Music Is the Muse: How To Showcase Your Piano
10 charming rooms where the piano meets artistic vision
There’s a certain magic in a room built around music — where every detail reflects a passion for sound and style. These inspiring spaces remind us that music isn’t just heard; it’s felt, seen and lived. Whether it’s a dedicated corner, a cozy sitting area or an integrated part of a larger living space, read on to discover how various homes incorporate musical elements into their overall design schemes.
1. ENCHANTING HARMONY
Photos by Meghan Balcom
Designer Michal Rubin was tasked with transforming a sitting room in Livingston that had long served as a storage area for odds and ends. After clearing out most of the clutter, she explains, “I let the existing vintage sofa and baby grand piano lead the way,” ultimately creating a space that feels “functional, enchanting and full of life.” The room’s backdrop — in an elegant green forest motif — “automatically made the room feel otherworldly,” she says. An oversized chandelier dripping in crystals ensures the beauty fills the space, while a soft metallic accent rug helps integrate the vintage sofa into its “new, updated life.”
Sources design, MR Interiors in Livingston; wallpaper, Mind the Gap; chandelier, Corbett Lighting; ottoman, All Modern.
LEFT: The artwork features a peacock perched on red roses. Rubin explains, “When sourcing art, I knew it had to be a peacock. The feathers, the whimsy and the regality of the animal fit so perfectly into the overall vibe of the room.”| CENTER: Furniture was selected in deep brown and mahogany tones to complement the owners’ prized baby grand. | RIGHT: A Deco-inspired bar cart crafted from Lucite, glass and cast brass from Anthropologie catches the light and harmonizes with the other brass accents.
Sources artwork, Artfully; bookcase, Arhaus.
2. NATURE’S PRELUDE
Photo by Tom Grimes
The renovation of a lakeside Princeton home emphasizes the view. In the music room, a game table serves as a scenic spot for the puzzle-loving owners to pass the time. For more of this home, visit “A Lakeside Princeton Home Focuses on the View.”
Sources interior design, Mapletoft & Miller in Bedminster; architect, Bartle Clayton Architecture in Princeton; builder, Pinneo Construction in Princeton.
3. MIDCENTURY MODERN
Photo by dluxcreative
Designer Andrew Suvalsky played up deep French blue tones along with touches of gold and black among a mix of new and vintage finds in his Montclair living room. He also redid the fireplace stonework in a more modern and glam black marble with white veining. Says Suvalsky: “The piano is meant to invite you in for a party, a martini — or whatever the poison — and a great cozy time by the fire.” For more of this home, visit “Midcentury Mindset.”
Sources design, Andrew Suvalsky Designs (ASD) in New York City; vintage chairs on one side of the fireplace, reupholstered in black and white houndstooth; vintage gold plaid wing chair, Chairish; sofa, floor cushions and window treatments, designed by ASD and produced by C&G Custom Interiors; wall and ceiling paint, “Ice Blue” by Benjamin Moore & Co.; fireplace wall paint, “Santa Monica Blue” by Benjamin Moore; & Co.; aqua sculptural bottles that flank the fireplace and assorted decorative glass pieces throughout, The End of History.
4. LUXE LOUNGE
Photos by Raquel Langworthy
A sitting room off a Sea Girt foyer is painted soft black to evoke the feel of a moody lounge for adults. It features a grand piano and a wood-bead chandelier that pays homage to the home’s seaside locale.
LEFT: To create a striking contrast, “We chose a lighter-hued rug and sofa as well as artwork with lots of white negative space,” designer Sarah Brady says. | RIGHT: Matching bar cabinetry and a tonal soapstone countertop contribute to the room’s sophisticated setting.
Sources design, Salt Design Co. in Red Bank; black entry door, Rustica; wall paint, “Raccoon Fur” by Benjamin Moore & Co.; chandelier, two leather chairs, hide rug, sofa, cocktail table and table lamp, Shop By Salt; framed print, Lauren Marttila. For more of this home, visit “Carefully Curated.”
5. HARMONIOUS EXTENSION
Photos by Mike Van Tassell
Architect Michael Wu designed a music room addition in Freehold that blends beautifully with the existing Tudor-style home. The ceiling is outlined with dark wood beams. “I envisioned this space as a music pavilion, and I made the walls all glass to create something of a garden feature,” Wu says.
“Our living room had a baby grand piano in it and it felt very crowded,” homeowner Regina Cunningham says. Wu’s design called for opening a wall in the living room to create an entry to the new music room, which better suits the dimensions of the piano. For more of this home, visit “Perfect Harmony.”
Sources architecture, Michael S. Wu Architect in Locust; general contractor, Milano Builders in Shrewsbury; doors and windows, Pella; living room chairs, Herman Miller.
6. MUSIC & REFLECTION
Photos by Raquel Langworthy
LEFT: An antiqued, smoked mirror reflects the stunning living room in Monmouth County. “The ceiling feature [an eye-catching geometric fretwork pattern] completes the essence of the room,” designer Karen Wolf says. | RIGHT: Built-ins behind the piano in the living room offer a convenient space for listening to an impromptu concert. For more of this home, visit “Divide and Conquer.”
Sources design, k+co LIVING in Short Hills; wall covering, Phillip Jeffries; armchairs, Bernhardt; carpet, Prestige Mills; console and coffee table, Vanguard Furniture; throw pillows, Z Gallerie and Bloomingdale’s; cabinet, Old Biscayne Designs; piano, Steinway; custom window seat cushion fabric, Stark (Scalamandré); art behind piano; Zoe Bios Creative through Wendover Art Group; chandelier over piano, Savoy House.
7. KEYNOTE CONSERVATORY
Photo by Meghan Balcom
In a Millstone makeover, “We loved designing the conservatory where the [family’s] existing baby grand piano was the star of the show,” designer Jenna Reading says. “We updated the furniture to be moody and cozy. There’s enough seating for the whole family to gather and listen to the kids play or have a game night on the coffee table.”
Sources design, Jenna Reading and Amanda Downs, co-founders of South Main Design in Allentown; sofa, Lulu & Georgia; armchair and coffee table, Four Hands; rug, Loloi; light fixture, Pottery Barn; custom window treatments, The Shade Store; wall color, “Boothbay Gray” by Benjamin Moore & Co. For more of this home, visit “A Makeover in Millstone.”
8. PIANO PEDIGREE
Photos by Paul Bartholomew
“I love to come in here and read a book,” homeowner Judianne Hare says of her living room in Pennington. “It’s a hideaway for me.” The piano dates from the early 1900s. Navy blue grass-cloth wall covering adds bold color and texture, coupled with a vivid red and white ottoman and lively patterned throw pillows.
Sources design, AJ Margulis Interiors in Pennington; wall covering, Thibaut Design; sisal carpet, Beatrice & Martin Inc.; sofa, TCS Designs Inc. with Thibaut fabric; pillows, Cowtan & Tout; ottoman, Kravet fabric; drapery fabric, Duralee; lamp, Heritage Lighting in Lambertville. For more of this home, visit “Practicality & Puppy Love in Pennington.”
9. VIVID VIBES
Photo by Justin Cole
Designer Libby Langdon shook up the notion of a formal living room in Summit by introducing upholstered ottomans in a soft gray, orange and hot pink pattern — colors that became the springboard for the room’s palette. Black accents — via the ceiling’s unexpected graphic black and white wallpaper pattern — tie in with the room’s black baby grand. For more of this home, visit “Personality & Panache.”
Sources interior design, Libby Langdon Interiors in New York City; tufted sofas, Hickory Chair; swivel chairs and coffee tables, Vanguard Furniture; ottomans, Arteriors; wallpaper on ceiling, York Wallcoverings; chandelier, Hudson Valley Lighting Group; window treatment fabric, Kravet; wall colors, “Galveston Gray” (on fireplace wall) and “Stonington Gray,” both by Benjamin Moore. & Co.
10. HERITAGE RESTORED
Photo by Tom Grimes
In a circa-1828 Lawrenceville home, designer Deborah Leamann filled the newly installed custom bookcases around the perimeter of the drawing room with antique books and artifacts, creating a multifunctional space for reading, entertaining, piano playing and more. The Ionic column-style fireplace mantel was restored to its former glory. For more of this home, visit “Past Forward.”
Sources design, Deborah Leamann Interior Design in Pennington; custom bookcases, built by Mitchell’s Woodworking & Designs in Westhampton; bookcase lights, Visual Comfort & Co.; bookcase paint, “Dove White” by Benjamin Moore & Co.; wall color, “Bone White” by Benjamin Moore & Co.; contemporary art above fireplace, Umbrella Home Décor; fabric on fireside chairs, F. Schumacher & Co.; fabric on Roman shades, Cowtan & Tout; rug, existing.