you a different perspective of you house and garden. You could put down a row of slabs in front of it or put down a membrane and cover it with chipped bark but be aware children/birds etc love throwing this on to the lawn. Fourth. Take pictures of what you have done, go to your local garden centre a tell them what you want to achieve they would be able to give you ideas of what to look for, I would suggest shrubs and climbers and when planting allow enough space for them to grow, it might look a bit sparse at first BUT it is financially worth it. For a couple of years you could put in some annuals but they are not really child proof. Your garden seems to have no problems with being overlooked which is great, I hope my ideas will help you and that I haven’t given you too much work but this basics are essential. If you need suggestions for plants please let me know and I will give you some ideas, measurements of the borders when done will be a great help. How about a get together with some friends, they bring their digging forks and you provide wine/beer and a bit of food for after they have done the job. Enjoy yourselves. 👍😁...See MoreE D
5 years ago
Sonia
5 years ago
Juliet Docherty
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoHeather
5 years ago
T Gray