Custom Piano Bench

A convertible piano bench designed by a professional pianist, upholstered with all-natural materials and traditional methods.

Era

Custom design

Designed by

A professional pianist in California

Materials

Springs, jute, wood wool, flax straw, horsehair, Spanish moss, cotton, Austrian leather

This bench was designed by its owner, a professional pianist in California, and built by a fine frame maker. It has two sets of legs, short ones for playing and taller ones, and two seat frames. The smaller seat takes back posts so the bench converts to a director's-style chair.

The owner wanted all-natural materials and traditional methods. The springs were covered with jute canvas, wood wool was shaped into rolls around the frame and stitched into a very firm profile with four rows of stitching, and the center was filled with 150-year-old flax straw. An inch of curled horsehair softened the fibers, Spanish moss more than 100 years old gave a light crown, and cotton and muslin went on before the leather, imported from Austria.