Hi everyone,

I came across this forum when searching for piano placement guides, so here I am hoping to get some suggestions on the best placement for my soon-to-arrive piano 🙂

Here’s a bit of context:
• Piano: a Schimmel baby grand gp169 (5’7”)
• Room: size marked in the pictures. The lower left corner 71” wall is actually the entrance to the family room. This room used to be the home gym where we do some yoga, and that’s why a large mirror is installed(marked in picture 1). After the piano arrives, it will become a multi function room. We still want to use the mirror so I haven’t listed any options where the piano will be in the lower right corner.
• Flooring: hard floor
• Windows and Sunlight: not very direct sunlight, I also have shades

I have a few possible spots in mind but would love to hear your insights on which one is the best regarding sound optimization. Thanks in advance for your advice!

Also side question: do y’all find rugs underneath the pianos make big difference on the sound?

    One possible approach is to not buy a rug ahead of time and see how the piano sounds without one. The advantage of doing this is that with two or three people it should be easy to try out all the different possibilities you listed because you will be able to move a piano on the hardwood floor pretty easily. Just do it slowly and carefully, and look at some video explaining how to move a piano around .Once you find the best location for the piano you could buy an area rug that fits between the legs of the piano and just slide it in. Or if you're convinced ahead of time you want to use an area rug you could get one that fits in between the legs and just put it there when the piano is in the various positions and listen to the sound. You could also buy a larger area run that goes underneath the piano's legs but getting the rug in that position would be more difficult. Exactly how much more difficult I can't say. Since all three positions are near each other the piano movers might be willing to place it in all three positions and have you decide at least temporarily at that point which one sounds best although making such a quick decision might be difficult.

      brdwyguy thanks for your vote! Do you prefer 3 because angled placement provides a better sound?

          pianoloverus trying without a rug first sounds like a great idea. I just wasn’t sure if the piano will still be easy to move around without mover’s help, but guess i will figure it out 🙂

          It’s also hard to visualize what kind of rug works best without the piano being there, so I will wait until it arrives.

              redrabbit It’s also hard to visualize what kind of rug works best without the piano being there, so I will wait until it arrives.

              When we built our house I learned a software, Sketchup, to model it in 3D. When we look for rugs, I just take pictures of them then add to the 3D model so see how it looks. It's works quite well. The software has a free version, I believe. And it's not hard to model a single room. I did a rough mockup of your room in about 15 minutes.

                  redrabbit If the floor had wall to wall carpeting it would be somewhat more risky to move the piano even with two helpers. But because the piano is not some monster sized instrument and especially because of the hard floor I think any risks are minimal as long as you have three people and look at a video explaining the proper technique.

                      • twocats

                      • Post #8
                      • Edited

                      redrabbit Do you prefer 3 because angled placement provides a better sound?

                      I'm also for 3. Angled and open into the other corner for best sound. It's how I have my piano and I have no regrets!

                          @redrabbit Welcome to PT!!

                          Add my vote for 3. It will sound better and probably look better too, esp. if you have seating in the bottom right of the photo.

                          Congrats on the piano! When is it being delivered?

                            iternabe 15min is quick! The software I used for the floor plan doesn’t allow customized picture, will definitely check out the one you recommended, thanks for sharing!!

                              pianoloverus Yeah the baby grand size feels still manageable, though I used to think hard floor and carpet are similar since you will have to lift it anyways (I plan to use caster cups, but I’m not sure if those are necessary on the hard floor, mainly for floor protection I think?).

                                twocats great to hear you are happy with the setup! Giving me more confidence on option 3 🙂

                                  ShiroKuro

                                  Thank you!!

                                  I’m still debating where to put sittings tbh haha. I used to have sittings around the upper right corner but am thinking about moving the couch to another room, so the piano room can look more spacious. Another option is to get a smaller couch.

                                  The piano is still being worked on by the store, and will probably arrive by the end of next week if they can finish soon, I will post pictures once I get it!

                                      I would choose 4, but rotated 180°. So you are with your back to the walls.

                                      *
                                      ... feeling like the pianist on the Titanic ...

                                        @redrabbit just looking at the pictures, I also think 3 might be your best option. But I like the idea of giving yourself flexibility and trying out the different options before choosing.

                                        redrabbit I’m still debating where to put sittings tbh haha. I used to have sittings around the upper right corner but am thinking about moving the couch to another room, so the piano room can look more spacious. Another option is to get a smaller couch.

                                        I think the question here is how you want to use the room. Will you have music parties where people come and you play for them and they play for you? My piano space isn’t very roomy, but I have three chairs around the piano because I want to have music parties. And the piano sort of opens up toward the living room, where I have a vaulted ceiling. My tuner told me that the unevenness of the ceiling really helps the sound, and even though the piano room and living room aren’t a]exactly an open space, the piano sounds amazing from the living room. (It sounds fine in the piano room, but even better if you’re sitting in the living room).

                                        Anyway, back to your placement, you want the piano to open up toward more space, not less. Which is why photos #2 and #4 are the worst choices acoustically, because the piano sound has no where to go. Let me see if I still have photos of the floor plans I considered in my old house…

                                            @redrabbit fiund them!
                                            This first photo was the placement I had when I bought my piano.

                                            After my first piano party, I realized that it had me sitting with my back to people, which I really disliked. Back then I regularly played with a violinist and with her there, and a few people and chairs, the layout just wasn’t working. I actually paid the piano movers to come back and relocate the piano to this layout. It was the best money I’ve ever spent! I was only motivated by the logistics of it, and the aesthetics of who it looked, and by wanting to not have my back to people. But after the piano was moved, it was like it was a totally different instrument acoustically. The sound filled the room in the most delightful way! And the bass really came alive. And it looked better too. And wa such nicers for piano gatherings.

                                            In my case, with the second layout, not only did the piano open up toward the full length of the room, but also, at the opposite end of the piano were two doorways (without doors, so the space was always open). (I don’t count the front door, that was always closed). Those two doorways allowed the sound to roll out and not get trapped anywhere, giving the fullness and richness of the piano’s acoustics room to breath.

                                              @redrabbit ok one more post. The above floor plans are from our old house, we have since moved and here’s the floor plan I settled on:

                                              My piano room is much smaller than yours (it’s supposed to be a dining room) but it works because it opens out. That’s what that dotted line is, the open space, which feels bigger than it looks in the picture here).

                                              Anyway keep us posted on the placement you decide!

                                              ShiroKuro Anyway, back to your placement, you want the piano to open up toward more space, not less. Which is why photos #2 and #4 are the worst choices acoustically, because the piano sound has no where to go. Let me see if I still have photos of the floor plans I considered in my old house

                                              I don't see how #2 would be a problem acoustically since the lid opens out into the room. Number 4 might be a problem if you plan to play with the lid open but I think an awful lot of people don't raise the lid on their grands and just keep the fly lid folded back.
                                              There are basically two considerations... How the piano looks aesthetically in the room and how it sounds in the different positions. It should be very easy to try the piano out In all four possible positions. So even if you like the first position you choose, it might make sense to try the others out because they might be even better.

                                                  With regard to a rug, you could first take a blanket and fold it up to roughly the size of a rug that you would want, and you may be able to get an idea of the effect on the sound it might have.
                                                  Just one thing: if the rug is going to be positioned under the pedals, you want to make sure it is also being held by at least one or two of the piano legs as well.