| Boring and bare, the adjoining rooms were in need of a serious update. There was just one big - and I mean big - problem. This music-loving family had inherited a very large, very gold, grand piano that they wanted to keep for sentimental reasons, but the eyesore dominated everything in the space. So I decided to channel my inner Liberace, find a way to make this piano fit in, and make the two rooms absolutely "sing." I kicked off the whole project with (what else) the piano. Because of its unique color, it had to be "designed around." To set it off, without drawing too much attention to it, I made the living room all about contrasts. In a rather unconventional twist, I painted the walls black, which makes the gold piano look positively gem-like. To take things further, I chose a powerful color palette of black, gold and black-and-white accents for the rooms, mixing the traditional with the contemporary. I got rid of the family's old, dated furniture in the living room and balanced out the piano by adding a camel back sofa, two big gold club chairs, throw pillows in black and white geometrics and a zebra-inspired area rug. To help enjoy all of the great music that will take place here, I also got rid of Warren's gigantic speakers and replaced them with smaller ones that I put into a bookcase. I then worked all of the stereo components into a mirrored storage cabinet with a wireless control system. I carried the special-event feeling into the dining room. I put in a big table that will seat at least a dozen guests, with curved back dining room chairs upholstered in graphic black and white damask. These chairs match the white damask wallpaper I also put up in this room. To create some much needed s
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