The Piano

Aron Magner's Wynnewood cookery hits the right notes.

The kitchen of Aron Magner, keyboardist for the Disco Biscuits / Photography by Amy Batog

What do a Kawai piano and this kitchen have in common? The instrument inspired the room's design. And they’re both owned by Aron Magner, the keyboardist for jam band the Disco Biscuits. Yes, you’re looking at the recently renovated cookery of the Wynnewood home he shares with wife Angelika.

"Sitting in the living room is this grand piano, and there's no turning away from it," says Kevin Bennert of Oak Design Project, who redesigned the kitchen and the living room with colleague Lindsey Lustrino.

The musical influence is apparent in the sleek black, brass and ivory color palette. The range hood by CopperHoods fulfilled the designers’ goal for something stand-alone.

The Dekton backsplash and counters are Cosentino, made from a sustainable mixture of stones that's designed to mimic marble.

And a breakfast nook has been transformed into a walk-in pantry with a curved black metal doorway that echoes the graceful lines of the piano — a statement piece.

The island, with its hand-applied fluting, mirrors the hammers of a piano and melds form and function for the Magners, who have three young boys and love to entertain."We felt like having this huge command-center island would be the best use of the space," says Bennert.

Pops of black in the Rejuvenation barstools and the streamlined Lucent Lightshop drop-light pendants are other piano cues. The faucet by California Faucets is slightly offset and in a similar matte black hue.

The custom cabinets were made by Freestate Millworks, Oak Design's in-house millworker, and blend seamlessly with the matte white Café appliances.

An engineered flooring with reinforced backing was sourced from Bell Floor Covering in Northern Liberties. The top layer is finished wood — the hybrid material extends longevity.

Published as "Habitat: Grand, Baby" in the June 2023 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

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