You are correct in that the room is quite small for a baby grand piano. How often do you use the piano? are you a professional musician? If you keep it there (which would not be my choice) then 2 chairs and a small table between them is all that will fit comfortably. You call it a "living room" but that size room with a piano is really a "music" room or sitting room, not a room for multiple activities. I'd try to find another space for the piano.

following...

Diana - Thanks for your advice. A sitting room would work, as we do have an additional family room off the other side of the kitchen. It doesn't have to be a full living room in the truest sense of the word. However, moving the piano is not an option, there is no where else to move it in our home. And while we are not professional musicians, it is used regularly. So we need to make the space work as best we can. That's why I'm asking for advice. The pallet wall is 14 feet long for reference, the room looks much larger "in person" than it does in these pictures..

I agree with Diana, I would just consider it a music room ( or whatever ) & forget about trying to fit traditional living room furniture into that small room since you have another space available.

Here is how someone on another dilemma placed her piano, parallel to the wall. Similar to how you have it now, but not angled.

Looking at the room I think you have the piano in the best possible spot. It's about 5' x 5' right? It can't be near the doorway, so the only other spot is in the opposite corner on the pallet wall. You probably like the light coming in on both sides when you play? What exposure do the windows have--is there a concern with sunlight damage to the instrument? Also you may need to pull the piano out from the wall so you can actually maneuver yourself into the chair to play.

And I will reiterate, the most furniture in the room would be 2 chairs, moderate in size, no wider than 36", preferably 33" or smaller. How about chairs with wood frames and upholstery? Keep one in the corner where you have a chair now, and one on the wall with the loveseat. Maybe have a small table near each chair. Just don't use overscaled furniture--I'd stay away from leather and use fabric.

I have made you a simple floor plan. ratio 1 cell = 1 ft. Now you can play round with some furniture to see what fits.

I’d flip the piano around and make it more a part of the seating if that makes sense.

i found some pics to demonstrate.

floor plan for Annette's idea

Here are some idea for chairs in the room:

This one is 35" wide:

GDF Studio Alfred Royal Vintage Design Upholstered Arm Chair, Gray · More Info

This one 27" wide:

Pink Upholstered Accent Chair · More Info

This one is 30" wide:

Upholstered Arm Chair, Cambridge Seaside · More Info

And some tables:

Beaumont Lane Chairside Table in Rich Mahogany · More Info

Gemma 20" Round End Table by Kosas Home · More Info

Safavieh Marcie Accent Table · More Info

Nice ideas, Annette!

I think that Rochelle needs to decide whether she likes playing the piano with her back to the walls/windows or the audience. Not sure which is preferred as I only plunk out notes on my piano to help me with learning a new piece of choral music!

Annette - We actually considered doing what you suggested, flipping it around so the wide end (seat) is facing the room. That's how we had it in our old home. It cuts off the room a bit more, but does make it more of the "seating" area, so to speak. Then we could perhaps utilize the corner to the left of the piano. As it is currently placed, that corner is kind of in limbo.

shwshw - thanks for the grid! That is actually quite helpful.

Diana - yes the piano is 5 x 5.

Design wise - if we were to flip the piano around, which corner would be best: the pallet wall, or the opposite?

Yes to making this a music room, so consider having 2-3 comfortable chairs, no sofa, to enjoy the performances with the piano where it is now located and chairs arranged in a circle placed slightly to the left of the room.

Greenwich Residence · More Info

Add either small accent tables for each chair, or nesting round coffee table in the middle of the chairs.

Hammary Modern Basics Round Nesting Cocktail Table 190-911 · More Info

The bell of a grand piano should always open up into the room as you have it- Not into a corner

Similar situation in my house...there's no hiding the large scale (no pun intended) of a baby grand, but I keep the lid closed most of the time. It makes it seem a little less prominent and also less dusty :)

What other activities are planned for this space? I know you don’t have other options for location. Sunlight, extreme temperatures are not a friend to pianos. I would have good sunlight control. The ideas above for chairs and small tables are good. Are you wanting a TV in that room?

As suggested above could put flat side parallel to wall. Might give you a few inches but I still like angled better. It’s a beautiful piece.. let it be the star.

Molly D - TV and comfy couches are in the family room on the other side open to the kitchen/eating area. So, no tv! There is very little direct sunlight, although the room is very bright. We do have blackout curtains, however. Also we have a heat pump so temps are controlled.

This will be a room for music, and when the piano is not being used, a place where 2 adults and another couple can sit and have coffee and close the doors and have adult conversation while the kids tear the house apart on the other side of the pocket doors lol!

Got it- you want seating for four. Need designers to weigh in on how to do that!

Player should face the room and probably four smaller scaled chairs are all that will work my piano is in between our DR and LR and that works for us they do take up a lot of space so just use this area like a music room draw the room to scale with the piano also to scale out of carboard then play around with different sized chirs to see what will fit You can put the piano with its flat side parallel to the wall that way the player is still connecting to the room but I have always dislike the look of that placement

another option

Tried moving that size piano in room your size. Not sure if you can fit any more than 2 chairs.

Here is a plan that gives you (bare) minimum walk space with four chairs. These are the size of West Elm's Show Wood chairs (26 x 31). I would definitely do chairs instead of a sofa for comfort's sake. A small chair for one is more comfortable than a too-small sofa with two people on it.

Here are two more small chairs from West Elm:

Finley Lounge Chair | west elm · More Info

Carlo Mid-Century Chair | west elm · More Info

I think 4 chairs is way to much for that room. The opening is much larger than you show on your plan, Grover, which means that the chairs will be in the doorway.

But since none of us is in the space, perhaps Rochelle can play around with some existing furniture to see what might work best. I actually like Annette's ideas a lot.

I like Annette's flipping-the-piano idea, too. Even if it's not the optimal placement for the instrument, it'll be *much* easier for people to stroll by the room, plop down on the bench, and start playing -- which IME, is key for the playing of the piano. ;) We have a small, narrow living room in our actual house (as opposed to the beach house), and we got 2 of these chairs -- they don't take up a lot of space and they are surprisingly comfortable. Both my husband (6'1") and I (4'11") like them a lot. (Can't get a screenshot of them; sorry). https://shopharvest.com/products/soho-club-chair

It would look something like this without the ottoman in the center. (P.S. Please double up on your drapery panels and spread them a bit so they don't look so skimpy.)

Functionally, I think it could work, Diana.

Nice work, Grover! and then add 2 small tables between each pair of chairs next to the walls?

But it all depends on the space and what will fit.

4 slipper chairs might do the trick.

Definitely no room for an ottoman or coffee table, as it would eliminate the walk through. But I do like the placement of four chairs. I'm wondering what Grover's idea would be like (minus the ottoman), with an apt. size couch or larger love seat opposite the two chairs? That way it wouldn't "stick out" so far on the left side into the walk through area. And take Diana's idea of putting a small table between the pair of chairs. I think I would also incorporate Annette's idea of flipping the piano around.

Maybe a couple of those “C” shaped rectangular martini tables. Very movable.

Can you move the piano parallel to the window? Then the wall space is fully utilized and it leaves room for seating accessible from the hall...or did I miss something in other posts?

If you really want 4 people to sit in there than 4 chairs is the best option. 2 people rarely share a loveseat or apartment sized couch. If you do 2 small armchairs and 2 small slipper chairs you could always put the 2 slipper chairs next to each other like a loveseat for a change.

Also, I’d split the difference on the piano placement and do like Grover shows and put the bench out of the corner, but not out in the seating area. But since the piano seems to be on wheels you can try both.

I set it up both ways so you can see.

Thank you Annette - this is SO helpful to be able to visualize things!!!

Any suggestions for colour scheme? The kichen/eating area/family room directly off this room is a modern farmhouse look with white cabinets. Colour scheme is white/cream/ with some warm wood accents and gray sofa. The color of the piano (mahogany) throws this off, I know, but I have to try and work with it!

This a good space to have a fun color scheme. Maybe not as much as my pics, I’m just mixing it up to show the elements. What color do you like? What color do you wear that you get complimented on?

I personally like the look of being able to see the keyboard, but if is musically correct to have the bell in the room it looks good that way, too.

8’ round rug,

Definitely leaning towards neutrals, as this is the color scheme of this entire level of the house. All walls are BM cloud white. All windows have black curtains. Flooring is the same gray/taupe hardwood throughout. I was thinking caramel brown leather to pop out on that black shiplap wall, but may be too pricy for 4 chairs. Definitely don't want anything traditional or fussy (which I KNOW goes hand in hand with the mahogany piano but alas I cannot change that lol!) Furniture in the adjacent rooms is cream/gray/wood. I'll upload a picture when I get home to give an idea

The piano room is to the left of the kitchen-left side of the fridge

I would urge you to do your upholstered pieces in a fabric. Softer, and also sound absorbing. You need softness in the room. Not just hard surfaces.

If you can fit chairs with arms, they will be more comfortable.

No advice from this quarter, but I do have to tell you how envious I am that you have a baby grand, even if it takes up the whole darned room.

I’m going to say something that might not work at all. Wouldn’t it be great if the seating was on the far side where the windows are and where the conversations could be more private?

The piano would then block entry to the room.

Like I said, lol....