Piano into kitchen island– designing drawers and storage. *video*
if you’re new to the piano, start here! This is part 6… here is: part one, two, three, four, five, seven
If you don’t want to read all of my precious words, skip to the video at the end. It explains this entire post in fifty seconds.
BUILDING DRAWERS / PROJECT OVERVIEW:
1. Considering the piano’s structure.
2. Designing the drawers.
3. Storage inside the piano.
4. Storage under the piano.
1. Considering the piano’s structure.
The piano is not just a flimsy shell… it has a thick, curved wood piece called the pinblock: it supported the harp and acted as an attachment for the strings.
In the photo below, in the left/back corner, (where the curve is most prominent,) we notched out one part to get the corner of a drawer a little bit further in.
Cutting the pinblock out entirely would give us more drawer space, but for what we want to do (top the piano with marble,) structurally, that curved piece is important.
We are going to make the marble-supports perfectly flush with the very top edge of the piano (we want the original piano sides to appear to support the marble because I’m not sure I’ll want an overhang). We will leave the elevated pinblock and notch the marble-supports to sit on top.
These boards will also act as drawer dividers/drawer slide holders.
2. Designing the drawers: STORAGE.
We are going to have two tiers of drawers, but only one drawer face for each tier.
Weighing out functionality vs. appearance, three drawer-faces will look better than six, and the upper drawers will hold what is related to the lower drawers – attachments, etc. So I will be opening the lower drawer anyway.
Because I am trying to make decisions based on preserving the furniture-ness of the piano, I considered simply keeping the original keyboard cover (now-drawer-face) intact, and having the entire piece hinge up, or out, or somewhere, but every configuration I considered seemed like a lot of extra steps simply to open a drawer.
2. Designing the drawers: HARDWARE.
You can see that our drawers still need finished drawer fronts, which cannot be installed until I get handles, which I cannot buy until I find something I like.
I have been looking on eBay, and did the rounds of the salvage places, but anything I like is only a set of two. And I need at least three. (Or five, if we do the two drawers underneath, but I think I prefer just using the lower lip of the drawer.)
If I do reproduction, I have more options, but I’m undecided about bin pull, vs drop pull, vs expected-handle-type-thing, and I’d be happier to let the right set of antique hardware make the decision for me… Either way, it needs to be right, because once we drill, it’s final.
2. Designing the drawers: DRAWER SLIDES.
Obviously, we are doing full extension, soft close… If we didn’t, the AKDCCE (Appropriate-Kitchen-Design-and-Correct-Cooking-Evaluators,) would have me forever banished to kitchen purgatory.
I might be doomed anyway, because we did not use Blum!
Blum is under-mount… which could have worked for the bottom drawers, but not the top, (without extra nonsense). So in the interest of keeping everything uniform, we did side-mounted drawer slides.
I tried to install some of the slide hardware myself so that I could explain the process to you… but sadly fortunately, I was unable to comprehend all 57,000 steps, so we can just skip this part.
I thought it would be fairly straightforward. But it is not. Just when you think it would be impossible to have any more steps… there are way more steps. And it turns out that you have to pay attention for longer than 15 seconds to gain proficiency.
If you haven’t already, go watch the piano deconstruction… it will give you an idea of how/why the front is accessible like this.
3. Storage inside the piano: DRAWERS.
— Tall lower drawers (photo above).
The lower drawers are all the same height, but different depths– to accommodate the curved support at the back of the piano.
— Shallow upper drawers (photo below).
Because the height of the upper drawer dictates the usable-height of the lower drawer, Paul measured everything I plan to store in the lower drawers, and then allowed those measurements to determine the height of the upper drawers, so they are of varying heights.
2. Storage inside the piano: FOOD PROCESSOR.
The thing I am most excited about is a place to store the food processor that does not make me crazy.
The food processor is awkward and has a base that will not slide, no matter what… so getting it on a shelf or into a cabinet is such a giant pain that I am more likely to just leave it out.
UNTIL NOW.
This part I can take no credit for; it is entirely Paul’s design.
The drawer above the food processor is actually the same size as the other top-tier drawers. But Paul recessed it back a few inches to accommodate the food processor’s center post and minimize wasted space.
4. Drawers under the piano.
Paul built the entire under piece and installed it as one solid unit. The video explains this in about three seconds, so I’m skipping the written description.
The under-piano drawers are recessed on all four sides: more at the sides and back, less at the front. If your line of sight is up by your head, the three, non-operable sides are pretty much invisible.
If I lower the camera to waist level, you can see the drawers, especially at the front where they are closer to the front/edge/where you access them.
I think this is acceptable because even if you were super petite, you still wouldn’t see the front when you enter the kitchen. Plus, the distance you need to see the front from this particular angle isn’t happening once the island is aligned with wall cabinets.
You can see the drawers at the front, but not at the side, see?
These drawers still need to be covered.
Paul will use the piano top to camouflage the new wood once I am ready to let him cut into it… I haven’t yet had enough time to be certain I am not overlooking something.
This is an extra step necessitated by my own paranoia and indecision and general fear of commitment… It is a testament to the strength of these personality traits that Paul has adapted to them, rather than continue to fight a war he cannot win.
Now, video! This is the second half of putting drawers in the piano… the video of making the actual drawers is here.
May 27, 2015 @ 11:33 am
ADORE!!!!!
May 27, 2015 @ 11:47 am
I hate to be vulgar, but watching a man do all this buildy stuff and make the impossible happen gets me all stirred up. Paul is the sexiest man on Earth! And you are a freaking CREATIVE GENIUS! A goddess!
May 27, 2015 @ 12:04 pm
This is amazing. That man loves you lots to tackle this challenge!
May 27, 2015 @ 12:13 pm
Just…..WOW! The superlatives that I’m looking for elude me so that has to do.
May 27, 2015 @ 12:21 pm
You know you don’t need drawer pulls at all. They make this mechanism that you can just push on the drawer & it opens all by itself. If you’re set on having drawer pools, I recommend French provincial furniture drawer pulls. You can get them on eBay for like five bucks each. And it would appeal to your giant fancy things fetish.
May 27, 2015 @ 12:32 pm
This is amazing! Between your vision and Paul’s skills the two of you make a fantastic team.
May 27, 2015 @ 12:36 pm
Love the project but if you’re having difficulty finding appropriate hardware, don’t forget to check out the online catalogue for Lee Valley Tools. They carry tons of hardware styles relating to all furniture periods and finishes. Here in Canada, their stores are a wonderland filled with specialized tools, hardware, kitchen devices and gardening supplies. One of my happy-places.
May 27, 2015 @ 12:42 pm
Please, for the sake of all Womenkind, steal some hairs off Paul’s brush or gather up his discarded nail clippings and rush them off to a cloning company!!
http://www.mclab.com/PCR-Cloning-Kits.html
May 27, 2015 @ 12:55 pm
@Patricia–This is the best response I’ve read regarding Paul’s skills.
May 27, 2015 @ 1:03 pm
VEB:
You are truly The Envy Of All. This is pure genius. The AKDCCE should install you as an Institution requiring all to say your name with reverance and in hushed tones always. This piano island is truly one GFT. I think the organ pulls are cool. Impatiently waiting to do cartwheels for the unveiling of the completed island.
May 27, 2015 @ 1:03 pm
I love your posts. That is just an amazing piano/kitchen island. P.s. The ad at the bottom of the post is most annoying. Can it be on the side instead?
May 29, 2015 @ 10:09 am
If you’re talking about the long skinny bar across the bottom? (Which IS annoying!) You can close it… on the far right side there is a down-arrow. That will get rid of it.
I wish I could have no ads! But they help pay for my hosting fees and other plugins-widgets-tech-stuff that I pay for.
May 27, 2015 @ 1:13 pm
Isn’t is obvious? The drawer pulls must be made from antique ivory piano keys. I’m sure you must have some – what are you going to do with the ones from your piano?
May 28, 2015 @ 11:13 am
I thought about that, too, but wondered what condition they were in. Plus, they would probably have to be mounted on some sort of base that is predrilled, and with screws/bolts mounted through the base before attaching the keys, to preserve the integrity of the keys. All of which would be a piece of cake for Paul!
June 10, 2015 @ 2:08 am
Exactly what I thought. It would be so perfect!
May 27, 2015 @ 1:17 pm
My husband doesn’t seem to like your posts. Maybe it’s because I go on about all that Paul can do – whether moving Giant Fancy Things with finesse, building drawers, designing complicated medicine cabinets, dancing……. I thought it would inspire him, but it doesn’t seem to work that way ; )
Anyway, your collaborative clevah-ness is astounding!
May 27, 2015 @ 1:37 pm
Oh, I just had an AWESOME idea for the knobs….Take the piano KEYS, glue them to some boring flat handles!!!
May 27, 2015 @ 2:33 pm
You & Paul are such a great team-once he sees things your way! Nice solution to an annoying problem with that processer, too
May 27, 2015 @ 2:51 pm
There is so much awesome in this I feel like I should have to write a report to hit every point. But since my brain is sluggish today let’s just pretend I said something so witty that we laughed and laughed and laughed!
Super fantastic gold star for everything!
I fancy the bin pulls, although I could see how someone could go for the ones which look like dangly earrings.
May 27, 2015 @ 4:04 pm
1. Drop pulls, which I don’t usually like-but these are awesome & look like something you might find on your piano!
http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/hardware-handles-for-dressers-eastlake-ebonized-abh
2. Find some vintage carved furniture pulls that you could stain to match the piano or better yet-have them gold leafed for more GFThingness!
Pulls similar to these:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/197858162/antique-hardware-victorian-hardware?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=victorian%20carved%20wood%20furniture%20pulls&ref=sr_gallery_2
3. Recess the drawer bottoms as Fred pointed out. But if Paul does his usual fabulousness in wood working, other people in the kitchen looking for the drawers may be unable to find them!
As an FYI: when we renovated our kitchen last year I bought probably 6 different pulls online & tried them out on our drawer fronts to make a final choice. Then I returned the ones I didn’t like. We used Home Depot so if you buy vintage/non-returnable you’ll just have to buy another GFT to go with them. Tell Paul you can’t waste their awesomeness!!! It’s looking ✨GFT ✨ & Fabulous!!!!
May 27, 2015 @ 10:56 pm
Liz, those drop pulls are gorgeous! If we’re voting I vote for them.
May 27, 2015 @ 4:07 pm
What no one seems to notice is that it is you who draws all the wonderfulness out of Paul. The two of you make an extraordinary team. I’m sure he would still be great with someone else, but not the same at all. You would have to be cloned too, and that would defeat the purpose!
Earlier I meant bin pulls instead of cup pulls. Don’t know why I never call them by their right name.
May 27, 2015 @ 5:22 pm
Brilliant- love the concealed food processor. You and Paul are clever!
What is the music to the video? It’s a Big Band era tune but I cannot recall its name.
Thanks for another great post!
May 27, 2015 @ 6:29 pm
“Lady be good.” *wink, wink*
I think this is the Count Basie version, but I would have to check to be sure.
May 27, 2015 @ 7:52 pm
I’ll look it up – thanks for all you do- you and Paul are an inspiration!
May 27, 2015 @ 5:40 pm
You want drop pulls, obviously. How is this even still a question when sparkly shiny fanciness is available to MATCH your giant fancy island?
May 27, 2015 @ 5:52 pm
If you want period correct hardware and can’t find it check out Lee Valley Tools. They have a catalog available online and have every piece of hardware ever produced on the planet I am sure.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/home/OnlineCatalog.aspx?id=e192d838http://www.leevalley.com/en/home/OnlineCatalog.aspx?id=e192d838
I breathlessly await the finished product so hurry up and commit to letting Paul cut into that piano top.