I play piano myself and I understand that nothing beats grand but I guess we are not talking music here.

There ain't nothin like a grand (dame), nothin' ;)....ode to musicals

Grand is,well.......GRAND!

LOVE the look of a grand piano. But SO big. Baby Grands sacrifice sound quality, so you have to get into a medium-size (6'long). You have to have a BIG room. I voted for upright because a quality upright has a better sound than a Baby Grand, and takes much less floor space. A piano is for the ears, not the eyes.

As for the best size grand piano for YOUR room ... it DOES depend on room dimensions. If you care about getting the best listening experience and the best sound quality.

A quality upright costs as much as a grand piano (My mom was a pianist)

My entire life (now 70) I have wanted to play the piano. Every chance I get I play..don't know squat, but can play by ear the old songs. I wish I had the money for an upright..and have the room...Live on the eastside of Seattle, so if anyone would love to give their upright to someone who would lovingly take care of it...please let me know.....pbradfield@me.com.

Other - My Mom forced me to take lessons for 4 years. It truly is a gift to be able to play a piano, unfortunately I cannot. Donated the Winter "low profile" upright piano to the Pastor's grandson when Mom moved to a care facility.

On a positive note (no pun intended) I do have a lovely oak piano bench that my Mom refinished that works beautifully as a hall bench or as a great alternative to a luggage rack in the guest bedroom!

If you have money who cares whether or not you play?. Ridiculous comments by people who say if you don't play, then you have no reason to have a piano at all. So if you have a friend or friends that play very well, having a piano isn't worth having for when they come over, poppycock!. This is a free country and even if you don't have a friend or friends that play and you don't play and you have the money, if you want one, get one and enjoy the look.

Our home has enjoyed a beautiful baby grand for many years, even though I only play occasionally (by ear!) I absolutely agree with the above reader, whether you play (or have friends that do) or not. A baby grand has a presence like nothing else in a home. It transforms, adds character, and speaks volumes, without striking a cord.

A parlor grand is 6'2" or a little more and, open, has an excellent sound -- not a concert grand but very nice. You don't need one fit for Carnegie Hall.

I'll pass on the piano. My house isn't big enough & I don't play.....

As a child, I had an upright and used it until I was about 55, when my husband 'treated' me to a grand. I loved the sound of the upright; the tone was deep and rich. However, the grand is undeniably better, and it's just beautiful in my living room. I play 'by ear', and I love spending a good amount of time just entertaining myself. (My dog loves to lie beside the piano and listen to me...my favorite audience!!!)

I LOVE THE PIANO THAT PLAYS PIANO CD'S SEEING AS HOW I CAN NO LONGER PLAY AND NEVER WAS GOOD AT IT LOL ALSO A GREAT PLACE FOR FAMILY PHOTOS. ALL I NEED IT THE MONEY FOR A BIGGER PLACE AND THE BABY GRAND SIGH HUGS

grew up with a parlor grand, which was wonderful on all counts. don't have the space now, but have managed to wedge in a small upright (probably a spinnet). still, good to be able to play!

Took me a while to read through all these fascinating & interesting comments...such a variety of views & attitudes. I am blessed to have TWO grand pianos, in 2 different locations. The power of visualization, folks! Grew up playing a quality upright from age of 3, bought my first apartment piano after college (now gifted to a niece), and then used portable keyboards "on the road" as a professional musician for 40 years. Acquiring my 6'2" Steinway vintage grand was a dream come true, & now graces my living room, looking out at the sea, with an inspiring view (unfortunately, must keep it covered to protect from direct sunlight, except in summer when sun is high). The second one, a "petite baby grand", dominates my living room in my smallish 600 sq.ft. cottage in HI. It happily doubles as a dining table, office desk, & computer table, with custom-made covers (by me) to protect from moisture, heat, scratches. Hosting "jam sessions" makes both pianos focal points in our lifestyle...both much loved, much used, and much appreciated for sound quality. "A day without music would Bb."

I buy and build my houses to fit the grand piano. I bought a 3rd hand Yamaha baby grand at music school which I still have. I'm saving for a second hand Yamaha C7 - my dream piano (cannot afford/justify a Steinway). I'd rather drive an old car and have a beautiful sounding instrument - it makes chopsticks sound good!!!

Piano quality is the decisive factor for me. It's like driving a Ferrari, instead of a Hyundai - no comparison!! I'd spend money on my piano above anything else!! Can't wait to trade up to a 7 foot Yamaha!! The bass is divine!

I have a beautiful old upright rebuilt with new hammers, dampers & strings, but would rather a grand if I had the space. Nothing can beat the looks & sound of a good grand piano.

We downsized, and I sold (reluctantly) my grand piano. I am looking to get a Yamaha Clavinova CLP 585. The you tube videos and reviews of it say it is a fantastic-sounding instrument. Plus, I can play while my husband watches t.v. and not disturb him.

This is the 1908 former player piano I got for $200 for my daughter to learn on. Sounds gorgeous. It's awful to move, but we just rolled it into our new home and it's happy in the large room.

I like the grand it it really depends on the room you have

If you have room for the grand, rock it! Otherwise use the upright to utilize space more efficiently.

Definitely a grand piano. It's so elegant...

If you have a space you definitely get a baby grand...

neither

Neither I would rather use the space for sculpture or other art I am obsessed with ancient times and cultures

I already commented that we own a grand... But when we were looking for a house to buy our last cross country move, my 2 biggest requirements were:
1- a kitchen large enough to fit my table since we are a family of seven, and
2- a dining room that will fit my 6'1" grand piano.

It was amazing how many large houses got knocked out of the running because they didn't meet those two requiremens. (I say large, because we were also looking for 5 bedrooms and at least 3.5 baths) I never thought it would be so difficult to get that in a large home! Thankfully, we found a home we love and it fits the bill perfectly! The kitchen has a hearth room that extends out at an angle to the kitchen and it's the perfect place to put my large kitchen table, and my piano is the star of the show in the dining room.

I voted "upright" but by that I mean a shorter studio model. It's the perfect size for our small home, and the one we have was refinished beautifully by my mother-in-law.

I grew up with and learned to play on my parents baby grand, and I still miss it. But we now have an antique upright, that was built by my husband's Grandfather, who was a piano tuner on Broadway, back in the 1920's, and it is magnificent. Gave it to my son, who learned on it, and also knows how to tune pianos, for a wedding present.

Despite what some people have said, it's not all about looks. When talking about pianos, the longer the strings, the better sound quality comes from the piano!

I inherited my parlor grand, I gave the upright that my daughters learned on to the daughter whose own daughter then used it. In a few years I hope the new gr-granddaughter will use it too! Neither is a Steinway but they are both well-loved and well cared for; they don't sound the same, but they both sound good. And as wysattazahn says, it's the sound is what counts unless you just want a decorating prop.

As a professional classical pianist, I have a mid-size Kawai grand, an upright Yamaha and a Clavinova for my performing and teaching purposes. It is hard to find a home with a living area that allows me to fit all of them in one room in a pleasing fashion. I can understand why people who are not musicians or who don't play the piano would not want a piano in their home - it costs money and it takes up space. However, if you have the money, the space and like the look, I don't see why you shouldn't have one.

Speaking professionally, grands have a different action from uprights and the resonance from longer strings is richer. You have to have a large room and the right acoustics (not tile floors and lots of hard surfaces) to get the most out of your grand sound-wise. If you don't play classical music, you might not be as picky if it doesn't bother you.

As far as conditions that are important for all pianos - do not expose to direct sunlight - it can fade the finish. Humidity control is very crucial - more so than temperature. The heart of the piano is the soundboard and it is affected by humidity - best to be kept around 40-50% according to the dealers. More importantly is keeping the humidity level constant. A cracked soundboard renders a piano worthless. When we moved overseas, I consulted with Yamaha corporate and they told me that the high temperatures in the summer would not affect shipping my piano (in a shipping container) as much as humidity. With that said, a burning fireplace would dry out the piano too.

We have a Baldwin Acrosonic spinet that tucks nicely into an inglenook below the entry hall in the stairwell of the main staircase. We keep it tuned, and the sound when it's played fills the house. A small piano that fits is far better than none at all!

Unless you're a concert pianist, I recommend an upright every time! Grands take up SO much space, and in many cases do not sound any better than good quality upright. My favorite? An old, well-tuned upright grand!

I always wanted a piano, and wanted to learn how to play one. I would definitely like a grand. Piano music is beautiful, soothing and live.

Grand is just grander. :)

Really depends on space.

Absolutely a grand.

I voted "other" as spinet was not an option. Our spinet, purchased for $50 at a local thrift store, is the perfect size for our home and is enjoyed by all.

It all depends on space and the acoustics of the space. As a former singer-songwriter, I have an upright piano that blends well with the rest of the decor (it doesn't overpower the rest of the room, aesthetically speaking) A grand piano is kind of a "statement" piece and needs a larger home; it needs a spacious room with large windows for it to work - and the room needs to have good acoustics. A grand piano is louder than an upright, and if you're not living in your own villa or stand-alone home, you should also keep your neighbors in mind as it can get pretty loud, depending on how thin your walls are.

If you have the space for a grand piano then definitely go for it! They're beautiful and a great piece to have in your home. But if you're limited on space then go with the upright piano.

Well, since my grandmother's piano, now mine, is an upright (bookmatched black walnut!), that gets my vote. Of all the pianos I have played in my life, this one has the softest touch. It's a keeper!

Would love a baby grand but don't have the space, so we have an upright.

A grand piano would look ridiculous in my modest 2000 sq ft home. I have a beautiful Baldwin pecan console I bought in 1975. It fits my informal style.

A grand piano doesn't look ridiculous ANYwhere!!! I have a darling little

petite grand in my 500 sq.ft.cottage...it replaces what used to be the

dining area. We eat at the kitchen bar, except when we have a rollicking

piano bar session going around the....piano! (Carefully covered in a

waterproof, silencer cover, of course. It all depends on your priorities,

and how much a part of your life your piano actually is! Vive la musique!!!

Have a beautiful baby grand, mat black with nickel hardware. Bought our current home to renovate because it had room to have piano in living room.

Love the look and sound of a baby grand, but not willing to give up all that space.

My dearest husband bought me my dream piano, my "Ferrari"! It's a 7.5 foot Yamaha C7 concert grand and I will never part with it. Love love love it!

As for the sound of a grand versus an upright? Please, absolutely no contest at all. It's all in the length of the strings. A grand (not a baby) wins every time unless it is not looked after/in good condition. It's all about amplitude, harmonics and sympathetic vibration.

Congratulations! Lucky you! With the correct room size and furnishings to help with the resonance, you should enjoy playing on it for many years! Can I come play on it (I am a professional pianist)? No, just kidding! For those who would like to know more about figuring out the best size room/conditions to hold a piano so that it produces the best sound, check out this cool article I found:

http://www.pianobuyer.com/PDFarchive/PB_PianoRoom.pdf

If space and money are no obstacle, a grand piano will almost always have that grand piano specific allure. That said, a recent customer photo showed an upright in a rec room. That seemed so practical - and so fun!

Dear Julie,

Thanks for the great article referencing piano placement in a room - perfect timing!

P.s. You can play my Yamaha any time, but I live in the wonderful land of Oz!

Hi Danielle,

Glad to know that the article helped. My husband and I move quite a bit - we bought and sold 5 houses in 9 years. So, I often scour Houzz for ideas and advice on all sorts of things. Oz, huh? We lived in Kiwiland from 2006-2010 in Christchurch. Our house was destroyed in the quakes of 2010-11. We couldn't sell it before we left and had rented it out. After fighting the insurance company for a year, they finally paid out...whew! Enjoy your piano...I have a mid-size Kawai grand, a Yamaha upright and a Clavinova for my performing and teaching purposes. Presently, they are housed in a room that is acoustically far from ideal, but I don't have a better option for now.