My piano is in the foyer (or as I like to call it, the vestibule, because it makes it sound like a piano belongs there). The only other wall long enough to accommodate it has our 55 inch tv. Mr. Hammer thought it was weird at first, and so do some of our guests, but it fits perfectly there and fills the home with music. It is played about once a week, sometimes more if someone has a song in their head or it is Christmastime (we have a song book for the holidays).

This Story & Clark upright has been with us for awhile and needs a tuning. Decorating around it is something of a challenge. I added a lamp, the metronome, a basket for the songbooks and a couple paintings of some of the places we have been. (The painting over the piano was done by a street artist in Central Park).

Whoa, Casey! Impressive!

Sombreuil, can you share where/how you store your music? And if you change shoes when you play, do you keep them nearby, too?

I am sentimental about our old upright. We bought it from a retired couple forced to downsize who cared more about it going to a good home than how much they got for it.

We had 2 youngsters and the older, DS, wanted to learn to play. We had no room on the main floor of our starter home, so it had to go in our unfinished basement. My DH would get up very early and stoke the woodstove down there and then sit with DS who practiced each morning before school. My work schedule wasn't flexible enough to get the kids to lessons, so that was something both DS & DD remember as being a bonding experience with DH. When the kids left for college, he finally began taking lessons himself ;)

DS is the one who really took off with his music. He performed through college & his wife gifted him with an electric piano when they moved abroad so he could continue to play.

When I was caring for my Mom when she suffered with Alzheimer's, one of the few things that quelled her anxiety and brought her comfort was when she sat at the piano and played her "old songs" by ear. She had a beautiful singing voice. It amazed me how she remembered all the verses to WWII standards that her mother used to play, yet could not recall any current facts about her life...Her music was one of the few comforts that, thankfully, was never taken from her.

On a happier note - My nephews play and my granddaughters are beginning to learn. I hope we'll always have singing around this old piano whenever the family gathers. It's not fancy, but it will always have a prized place in my home.

Ours is in the study. It's a Yamaha console I have had for about 40 years. Probably needs a bit of tuning right now but I don't play as often as I'd like. We do use it frequently, especially at Christmas and when we are practicing our choral music.

I don't think the foyer is such a strange spot for the piano to live, hmthammer. We considered that spot too, but we really needed that area for our coats and shoes. If you use that door for guests, it's probably nice that they can slide the bench out for sitting to take shoes on and off. (I'm pretty sure we have one of the same lesson books that I see in your music basket!)

Wow Casey, that is a serious organ! Does it get played often? The woodwork on it is gorgeous. Is it from a church?

I love the stories that go with your piano, amck2. Such beautiful memories. Fun pictures, too! I am glad to hear that your mother always had her music. A friend of ours has Alzheimers and music is very special to him, too. His wife takes him out with an Alzheimers support group and she said it's amazing to see how music brings those who are suffering to life. Even though they may no longer be talking, when they hear their old familiar music, they'll sing along.

My DMIL comes and gives our kids lessons every few weeks; we feel very blessed by that. I'm sure they'll have wonderful memories someday of all the times they sat next to their grammie and played piano together.

Very pretty, outside playing. I like how the colors of the prints coordinate with the colors of your piano.

Our piano is in the library and is almost never played though youngest DD or my DSIL will play Christmas carols on it. My first DH bought it for our youngest DD when she was seven. I am hoping that she will soon find room for it in her home because I want at least one of her children to follow the tradition. My DM played beautifully, I took lessons for a bit but not good. DD is quite good. My oldest DD has my DM's piano, her DH uses it. She was a violinist but hasn't played in years.

Here is a photo:

I'm in the middle of sprucing up the LR. I recently just got the

new rug and have a sofa coming in mid March. So just this past

week I decided to look for a new light for the piano, or at least

a new slimmer shade. ( as long as I'm here already, opinions on

a new lamp is welcomed.) Is my current lamp to tall?

Anyhow, our piano is in in the LR. My hubby is the piano player in our house.

Our two little grandsons are taking piano lessons, so our piano is getting some

use.

second try at loading the photo.

Casey, what a beautiful instrument! I am green with envy. I love organ and piano music, but can't really play. I took piano for a couple of years but never got far.

Donna

My piano is in our living room. It was my graduation present from my parents. They had given my childhood piano away when I was in college and I was so hurt, they didn't think it mattered to me. I have carted this piano all over the U.S. in a Uhaul. Seven moves since college. It was stored in our business storage room for 7 years (while we lived in our tiny farmhouse) and we just moved it into the new house before Thanksgiving. Finally tuned and I've been playing. Badly. Those Christmas carols were rough... Must practice!

The bookcases are moving out and the built in version will be in place hopefully by Spring. Looks pretty stark but our focus has been elsewhere since moving in last fall. Barn building and now the guest room. We are still quite unsettled. My books are all still boxed. But it has been nice to have the piano back.

I missed it. Didn't realize how much. Finally home.

We have a 30 year old Baldwin console but I'm the only one who plays it now. All 3 of my children took lessons for several years but none of them were in love with playing. When we redecorated 10 years ago we moved it into the quest bedroom which makes a nice little music room. We removed the double sliding doors from the closet and placed it inside. I seldom play now since the arthritis in my hands makes it a little difficult.

I had mine in the fireplace for a while. See? It could be worse!

Where does everyone keep their music? Does it ALL fit in the bench? Mine doesn't!

I keep our music in a large basket next to the piano.

We have an old Anderson cabinet grand in this weird little alcove in the entryway. When we bought the house, the alcove was walled off and was "the sewing room" LOL. We opened it up - the front door is at the right side of the photo, while the door to the garage is to the left of the piano. The rug/stool situation drives me a little nuts - someday I'll do something about that! The piano has a great sound, but there are a few dead keys and it can't quite be tuned correctly without major work. DD has a digital keyboard that she likes (me, too!) but she prefers the sound from the Anderson.

No, all our music (DH's trumpet and guitar music and the piano music) doesn't fit in the bench. I keep most of it in a nearby storage unit that is on the other side of the room and some that we use a lot in the bench.

No piano here, but we do have a 1901 pump organ. When the grandkids were little they were told it was "magic" music. It only played when they sat on grandma's lap (I pumped the pedals). Took a few years before they caught on.

amck2 - I have an old upright, too!!!! It is now over 90 years old and was in the house my mom grew up in. I'll try to get a picture after dinner. It looks exactly like yours.

My husband's is on one half of our den (which functions more like a hallway). He had an antique upright positioned to the left of where I am standing for this pic but it couldn't be tuned any longer. He was thrilled to find a baby grand fit and got this used one - it is beautiful, I wish I could play. He keeps sheet music in that closet.

This is a great thread. I love seeing all these beautiful pianos and organs.

I keep the music in those plastic upright bins in the office. It is nowhere near the piano. The books we like to use often are in a basket on top of the piano.

Here's my over 90 year old upright piano that's almost identical to amck2's upright. It was in the house my mom grew up in and then in my mom and dad's house until we moved it here about 8 years ago. Unfortunately, it's quite out of tune and I'm not sure, because it's been so long, that is could be properly tuned. To me, tho, it doesn't matter. I still like to sit down and play once in awhile.

bac717, I love seeing your piano. I appreciate other styles but this one leans toward the unadorned Shaker look that I love.

I was a bit embarrassed when the tuner first came to our last home years ago to work on ours. I knew he most often worked on newer and grander pianos. But he seemed to love it and advised us to keep it. His thoughts were that "they don't make them like this anymore" and meant that in a good way.

DS likes the bells & whistles on his electric model. The ability to play it silently (with sound only coming through headphones) lets him play late at night without waking the baby or disturbing neighbors. And being able to record and playback is really cool, too. But even with all that he loves coming back here and playing our (his) piano. To him it's about the touch on the "real" old one.

Please keep sharing your pictures and piano stories. I love them!

This is obviously a piano room! I practice and teach in this room, and it is the reason I bought the house so many years ago….a room large enough for two Steinway B's. I've since re-decorated a bit--new curtains and paint, but this, and pictures of my music library, is basically how it works. I need curtains because of the amount of sound generated by all the wood and glass. And, of course, to mitigate the light in the room.

Despite the fact that he doesn't really play the piano (he's a cellist and orchestra conductor), DH has always wanted a grand piano. When he got his master's degree his dad offered to pay for half of one. He wouldn't buy a baby grand either. This one is 6'

I really didn't want a grand piano because it's huge. Our last house had a huge living room and it wasn't a problem but when we were faced with finding a new house last year it was a big challenge to find a home in our price range with a large enough living room. DH was adamantly against having a separate room for the piano ( which I would have preferred, honestly). He wants to be able to have space for recitals.

Im still deciding what to do with the dated vertical blinds on the doors and windows.

The painting over the piano is a print on canvas of a painting DH posed for but it depicts his great-great-great grandfather, who also played the cello.

As far as where to store the music, ugh. This is the bane of my existence. DH could fill floor to ceiling bookshelves all over the house with all of his scores and cello music. My oldest plays the violin and my middle kid the cello so we have 3 cellos and 2 violins floating around. I made himtake most of his scores to work since that's where he uses them most. I really, really want to find an enclosed cabinet to contain this mess that keeps spilling over onto my display shelves.

*sigh* I would love a baby grand. And I have the room for it, too ....