When we put new flooring into our whole house a few months ago, we had to move everything. I took the opportunity to rearrange a few of the larger, heavy pieces of furniture. Our piano had originally been in the long hallway that led from our front door to the back of the house. Pianos are supposed to be put against an interior wall so that fluctuations in temperature don’t knock them out of tune. In an open floor plan, it is not easy to find an interior wall that isn’t already being used.
Along the back wall of the house I had an enormous hutch. I found it on Craigslist for a steal. It is big, solid wood, and has a ton of storage. But it took up a lot of space. So when we were putting the house back together after the floors were done, I decided that I don’t need it, and it wasn’t coming back into the house.
In the hutch’s place, I decided to put the piano. It’s now in a space where it’s more visible and more likely to get used. (Out of sight, out of mind.) It is up against an exterior wall, so we may have to get it tuned more often. But it just didn’t make sense to put it back where it was in a hallway.
I’m kind of proud of this space that I created with the piano. The piano was a Craigslist deal – anyone who needs a piano should check there first. Pianos are difficult to move and get rid of, so you can often find pianos for cheap or free. The artwork over the piano was a $30 thrift store find. It is signed by the artist. The books are vintage thrift store finds, too. The lamp was an antique store find that I was ecstatic about. I knew exactly what lamp I wanted, and I squealed when I found it. The horse bookends are a recent find from the Pottery Barn clearance at my local store. They were originally marked $79, and I got the pair for $39.
Of course, our camera-loving labradoodle, Anniebelle (Annie), wanted her picture taken as well.
Have you bought a piano off of Craigslist before? Do you have your piano against an interior wall, or did you decide, like me, that it was more important to have it in another space?
Belle Antiquarian 
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