HOLIDAY STYLE: THE PIANO
I have a thing for pianos. Ours isn’t a fancy one, but it’s meaningful—and I love nothing more than having it played. We had this little upright beauty even in our tiny 420 square foot city apartment, despite the precious space it took up, because making music—or having the ability to make music in the home—is joy.
A close second to having our piano played (ideally, but someone way more skilled than me—including Andras or Greta), is styling it for parties or the holidays. For years I didn’t have a bar cart, or a sideboard, so the piano had to do—it became a staging ground for cheese boards and delicious nibbles and tucked away treats.
It’s not hard to do this at home if you, too, have a piano. Here’s a little inspiration ( if you need more—I have a whole PINTEREST board dedicated to PIANO MOMENTS, here) plus a few tips and tricks for playing up this special part of your home this holiday.
CREATING VIGNETTES:
styling your piano is a chance to play: display your children’s gingerbread houses, hang your stockings, or use is at a clever place to congregate sweet small collections, like the seashells you gathered at the beach this summer or your daughter’s nesting dolls. It’s also a great place to display art (hung above or leaned against the wall in a rotating gallery). Lean on whimsy and be playful—there’s no wrong answer, especially during the holidays.
INTEGRATING TREATS:
My kids and their friends know, when we host a party, there will be little sweet treats hidden in secret (or not-so-secret) spots around the house, including on top of the piano, to discover throughout the night. You may not want to do this if you have a prized piano that you’re nervous about getting crumbs inside of—but if you’re more loose about your piano, things like pizzelle cookies, or even cocoa-dusted almonds (that can be dusted/brushed away after the part) work. put them on cake stands or little elevated platters to add to the magic.
GREENS, BRANCHES + WREATHS:
a beautiful feather-y wreath, (like the one pictured, below) makes a great CENTERPIECE TO hang above a piano, especially if you’ve kept the wall behind your piano intentionally blank for switching things up in the season. If you don’t want to spend on or make a big statement wreath, beautifully snipped greenery (from the base of your tree, small branches of boxwood, Eucalyptus or the can be tucked all around the top of your piano. Or, go more MINIMALIST: This year, I found a tiny $10 faux wreath at Target that seemed just right (see above), to balance out the sparse, elegant feeling of the brass candlesticks, foraged berry branches and grasses.
SERVE DRINKS:
OK, you have to be super careful with this one, but if you dream of a beautiful bar cart, but have a piano instead—use it. Protect the finish of your piano with a small tray, and line up your wine bottles or mixers on top. YOu may want to pinpoint one person to do the pouring if you go this route, but if you have an all-adult crowd, your guests can probably handle it.
A PLAYFUL NOD
My children are always leaving their little toys and treasures about—-from a painted rock or an oyster shell, to a favorite stuffed toy or a little nutcracker. Why not go with it? I often incorporate one of their items, like a handmade Navy and White donkey (below) that I brought them from Mexico several years ago, as part of the decor. If it comes off during a party and gets played with, all the better. One year my DEAR friend Rebecca Thuss scattered the handmade tissue paper snowflakes our daughters GRETA AND POET were making during my annual tree-trimming Fete all over the piano for a very sweet effect.
FAVORITE PIANO STYLING GIFTS + GOODIES:
Below are the links to 14 of my favorite sources for styling—for the holidays, and any day. These also happen to be my favorite shops for holiday shopping this season—thoughtful, handmade, artisan, beautiful and unique gifts to cherish.
** images should not be pinned or posted without attribution. **
Portraits // CHRISTOPHER TESTANI
Still Photos // HARRISON LUBIN
Food + Prop Styling // SARAH COPELAND
Candlesticks // WEST ELM
Wreath // HOPS PETUNIA (LARGE) + TARGET (SMALL)
Cake Stand // ANTHROPOLOGIE
Books // ARTIFACT UPRISING + MOMA STORE
Wooden Boards + Bowls // HUDSON WORKSHOP
Vase // LOST QUARRY
Plates + Platters // VINTAGE