Building drawers inside the piano!! DIY repurposed kitchen island, pt 5. *video*
if you’re new to the piano, start here! This is part 5… here is: part one, two, three, four, six, seven
After we decided to put drawers in the piano, I spent a few days doing mockups… because I know nothing of building furniture, I was not restricted by things like feasibility.
Paul looked at my idea and said– super! I’ll get right on it!
No.
What Paul really said was – why don’t we just have open space? Then you can throw whatever you want in there.
I felt flames coming out of my eyeballs, because I CANNOT BE THE VOICE OF REASON… It violates all acceptable-world-function.
But then, one day, Paul decided that he would make the drawers.
I would like to think this is because he realized the genius of my idea which will soon qualify me for the Noble Prize in creative kitchen design.
But it is more likely that he simply completed the mental circuit of: why-is-Victoria-being-so-…-wait-an-idea-…-hmmm-that-is-interesting-…-what-if-I-…-reverse-engineer-this-part-…-I-could-also-do-this-other-thing-…-where-is-my-pencil?
From then on, he proceeded to act as though HE had thought of the drawers. He even said things like– these drawers are going to be GREAT!! You will be able to fit so much stuff in them!!
As though this was not my original point.
However, he has totally redeemed himself… reversing his original advocacy for bowling alley storage, he has taken my idea and improved upon it 10,000%.
So I guess when the Nobel Prize committee calls me, I will be forced to share the glory and press coverage with Paul.
This will be twice as much work for me, because I will have to write his acceptance speech, as well as my own… I fear that, left to his own devices, Paul might fail to acknowledge my position as Kitchen Muse and general bringer of splendor and fabulousness to his life.
Everything you are looking at still needs finished drawer fronts, but I could not wait to show you!!!
The drawer fronts are where the keyboard used to be… to get a sense of how the piano was put together, go here and see us deconstructing it.
Now for the boring part.
Now for a video… I need some more time to edit my dissertation on designing and building piano storage.
May 12, 2015 @ 12:56 pm
pure, absolute, incredible GENIUS all round…. What IS Paul’s first profession ? He seems to be able to do it all (as many previously stated!). I know that his VERY first thing is to please His Creative Queen, and rightly so but are we allowed to know what he does for a living or what he learned as a ‘trade’? You two are such a total HIT! Love you both über-much.
Have never seen a post with sooooooo many exclamation mark comments 🙂 🙂
May 12, 2015 @ 12:57 pm
So glad you included Elvis!
May 12, 2015 @ 12:59 pm
I must say…..EVERY comment makes the A-list this time….damn!!!! This is truly the best….thanx! miss barnes
May 12, 2015 @ 12:59 pm
In my next life I’m marrying a carpenter! This is going to be fabulous. How’s the rest of the kitchen progressing?
xo,
Karen
May 12, 2015 @ 1:57 pm
so, does paul have, um, all the tools in the world? how else can you construct 8 plywood drawer boxes unless you’ve got a high-end table saw (expensive!) and about 32 pipe clamps (expensive!), and a whole lot of space for utilizing said expensive tools? i am really more envious of the obviously smooth and efficient work environment you’ve obviously got in order to be able to turn out EIGHT perfect drawer boxes in just one weekend than i am of anything else. gluing with no space and not enough clamps creates a many-days-long bottleneck in nearly every project for me. i am so very envious of you folks with your properly equipped wood shops of appropriate size; now i just feel like pouting!
May 12, 2015 @ 2:03 pm
I’m so impressed! My fave part of the video has to be Elvis at the end, and her silent “meow of approval.” SOOO cute.
May 13, 2015 @ 10:05 am
I agree! I was going to make the same comment – the cat and the silent meow at the end was perfect!
May 12, 2015 @ 3:21 pm
the drawers underneath! genius!! p.s. my dad is just like paul, in taking your idea and pretending it was his lol must be a man thing
May 12, 2015 @ 3:50 pm
There is nothing sexier than a man who knows how to use power tools to make our ideas come true. I’m lucky to have one of those too. Cannot wait to see the finished product.
May 12, 2015 @ 4:03 pm
Victoria, I suppose the fact that I am the mother of a piano and violin teacher should cause me to cry over the evisceration of that baby grand. But, kudos to you! Your creativity and love of the fabulous and unusual leaves me awed and quite a bit jealous. Keep up the incredible “musing” and “rock on.” Consider me dazzled.
May 12, 2015 @ 5:31 pm
Wow. You guys are an amazing team. This island will be fabulous regardless of the material you use to clad the drawer fronts.
May 12, 2015 @ 6:27 pm
Paul and my dad (and thus I) have the same radial arm saw!
May 12, 2015 @ 7:18 pm
WOW! Just WOW
May 12, 2015 @ 9:20 pm
Wow! Beautiful and useful. I bow to your superiorness extraordinaire
May 12, 2015 @ 10:21 pm
‘Bowling alley storage’ made me snortle my coffee, just so you know..
May 13, 2015 @ 4:21 am
I would never cut or permanently remove the top, myself. You could always overlay the marble over the top. I have a large island and there was no need to glue the granite down asn the top was so heavy anyway.
Then, there are a thousand materials to do the drawer fronts. Victorian tin ceiling squares, copper (One I would love), and so one. And don’t forget the self closing drawer gliders!
Just my taste
May 13, 2015 @ 5:21 am
I just LOVE your ‘can do’ attitude to your projects and life in general. It puts a smile on my face!! I have only recently found your blog but loving it… it must be soooo nice to have a husband who is able to complete your vision!! Cannot wait to see the end result… 🙂
May 13, 2015 @ 8:12 am
I am fairly certain that some of your dear readers haven’t paid appropriate attention to the details. When you buy a century home and fix it up you must acquire the appropriate tools. It’s kind of like needing a toilet.
I am so excited about getting to see all of the transformations you are doing. Each one magical.
Also, I am feeling pretty lazy for completing zero projects of great importance in the past year.
May 13, 2015 @ 9:05 am
One of my favorite Elvis songs – how can anyone not get up and dance to that song? Also, did you add sound effects? Small detail that amps up this video 1000%. Great work – I too would love to know your day jobs…lucky employers! Until you both quit and rule the entertainment world – I see a TV deal in your future.
May 13, 2015 @ 9:09 am
This is soo faboulous! This genius idea of repurposing the piano is becoming even more genius! Only thing I don’t really understand is the lowest drawers: don’t they “detract” from the “scrolly” piano border? I guess I have to wait until they are finished to see the complete island…
Keep up the magic!
May 13, 2015 @ 9:52 am
This is a terrific idea and I can’t wait to see it in the kitchen. Paul is a keeper and so is that crazy design mind of yours.