Friday, June 1, 2012

Family Heirlooms

Sometimes you need to shop your own house to find the perfect things for your home and for certain spaces. And especially when these items are treasured family heirlooms!

Case in point: our piano.

I bet you didn't even know we had a piano! I've never talked about it and I'm pretty sure I've never photographed it. My parents gave it to us when we moved into our house two years ago. It has been my mom's since she was 8 (she plays the piano). It is terribly out of tune now and she doesn't play anymore, but as you know, my musician husband does. So we inherited it and it is beautiful!

We put it in Nate's room (did you even know he had a room? it's his office/music room/guest bedroom). There is a little nook in this space that is perfect for a "jam" room: we put the piano in there, along with his saxophone, fiddle, classical guitar, and keyboard (yeah).

But no-one-ever-sees-it.

Now, rewind to our living room. It has this bare wall with two large art pieces hanging up high. I have always wanted to get two matching chairs to put under the art pieces... but one day, it just clicked: MOVE THE PIANO INTO THE LIVING ROOM. Nate was on board with the plan and Operation: Move the 1,000 Pound Piano commenced.

We used a four-wheeled dolley and our sheer muscle strength. And towels. Sorry for the one picture of the process, my muscles were an integral part of the moving.

Doesn't it look SO good in this space?! We put a lamp on top because the Johnson's adore lamps. For real. We hardly use the actual ceiling lights.

You may also notice the books we lined up top. Those are old church hymnals that my Grandma gave to Nate and I. I  a-d-o-r-e  this book collection. The covers are aged, the pages are tattered, but they are so neat to look at. The dates... 1929, 1931, 1942, 1957.... Crazy. My Great-Grandmother's name written inside, my Grandma's name written inside (with her maiden name). It is so precious to us that we have these. Such a good heirloom to inherit!

Do you ever "shop" your house? Move furniture around and around? Inherit awesome heirlooms from your family? Do tell.


3 comments :

  1. I like it, and I love the art too ;)
    Nice job! Small changes really do help us make our living space better. Have a great weekend!

    {Shauna}
    www.ShaunaWyrick.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love it! I would love to move things around but I'm at this point where I feel there is nothing left to move.

    My BIL inherited a piano and every time I visit their place I just love seeing their piano. Pianos just look great in a room!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What an awesome collection! I love stuff like that, too. We bought my husband's grandma's house and we found all sorts of awesome stuff when we first moved in, like her old collection of sewing patterns.

    And I would love to move my piano, but my husband told me after we moved into the house that when we someday sell, we're leaving it behind because he refuses to move it again. Hooray for old, heavy pianos.

    ReplyDelete

I read each and every comment: thank you for leaving some love!