There are vintage or antique piano shawls that you may be able to find on Ebay.

Or simply use a gorgeous shawl in the colors and style of your decor!

Or check Etsy.com or EBay for handwoven tablecloths -- maybe a square 52 inch by 52 inch?

OK, I just went to eBay to see what they had in the way of "piano shawls", and now I'm genuinely curious. Is a piano shawl actually meant to be worn by the person playing the piano (or listening to the piano?) -- or was it originally intended as something to drape across a piano? They certainly look wearable! (And there are some stunning ones on eBay -- with a few stunning prices to match!)

Here is a great link as to what they are. They are currently being used for women's attire. I can remember when everyone had one draped over their grand piano in the parlor...long time back :).Long long fringe is the most beautiful...but you said you have cats. A wonderful tapestry would also be beautiful . Can you post a pic of the room and piano ?

Here is a link that might be useful: definition piano shawl

Well! Who knew that pianos got chilly? ;-D

Thanks for the link, Trailrunner! I learned something new today!

Sorry, but I am just picturing one of my 3 cats having a field day with the scarf. It seems as though when I set my d/r for entertaining, that's when the cats want to be on the table, never any other time except if there is a tablecloth in sight.

I am sure you have a large enough scarf in your closet that you could try to get a feel for whehter or not you like the look. I would keep my eye out for a beautiful pashmina-type scarf that fits your decor as well.

I've seen this done in a friend's home, but I know it would never work in mine with the kitties.

LOL! Mine would roll around on it until it was covered in fur, making it more a "hair shirt" than a piano shawl.
;-)

Wow. I've never been able to post pictures before. My 16 yr. old daughter helped me. I never knew there was such a thing as a piano shawl. I had to chuckle about pianos getting chilly. I am hoping if I put fabric up there and it has fringe, as long as the fringe isn't hanging down, maybe the cats won't notice it. But I can relate to work in progress and Aunt Jen's comments. My cats do like to lie on anything that's new. So perhaps this isn't a great idea. I was just trying to find a place to put a few more family photos.

I think a very subtle gold would be beautiful...picks up the frame on the picture of the piano above the grand and that beautiful rug as well as the tassel on the lamp. I saw a silk one on e-bay...pale yellow...pashmena would work well too. You could place it so the fringies didn't drape to the floor...I think it will look splendid. c

You have a lovely room, but I believe a piano is an instrument, not a piece of furniture. I wouldn't put anything on it - you have some nice art on the wall there...I'd leave it as is.

Hmm, I'm not sure what to do now. Any other opinions? Maybe I should nix the whole idea.

cind I can understand your quandry. We have our C3 open at all times. We play it all the time, my DH is a professional jazz player. We have a special wool cover that is custom to our piano to protect the strings from dust.

If your piano is closed and not played all that often then indeed the look you are going for will be stunning. If you play all the time and are opening and closing the lid ( which seems not likely since you said you were placing pictures on it) then it would be impractical. Not all folks have a piano that is used all the time. Many folks have a piano that is "furniture" unless someone is in the home on rare occasions to play.

Only you know the look you are going for and also the use the piano will see. Do what brings YOU pleasure...it is your home. c

Trailrunner,

It's sad my daughters took lessons for about 5 or 6 years. Then they just got too busy and both gave up playing. One actually had a bit of talent but she became too distracted by other things. We do have a "piano disc" so the piano can play itself, but I much prefer a real person playing. So, unfortunately, the piano basically sits there. :( You are so lucky that your husband plays and so well. That must be fabulous!

Our piano is 5'7" and we use a 60x60 Pendleton Dance Shawl on ours. It has killer fringe, which won't work for kitties, but I thougt I could share some perspective on size.

The instrument is played regularly, however we do not open it as it would be too much for our relatively small home.

I have been giving serious thought to taking lessons again at the "advanced" age of 45! DD plays less now that she has shifted her focus to Cello and Voice. DH plays, but not so often...mostly for cello duets.

Amy I would love to see pics !! I bet cind11 would too ! I taught voice and piano for many many years. Some of my best students were adult learners. I hope you decide to take lessons...what a joy for you and your family.

We have 12 ft ceilings so the 6'3" C3 Yamaha is perfect for our space...we are very lucky. Here is a pic, I am still working on this room :)

{{!gwi}}

The trouble with artfully arranged fabric is that it stays artfully arranged for about a nano-second. If you're worried about object marring the finish, why not put little felt pads on the bottom of the candlesticks or picture frames.

I think piano shawls look rather comically Victorian, and work only if you have the sheet music for Pale Hands I Loved on the music rack, and you look like a Gibson Girl at all times.

Here is a link that might be useful: Indian Love Lyrics

amysrq,

I don't usually open my piano all the way. With it being on the wood floor, it seems EXTREMELY loud when it is played. Yes, Trailrunner is correct, I'd love to see a pic of your piano.

Trailrunner,

You look like you have the beginnings to a beautiful room. I like the wall color and the wainscoting.

I really should take lessons. I used to play around with the songs my girls were learning. They took Suzuki piano lessons and played some beautiful songs. But I haven't touched the keys in several years. :(

Ideefix,

Victorian is not the look I'm going for at all-lol. Don't see myself as a Gibson girl either. I do have a pashmina shawl that I could throw up there just to get an idea of how this would look and then I could buy something if it works.

thank you so much cindi (?) I am guessing that is your 1st name :)
I am trying to find lamps for the tables...just posted a new thread.sigh.

I think it would be great if you started lessons again...I don't know how much time you have but it is amazing what you can learn if you practice 1 hr a day.

Try the shawl just to see...your room is so pretty I am sure that it won't look "too Victorian" LOL...as you can see mine is an 1890 home and it is a far cry from Victorian. Good Luck c

Disclainer:

This is an in-progress photo of a room I struggled with for years! I finally got it "right" and then sold the house. So, I am only showing you this pic so you can see the Dance Shawl! ;-) You must eat this post when you're finished looking at it!

The shawl picks up the colors in the tribal rug you can just begin to see in the foreground. We kept a large hapao tray with the photos on it so we could move everything in one fell swoop when we needed to open the piano.

She's in storage right now, for just a few more weeks. Hopefully, our new place will be done and we'll call the movers to start bringing our stuff north. Can't wait!

By sheer co-incidence -- I was roaming around art.com -- and look at this artwork!

Jan

Here is a link that might be useful: piano artwork featuring fabric and photos

Trailrunner, Yes, my name is Cindy. I agree, your home doesn't look Victorian. I'm going to try the shawl this weekend when I can play-lol. Are you a runner? Just wondered because of your name. I love to hike (I'm not a runner) and that's what trail makes me think of.

amysrq, I like your dance shawl. It definitely doesn't look Victorian. However, that fringe wouldn't last 5 seconds with my four cats!

Teacats, how funny that you just happened to find that picture.

Yup, not Victorian! ;-)

Amy I love that room and dance shawl !! I have a great time decorating with Tribals. Can I see pics of yours when you are settled and I'll show you mine :) ?

Jan that is a WONDERFUL picture...now if I could just get DH to let me do that...he just raised his eyebrows in that "look" ...

Cindy yes I am a trailrunner. I ran roads for 18 years and then 12 years ago I decided to try trails...I have loved them ever since. It is my very fave thing. I think you are going to love the look of your piano when you get it done . I can hardly wait to see pics.c

This has been a fun thread. c

I prefer to keep my baby grand open, but do close it during the holidays. It’s the only surface large enough for the

nativity. The fabric is actually a sheer curtain panel I found on clearance. Just tuck the here and there and voila- desert sand!