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 13, 2015 @ 11:10 am
This. Is. Incredible. We are about to gut and remodel our kitchen and now all my plans have gone out the window…
May 13, 2015 @ 12:16 pm
Seriously what an awesome Idea. what did you do with the part that held the music.. Because I know you re purposed it.
May 13, 2015 @ 12:42 pm
Is there anything that man can’t do? Those drawers are brilliant!
May 13, 2015 @ 2:25 pm
I just want to say that you both are a match made in heaven.
May 13, 2015 @ 2:31 pm
BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!!! Fantabulous!!
May 13, 2015 @ 4:40 pm
I can hardly wait to see the finished piece. I much prefer a work table of some kind rather than an island made of base cabinets and a stone top. This is going to be EPIC.
May 13, 2015 @ 5:20 pm
You married so well…
May 14, 2015 @ 9:57 am
Paul has serious skills. Sweet Elvis is adorable. You are brilliant. I am loving everything grand, fancy and fabulous about your home!!
May 14, 2015 @ 6:33 pm
Really, really great!! No, that’s not good enough – awesome! I, too, love doing this kind of thing and have one thing to say to the ladies who don’t have husbands like Paul. You can do it too, ladies! Good tools and a some practice will get you there, and it is so gratifying to be able to point to the finished product and say “why yes, darling, I DID make that myself! Aren’t I fabulous??”
May 15, 2015 @ 12:56 pm
It would be idle to claim that I have ever built anything so elaborate or with such lovely finishing (there’s a reason that everything I do needs a LOT of decorative molding at the end). But what strikes me most about this is what the video did NOT contain: recuts from when he measured from the wrong end, or forgot to add the 3″ from the base of the tape measure; working at tools shoved into a corner by the light of a bare bulb late at night with moths orbiting his head; episodes of smashing his thumb with a hammer, and then having a temper tantrum and laying about him with the hammer to the detriment of his materials; accidentally firing the nail gun at the wrong anger, and casting around him in bewilderment for the missing nail; shoving pieces of other projects aside to clear space on the table saw; finding glue and/or caulk on his clothes hours later and not knowing how they got there. I take pictures of the stages of my projects sometimes, but video would just not work. I am duly impressed.
May 15, 2015 @ 12:57 pm
Where “anger” should read “angle.” Truly, a Freudian slip.
May 16, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
I think you are a genius for being able to look at this piano and visualize it as a kitchen island. Bravo! It’s going to be fabulous looking in there!
May 16, 2015 @ 9:55 pm
I love it so happy for you you are brillant really and dont ever doubt you are a muse his muse lol!
May 17, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
Paul has some great tools. But like any guy, he could use more. We always need more. Tools are like something shiny that we must possess when we see them. Should I dare ask if you have the same patience when he comes home with a new one?
May 18, 2015 @ 11:11 pm
Victoria, I just found your blog and already I know you’re my kinda lady. Can’t wait to have my own place that I can restore!
May 24, 2015 @ 7:46 pm
Hang onto to that man of yours. I wonder if you know how rare and wonderful he is.
May 26, 2015 @ 1:42 am
I love this entire project!!! I am swooning over you & your husband’s creative minds!!!
May 28, 2015 @ 4:01 pm
Paul is a Saint…….and has a lot (!) of tools.
July 15, 2015 @ 1:56 am
This old piece of music instrument is so beautiful.
July 19, 2015 @ 11:28 am
I’m having VEB withdrawal pains! Please post more news soon!