Let There be Music.... Again!

before

When I was young, I learned to play piano on an old upright.  The piano was beautiful...a true oldie but goodie.  A few years ago, Mark and I started talking about getting a piano and we both agreed that we would own a piano some day.  Over the past couple of years we did a little piano browsing here and there and we looked at some shiny new pianos and modern used pianos, but my heart kept remembering this beautiful old piano gathering dust in my parents' basement.  After showing Mark the piano, he agreed that one day the piano could come to live at our house.  While the piano appeared to just need a little cleaning and polishing on the outside, the inside was a different story.  Being over 100 years old, the piano was definitely showing its age on the inside.  After a consultation with a piano tuner and restorer, we learned that the piano would never hold a tuning to the correct pitch unless it had major restoration done on its pins, strings, actions and dampers. None of which would be cheap, but a new piano isn't cheap either.  After waiting, discussing, budgeting and waiting some more, we finally made the call for restoration to begin.  On a beautiful October morning, the piano left its home at the farm and began its journey to our house. 

keyboard before

The restoration took about two and a half months.  Every part of the piano was restored piece by piece. The keytops were replaced and the case was polished and received a little TLC. 

old and new dampers

 restored action

This is the piano as we saw it when we visited it during the restoration process.  Here the piano is disassembled and resting on its back.  The soundboard and shiny new strings are visible and since all the decorative and function pieces have been removed, it doesn't look much like our piano at all! 

In mid December we received a call that our piano was ready.  The kids were very excited and I was very anxious to see the end result.  Here Claranna is watching out the window as the movers wheel the piano to our house.  
 

On its way in!

The big reveal.  It looks beautiful and sounds like a brand new piano.

Everyone that was home had to check the piano out right away.  Even our kitty, Thorn, gave it a good inspection.

We've had the piano just over a month and it has added a whole new layer of beautiful sound to our busy home.  There hasn't been a day that has gone by when it hasn't been played by someone big or small.  After years of wishing and months of waiting and fretting over the restoration, I am so thankful to have this beautiful piano revived.  It is glorious to hear the kids plunk out a melody when I am working in the kitchen.  It makes my heart happy!