I had a very special opportunity to transform the piano of my clients mother who has since passed. The piano was no longer able to hold a tune and it’s first iteration in life was clearly now over.

My client could not get rid of this piece because it obviously held such sentimental value. She wanted me to try to transform it into something that her fur babies could enjoy.

This was the most difficult creative project I have ever had. We didn’t know what would be able to be salvaged. We didn’t know what it would look like in this newly imagined function. So as I took each piece off trying to preserve as much as possible, the stress of how this would go back together mounted.

Some night I would wake up from the fear and doubt of my ability to actually finish the piece, but thanks for the support of my family and friends.. I kept going.

This video shows the different stages of our time together. It was amazing to take it apart because it was so well made. It was interesting thinking about someone almost 100 years ago putting energy into this piano to build it and now all these later I was doing the same but in reverse.

I am so proud of what came out of this and it will always hold a special place in my heart. The version of me who dropped off this piece was not the person who said yes to this project.

I had to shed lots of doubt and up-level myself to be able to complete it which is why I believe we should sometimes say yes to things we have no idea how to do and figure it out later!

I will forever be honored to have the trust to transform such a precious piece.

-Abby