Piano kitchen island pt. 4: design, functionality.
this is part 4 of the piano… here is: part one, two, three, five, six, seven
1. We are going to replace the top of the piano.
I do not want to have to be careful with the original wood surface, so we are going to replace it with a slab of countertop material.
Carrara is my first choice, despite knowing the arguments against it, and despite the commitment involved with spending the next chunk of my life patrolling the island to be sure no one touches anything.
The floor of the piano box is SOLID. (It is built to support the harp which is heavy.) Paul will build a structure internally to make sure that the marble is supported across the entire span.
Removing the wood top will also give us some spare material – no specific plans for it, but always good to have.
2. I keep forgetting to tell you how surprisingly ideal the piano’s height is: 38” tall.
This is slightly taller than a standard countertop height, but I am used to working at a 40” high workspace— I am 6 feet, Paul taller… and when we DIY-ed our original (luxury) custom island, I had Paul jack up the height of the countertop.
I have been testing the piano as a workspace, to see if I want it taller, but it feels good.
3. My goal is to make the piano a truly functional workspace.
That gives us two totally different options:
- sink in the island.
or - storage in the island.
4. Sink in island option.
The space is there, and we could configure the plumbing to be as hidden as possible… what we cannot hide, we could sort of mask (at least on one side,) by using the decorative foot pedal as a guide.
We could not make it totally invisible, but if we used copper tubing and were careful to align everything, we could do a decent job of something vaguely steampunk. Or, at least not horribly unsightly.
Do I think that is the best plan? No. But all along, I have been considering a kitchen design where we move the sink into the island because it would free up the sink wall. Which would give us the option of doing a full wall of cabinets.
All in the pursuit of finding space to install a yet-to-be-discovered-and-may-not-even-exist-magnificent-perfect-size-nine-foot-tall-seven-foot-wide-bookcase-to-repurpose-as-floor-to-ceiling-cabinetry.
If I commit to the sink on the wall and two months from now we find the perfect thing for that space… I might have a nervous breakdown. (Paul says not to worry– while I am in the sanitarium, he will finish the kitchen in peace.)
The thing that finally discouraged me from sink-in-piano was the dishwasher… I cannot come up with any configuration that is not utterly ridiculous.
We played around with the idea of dividing the empty space under the piano, long-ways: building a wall down the center with the spare wood from the piano top we removed. This would allow us to build a back for a dishwasher/cabinet.
I also looked at dishwasher drawers. Maybe one on either side of the sink… At some point I even started to think – maybe we DON’T need a dishwasher?
But while I feel like we could do a good job of camouflaging the back/sides of the dishwasher, I was never satisfied with how we would integrate it in the front.
Plus, Paul kept going on and on about how if we cut a giant chunk out of the bottom of the piano, we end up with an entirely new problem: stability.
Which brings us to this plan.
5. Drawers in island.
Ultimately, I think the best decision is to preserve the furniture-ness as best we can.
The last thing I want is some configuration that is offensive to the dignity of the piano’s appearance, and I’m not too excited about the idea of a faucet sticking up out of my isle of beauty and Carrara marble and shrine to awesomeness.
Also, I have been saying all along that ALL I needed was JUST ONE giant fancy thing… And that when I found it, that GFT would dictate everything else: layout, design, sink placement, range placement, EVERYTHING… So this really is what I have been waiting for; it’s just that hoarder-brain always wants to point out ways to get more GFT’s.
So I think drawers are the best solution… you can see how the marble-supports are going to integrate with a drawer structure.
Paul is on vacation this week and enjoying a relaxing time full of math and building what I have made up in my head… we’ll see if I can do my part to improve his time off even more, by finding something REALLY RIDICULOUS on Craigslist.
I will receive extra credit if it won’t fit in the van and needs to be tied to the roof. And extra, extra credit if it serves no purpose at all. (This would be ideal, and if one of you near Chicago can go get it, you will save me a lot of driving.)
Wish me luck.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:21 am
Just wanted to chime in about a giant carrera marble island. My 2 cents: Do not put the sink in it. Leave it alone in its beautiful marble glory. Everyone told me to put the sink in mine, and I didn’t, and every year at Xmas when every inch is covered in frosting and sprinkles and cookies, I am happy that I stuck with the giant marble island workspace. you can see here: http://shadeofabeechtree.blogspot.com/2008/09/kitchen-details.html
I LOVE having all that space for crafting, cooking, whatever.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:21 am
I vote for storage. Moving plumbing gets really expensive. Besides you can take it with you should you ever have to relocate due to jobs/family.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:24 am
A new day….balancing practical matters with the GFT. I think you are on the right track. Yay for Paul.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:25 am
The clean look of Carrera marble would be so stunning that any thing else in the kitchen on walls or floor would be unimportant!
Sigh** so beautiful
May 5, 2015 @ 10:26 am
I always thought drawers would be the best solution well done you!!! Now for the Craigslist troll to do her magic and find the new gft that will absolutely suit the piano and bring the awesomeness of your kitchen dreams to life.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:28 am
By golly, you’ve got it. Congrats. Major decision made and the remaining decisions can now fall into place.
Although perhaps consider a white granite top.
Never would have guessed your height. Never.
I have such fun reading your blog. Please do not stop.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:34 am
No ideas here. I just want to hug the gorgeousness that is the piano island. I think I may have a full-blown crush.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:44 am
Yep, I agree with #5. Keeping the piano base totally intact and adding a marble top will be a showstopper for sure! You will have the most gorgeous kitchen ever someday! And there is no way that you are 6 feet tall! You look like such a tiny little thing in your videos! However, I’m sure you know your true height! haha!
May 5, 2015 @ 10:47 am
If it would fit in my van and you had said Cleveland…
But not until the Cavs have won the championship, please.
May 5, 2015 @ 10:47 am
This piano begs to be keeper of drawers to hold all your small kitchen wares.
Also, the required plumbing pipes for a sink and/or dishwasher would simply ruin the lines of this beautiful piano; no matter how well they were disguised.
May 5, 2015 @ 11:01 am
Totally agree with everyone who voted ‘no sink in the piano.’ Practically, I’ve lived with both sink in an island and sink against the wall. Having the sink in the island always meant dirty dishes out in the middle of the kitchen and then clean ones piled in the middle of the kitchen. (If I could redo my kitchen, I would get an extra-long sink against the wall so that I had room enough for dishes to drain-dry in the sink. ) Anyway, can’t wait to see what Paul accomplishes during his “vacation”!
May 5, 2015 @ 11:02 am
good point about the dishes, had not thought of that but you are so right, that is what would happen.
May 5, 2015 @ 11:02 am
I, too, vote for NOT putting a sink in the middle of the marble. Besides, if you do leave room at the counter for the other item, you will never find it. If you put the sink in the counter area…then you WILL find a huge bookcase. Which you can find another use for, or put a sink in the middle of (??)
So – which is it? Leave room for the bookcase and never find one…or jinx yourself into finding one by leaving the sink where it is. The Fates await your decision.
May 5, 2015 @ 11:03 am
Carrera marble will be beautiful. I have it in my kitchen (which is from the 1920s — although the marble was our recent addition, as the original tile countertop was too battered to keep) and love it. Don’t worry about keeping it pristine. Scratches and stains don’t really show; they just help add a lovely patina.
May 5, 2015 @ 11:11 am
It’s carrara marble, not carrera.
May 5, 2015 @ 4:08 pm
Oh Bols, you sure know how to bring the party.
May 5, 2015 @ 11:18 am
I love the idea of a huge piece of marble on the piano! I recently had to abandon my kitchen island plans.
May 5, 2015 @ 11:25 am
I personally think the gorgeous legs of that piano need to have the open space underneath to preserve the furniture-ness, as you already feel. That said, I do actually quite like an island sink. It is fun to do dishes and have someone sit on the other side for a chat whilst working away. But it is very necessary to have the dishwasher there too, and to have plenty of room all around the sink. And it easily gets cluttered. So yeah, I also vote to keep the piano sinkless in this case!
May 5, 2015 @ 11:29 am
Vote no sink in the island. I have a Carrara island, and love it…now. At first, I freaked over keeping it clean, stain, etch and scratch free, and made myself insane. I kept paper on it for 2 weeks after we got it, and just peaked at it a few times a day! Once the inevitable started, and I stopped investigating who had been responsible for every mark, I got over it. You only see the issues in certain day light, never at night, and it does show the love. Mine is polished, and I’ve read recently that honed shows less. Also consider Calcutta Gold. Little bit more money, but on your piece it would be absolutely incredible. best of luck!
May 5, 2015 @ 11:40 am
I vote no sink in the piano as well. Don’t mess with the piano-ness of it. It’s lovely as is, so the less you do to it the better. Also, I have a very long, 3′ wide peninsula in my kitchen that’s just counter top, no cook top, no sink. I *love* it. I sew, so it’s the perfect place to cut out my projects. It’s great for spreading out when baking. It’s fabulous as a buffet for family parties. If I had moved the stove or sink to the peninsula I would always be working around them. There is nothing like long, uninterrupted counter space in a kitchen. You won’t regret it. You are so fabulous I’m sure you can find a GFT for the sink wall that the sink can work with. 🙂
May 5, 2015 @ 11:41 am
I keep picturing the marble top shaped like a baby grand and I swear it has to have some piano keys inset…..my conservative brain monkey keeps screaming tacky corny, bad bad bad taste! but the Liberace lemur says yes!!!!!!!!!!!!and with a huge candelabra! Great post and really reveals your alter ego which is one very very smart Lady
May 5, 2015 @ 11:53 am
I don’t understand why the Craigslist hall tree qualifies as serving no purpose! Seems to me it would easily go on top of the van (it is flat on the back!) and would provide great and beautiful coat/hat storage!! I’m happy to mentor you in justifying any purchase….
May 5, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
I was thinking exactly the same things!