Under The Lid - Piano Blog

What Is Mid Century Modern? There have always been creative people ahead of their time. The roots of modern design can be traced all the way back to primitive cave art. But for the purpose of categorizing eras of design and style, Mid Century Modern as a design category for architecture, furniture, textiles and objects […]

When the time comes for buying a grand piano, whether it be a baby grand or a concert grand, the first interior design consideration is where to place the instrument. Some homeowners have dedicated music rooms, or can integrate a piano into the living room or recreation room. This is not a solution for every […]

Man has always made music and over centuries, the stringed instrument of choice that evolved was the piano. Using the primitive instruments from the beginning of time as their springboard, musicians in different parts of the world, starting in the 14thcentury, created the clavichord, harpsichord, and spinet (virginal) and provided the blueprints predating Christifiori’s  1700’s […]

If you know anything about pianos, you know there’s been a revolution in the industry in the past century. Yes, I said century. Because the three-legged acoustic piano has managed to look pretty much the same for centuries after the first pianoforte was created in an evolutionary leap from virginal, (one step up from a […]

Kawai Corporation, founded by former Yamaha employee, Koichi Kawai in 1927, was the first in Japan to design and build a piano action. Over 40 years of scientific testing, Kawai developed an important innovation in the use of ABS Styran plastic to manufacture action parts. Better than wood for this purpose, ABS does not swell […]

In the modern world of jet planes, high speed internet, rancorous politics, weaponry and wars, it seems that the allowance in people’s lives for beauty, music and art becomes smaller and smaller. Cities are overrun with urban blight, poverty, and decay. Outside the Fairmont Pacific Rim, a luxury Vancouver hotel, there is a magenta, graffiti […]

Architect Kengo Kuma When a world-renowned Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma was commissioned by Canadian firm Westbank Corporation, an avant-garde developer, to design a residential tower in downtown Vancouver, it was to be part of a larger project. Westbank, in partnership with the QuadReal Property Group, is re-developing Vancouver’s 28-acre Oakridge commercial area into a modern […]

What is it about white pianos that captivates the imaginations of homeowners and designers?  In the old days, white wooden pianos got a bad reputation for yellowing, so people stuck to the tried and true conventional brown.  But yellowing finishes were resolved decades ago by modern technology, and the used piano stores are stacked with […]

Once in awhile a product comes along that just creates an immediate Buzzzzz.  There’s no way to predict the reception when you take a risk and do something new – something that no-one has done before.  That’s what happened when Sunny Reuter decided there needed to be a baby grand on the market that could […]

Naples, Florida is the home of some of the most beautiful and exclusive homes in the world. A tour of Port Royal luxury real estate communities reveals oceanfront and lakeside properties, golf properties, and condominium high-rises that are the equal of the most lavish estates in the nation. Port Royal interior design is in demand, […]

Acrylics have been used in various forms since the early 1900’s. In 1909 the first patent for phenol-formaldehyde plastics was secured by Dr. Leo Baekeland for a plastic he called “Bakelite.” It could be molded into colorful jewelry, dishware and many other items (now pricey collector items). He set off the creative imaginations of organic […]

Taking an approach that extends beyond that of a traditional piano store, Sunny Reuter has converted the family business started by her parents into a new piano boutique for clients seeking exceptional quality, unique piano designs and a top notch piano performance. Clients considering a piano purchase increasingly expect the piano to be more than […]

A grand piano is a substantial piece of furniture, and when we think of the home where a grand might go, we might imagine the opulence of lavish estates like the following: However, some pianists who relish the resonance and sound of a grand luxury piano sometimes live in more modest spaces but they can […]

Pianos are a heavy-duty investment, and people are sometimes reticent to choose an unusual or designer styled piano for fear that they will just get tired of it.  It won’t do to run out and buy a new piano every time you change the drapes or the décor. Perhaps the fast paced and highly technological […]

Modern is a word applied to almost anything contemporary that differs from the “old style” of something. So what do we mean when we speak of designs in modern pianos? At the turn of the century, pianos began to be produced in large numbers by some companies. For example, in 1902, Steinway celebrated making its […]

The question might be:  why do you want or need a piano in your home at all?   Some might consider it a luxury or perhaps a dated family tradition, a throwback to the days of a parlor grand in every Victorian sitting room. But people who know and play piano, who want their children to […]

It may be true that the great concert halls of the world favor their concert grand pianos in traditional ebony color regardless of brand, but that is where tradition ends. It may also be true that during the era when the parlors of the middle class and children’s school began to fill with uprights and […]

There is no doubt that acrylics are finding their rightful place in the marketplace, the darling of designers, homeowners, and architects.  What makes acrylic so desirable is its versatility and its advantages.  By that I mean that acrylic is crystal clear and free of distortions.  Tough and shatterproof, it’s seventeen times more impact resistant than […]

History of the Piano Bench As long as there has been a clavichord, harpsichord or organ to play, there have been artists’ benches to seat the players.  Antique piano stools and benches are sought for their historic value as well as their aesthetic beauty. The ball and claw feet ornate designs were often used, as […]

This is the first of a series of blog articles on interior design within the major cities of the U.S.  We wanted to explore the styles and ideas that designers and decorators use to exemplify the tastes and preferences of the various regions of America. We decided to start with a city close to our […]

Whether you own a yacht, build them or lease them, I think you’d agree that a yacht is the capstone of luxury in anyone’s book.  More languorous than airplanes, yachts exemplify the lifestyle of people who have the money and time to enjoy life to the fullest.  And when the sun isn’t shining on deck, […]