1 Piano, Styled 3 Ways

We recently added a piano to the family, and as it goes with any new piece of furniture or change in the home it always takes some experimenting to figure out what you like and what works best in the space. So you better believe that once that baby was positioned in our dining room and thoroughly dusted off I got to work trying out different combinations of decor and accessories to style the top of the piano. So today I wanted to share with you the 3 different stylings that I came up with—traditional, modern, and artistic. Maybe you’ll be inspired to switch something up in your own home… and hopefully you’ll find the tips helpful as you’re styling your own spaces!

Because I love so many different styles, I’m not sure which one to keep in our home. Make sure to weigh in with your favorite styling at the poll at the end of the post, and who knows! Maybe it will be the deciding factor in how I decide to style my piano… for now. 😉

Styling #1: Traditional

The grounding piece for the traditional styling is a large round rattan mirror that I recently got at Target on super clearance for $15 (you should probably stop reading this post and head to your nearest Target to see if they still have any). I wanted to stay mostly neutral and classic with this styling, but I did add a bit of boho with the rattan mirror and wooden bowl. And I love that the candlestick, although a traditional shape, pulls in some modern with it’s copper wire silhouette.

TIP: Even if you’re wanting your space to have a definite style to it (such as traditional), it’s always a good idea to mix in a little bit of a contrasting style or two to keep from getting too predictable. The planter, pottery, wooden tray, and shape of the candlestick ground this styling as traditional, but the other elements keep it from looking too stuffy.

Styling #2: Modern

For the modern styling, I used a large engineering print (you can get them from Staples for a couple bucks) in a simple frame as the base piece. From there, I added a marble and copper lamp and modern ceramic bowl and mixed in a few vintage books, to again, add some variety and make it look a bit more collected. On the right I added a spunky Christmas cactus in a simple Ikea planter and some thrifted brass candlesticks that have a very modern shape.

TIP: Mixing sharp edges (like the photo frame, candlesticks, and books) with round edges (like the plant, lamp, and bowl) balances an arrangement and keeps the eye moving from piece to piece. It also adds some nice variation to have different shapes.

Styling #3: Artistic

The artistic styling is grounded by a large piece of abstract art that I painted. The books play off the blue in the painting and there are a lot of bright white pops throughout the styling that bring the whole thing together. I included lots of quirky pieces such as the spray-painted elephant sculpture and the glass display box with an ammunition round from my husband’s bachelor party. I love displaying everyday objects that aren’t typically used for decor (like dominos or ammunition!) to put an unexpected twist on things. Anything that can get a guest to look twice, ask a question, or laugh is a good thing, in my opinion!

TIP: Every shelf styling (or piano top styling in this case) can always use three things: 1) a larger grounding piece, 2) a sculptural piece, and 3) a plant. It also never hurts to group  or display objects on a tray or a stack of books, and it generally looks best to have more height on the left, as the eye naturally reads from left to right and it just works well!

So now that you’ve seen all three stylings, what do you think? Are you into the traditional styling with the large rattan mirror and collection of pottery? Or maybe you’re more drawn to the modern look with the copper, marble, and large print. Or are you more of the artistic type, attracted to whimsy and fun details? Cast your vote below!

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