Gutting the piano: repurposed kitchen island pt 3. *video*
if you’re new to the piano, start here! This is part 3… here is: part one, two, four, five, six, seven
While conducting my tri-state search for a piano-into-kitchen-island, I have been simultaneously having an ongoing philosophical dispute with Paul, over the very meaning of the English language:
Paul defines a kitchen island as a practical workspace with excellent storage.
VS.
My credo that storage and practicality should be secondary to general awesomeness.
And that actually, EVERYTHING IN LIFE should be secondary to general awesomeness. (Even if later it explodes in your face.)
If you want to know who is “right,” ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT THIS PHOTO.
Of course, as with all sophisticated philosophical disputes, one’s self is forced to a place of deep thought and introspection… and while there, I have asked Self the eternal and existential question posed by philosophers since time immemorial:
Do I really want a kitchen island that lacks functionality?
I have examined the deepest darkest corners of my soul, and this is the answer that resonates from within: NOPE.
Self has plenty of ideas for how to complicate this… and they all involve the space inside the piano.
ALERT:
Any piano conservationists out there will want to stop right here… Avert your eyes from the carnage that is about to happen.
DO NOT WATCH THE VIDEO!
Allow our destruction to shed light on the plight of these pianos! Go forth and find one for yourself! Save it! Restore it! Send me photos!
For the rest of you, how about a fifth of Beethoven?
Video — putting drawers into piano.
index of all kitchen renovation posts
April 28, 2015 @ 11:23 am
Understand the need to gut the innards. But, was/still am really hoping the keys stay. I’m picturing them tucked underneath whatever stone countertop eventually comes along… just a little homage to what was. Yes?
April 28, 2015 @ 11:30 am
Victoria! Surely there is someone somewhere who can use those piano keys to fashion the kitchen chandelier of Chopin’s dreams. (Think Pinterest? There are chandeliers there made from everything else!) You could become the trendsetter of Beethoven/Chopin Nouveau-Idee` Chand-aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! liers.
Please promise to invite all the admiring hordes who follow your creative adventures over to your house for morning coffee soon as the kitchen is finished. I will camp outside overnight so I can be first to drape myself over the piano island and weep because it isn’t in my house.
April 28, 2015 @ 11:33 am
The piano is beautiful, and I love the idea of having it in the kitchen, but now I think I’m going to be sick. As owner of a 100-year-old 8-ft-long piece of mahogany ebony and ivory awesomeness, I can’t TAKE IT! 🙂
Meanwhile, my daughter who plays said mahogany beast, wonders just how awesome it would be to have a functional piano IN THE KITCHEN so she could play while waiting for the oven timer to beep. Best of multitasking, indeed.
Your project is quite intriguing. Thanks for the warning to avert my eyes!
~april
April 28, 2015 @ 11:50 am
So glad you did this. Loved the video. That island is going to be beautiful and functional. What are your plans for the empty inside?
April 28, 2015 @ 12:04 pm
My favorite part was Elvis playing the piano at the beginning (I’m a cat freak). Can’t wait to see what creative thing you do with the inside!
April 28, 2015 @ 12:05 pm
There’s got to be a piano repair person out there who could use the parts to save the life of another piano …
That said, it will be cool island. But yeah. Save the pianos!
April 28, 2015 @ 12:06 pm
Look at all that storage!! Totally functional now.
April 28, 2015 @ 12:06 pm
Going to be fantastic! Is that plywood on your floor for protection, or is that your flooring? Hmm that sounds snide, but really, I’m just wondering. Can’t wait to see how you finish that island.
April 28, 2015 @ 12:24 pm
Glorious! And, whew! I am so glad the strings were removed safely. Risk of severe injury if one snaps. This is going to be SO beautiful!!!!
April 28, 2015 @ 12:31 pm
that’s a really interesting video. I took a printer photocopier apart to micro level once, it was not as fascinating as the piano innards.
April 28, 2015 @ 1:00 pm
NO!!! NO!! NO!!! how can you stop the video THERE!!! We are your loyal and faithful followers, loving everything you do, UNTIL NOW!!! Miss VEB hurry up and post the continued video!!! LOL!!! I want to see those wonderful slide out trays with oodles of wonderful dishes, etc. coming forth from this wonderful piano turned kitchen island. Afix the keys to the drawer front!!
April 28, 2015 @ 1:21 pm
of *course* you have to utilize the space inside the piano for storage! beauty must combine with cleverness to be truly awesome.
April 28, 2015 @ 1:26 pm
I had to look at parts 1 and 2 before looking at this installment BECAUSE it’s just such a great adventure! I will wait (anxiously) for part 4 and then, (but you know this, of course) I’ll watch parts 1, 2, and 3 just to heighten the excitement of part 4! This so much more fun than organizing my closet, sweetpea! 😉 xo
April 28, 2015 @ 1:26 pm
This is going to be great. I’d guess you could sell the internal parts on ebay for someone needing some parts for their square antique piano.
I had no idea Elvis could play the piano?!
xo,
karen
April 28, 2015 @ 1:33 pm
Awesomeness, indeed!
April 28, 2015 @ 1:39 pm
Great now everyone will want one! Grrrr finding my square piano will be harder! LOL
You never cease to make me laugh,and look better to my husband!!
April 28, 2015 @ 1:48 pm
Nooooo!!! I need more video! I love deconstruction in all its forms! Can’t wait to see what genius Paul comes up with for storage!
April 28, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
What an amazingly talented family! You are incredibly creative and so much outrageous fun; Paul is your perfect partner in crime with handyman skills that baffle me and the minds of science; and best of all…Elvis. Plays. Piano! Fabulous video, Paul will be canonized along side you, and Elvis will go down in history. Hope you can repurpose the innards, and looking forward to the next installment.
April 28, 2015 @ 2:22 pm
Having just replaced all of the plywood subfloor in prep for hardwood I think I can say that your floors are ready for what ever topping they are scheduled for. If Paul gets down on his knees and tiles or puts hardwood on them I will personally petition the Vatican for his canonization. It is beyond hard work and we had ours installed. I’m wondering if you have the whole design firmly decided upon or if progress depends on locating even more magnificent discoveries. Either way the fun is in the journey and not necessarily the destination, Hope you and Paul and of course Elvis are having fun.
April 28, 2015 @ 2:35 pm
You know….before I started following your blog, I used to have a relatively normally furnished house. Now – not so much. Inspired by your love of all thing large and carved I’m now the proud owner of the biggest and most ornately carved buffet (turn of the century Italianate) in my tiny dining room. I would normally have walked away from it at the auction, but no…armed with the knowledge that bigger is better, I won the monster for $80 and then had to find a vehicle large enough to schlep it home. Only wish I’d taken a video of getting it inside the house! And hey, just because I have a ranch style house down at the beach doesn’t mean I can’t furnish it with lots of lovely ornate LARGE pieces of furniture, right? By the way, my husband says to say “thank you” (translation: he says Yeah, thanks a $%^& lot). Yay for VEB!