Off-key is encouraged. Phones are not.
My love affair with the piano began long before I could actually play one. As a little girl, I’d plant myself at the piano in our family living room and bang away at the keys, completely convinced I was making beautiful music. Eventually I graduated to Heart & Soul, which I played over and over (and over!) again. I’m sure my family was thrilled.
A few lessons later, I came to the unfortunate realization that the piano wasn’t exactly my forte. Pun very much intended.
But the love never faded.
There’s something so romantic and wonderfully old-fashioned about a piano in the living room: the graceful curves, the rich wood, the promise of music just waiting to happen. To me, a baby grand piano is as much a magnificent piece of furniture as it is an instrument. And unlike most furniture, this one knows how to throw a party.
One of my very favorite things in the world is a good old-fashioned piano sing-along. Give me a room full of friends, a fabulous pianist, a few cocktails, and everyone belting out Sinatra, Elton John, or Billy Joel, and I’m in heaven. Nobody’s checking their phones, nobody’s worried about hitting the right notes, and nobody cares one bit if you’re off-key. Honestly, that’s half the fun. It’s never about perfect. It’s about everyone joining in.
Call me old-fashioned, but I think we could all use a little more of that magic.
Which brings me to my newest arrival!
After a little searching (and maybe a touch of obsession), I’m finally bringing a Steinway baby grand piano home to New York. She’s elegant, she’s grand, and she has curves in all the right places.
Along the way, I had the pleasure of getting to know Paul Leverett, a lovely gentleman in England who followed in his father’s footsteps restoring beautiful pianos. His father, Colin Leverett, spent seven decades in the piano trade and passed down a remarkable legacy of craftsmanship, knowledge, and pure love for these instruments. Paul shared a short film about his father’s life that truly touched me, and I think you’ll love it as much as I did.
Watch The Piano Man, the short film about Paul’s father, Colin Leverett.
When I picture my new piano in our living room, I don’t imagine myself sitting alone playing Chopin. Although that would be lovely. (And highly unlikely!) Instead, I picture friends with cocktails in hand, someone calling out requests, and everyone gathered around the piano singing their hearts out. Because that’s what makes a house a home: not just beautiful things, but the memories we make around them.
I may never have mastered Chopsticks, but I’ve certainly mastered the art of gathering around a piano.
Now… does anyone know a good piano player? I’ve got the cocktails covered.
I’ve gathered everything a proper piano night needs in one place: black coupes and a cocktail tree for the bar, cards for song requests, a faux fur stole for making an entrance, and a few things that simply make me smile.
♡ A piano is furniture that throws a party.
♡ Off-key is encouraged. Phones are not.
♡ Always keep a few crowd-pleasers on hand: Sinatra, Elton, Billy Joel.
♡ The best things in a home come with a story, and the people who carry it on.
XO,
Hillary
