Sizes, plainly
Grand pianos are described by length, from the tail to the front of the keyboard.
- Baby grand — roughly 4'11" to 5'6". Compact; a compromise instrument.
- Parlour / salon grand — roughly 5'7" to 6'6". The most common serious home size.
- Semi-concert grand — roughly 6'7" to 7'6". A significant instrument for a large room.
- Concert grand — 8'11" and up. Built for halls; occasionally for very serious private spaces.
Longer strings mean richer bass and greater sustain. Most private homes are best served by a parlour or semi-concert.
The ateliers worth knowing
The names that recur in serious rooms are, in Europe: Steinway & Sons (Hamburg), Bösendorfer, Bechstein, Fazioli, Blüthner, and Grotrian-Steinweg. In America: Steinway & Sons (New York), Mason & Hamlin. Each has a distinct voice, a distinct action, and — crucially — a different feel under the fingers.
See Steinway vs. Bösendorfer for a private home and Best grand pianos for luxury interiors.
The room matters as much as the piano
A great instrument in a bad room is a disappointment; a good instrument in a well-considered room is a joy. Ceiling height, floor material, wall finishes, and soft furnishings all shape how a piano actually sounds. A qualified technician or acoustician can advise before the instrument arrives — this is worth the appointment.
Related: How to create a salon room at home.
New, restored, or historic
A new instrument from a top atelier arrives with a factory guarantee and a long waitlist. A properly restored historic instrument — a pre-war Steinway B rebuilt by the right hands, for example — can be a more distinctive purchase for a fraction of the new price. The words to ask about: soundboard, pinblock, hammers, and by whom the work was done.