Three legs. One iconic grand piano.

Project Facts

• Project: 'Gran Nichetto – The Walnut Veneer' by Steinway & Sons, New York City (US)
• Danzer Services Used: Danzer Bespoke for 3D-Veneer
• Location & Country: New York City, New York (US)
• Collaboration Since: 2021
• Client: Steinway & Sons, New York City, New York (US)
• Designer: Luca Nichetto, Nichetto Studio, Venice (IT)
• Application: musical instruments, furniture, interior design
• Photography: Steinway & Sons
  

A grand piano that evokes the shape of gondolas gliding along Venetian canals. Urushi red lacquer inspired details that play into its Italian heritage. This is 'Gran Nichetto – The Walnut Veneer.' A limited edition. Created by award-winning designer Luca Nichetto, together with the master craftspeople at Steinway & Sons' historic factory in New York City. The piano's legs are built from solid maple, to carry the full weight of the instrument's body. Clad in an elegantly curved walnut veneer that follows its silhouette all the way down. It is our 3D-Veneer technique that lets us wrap those legs in real wood this precisely. 

Walnut veneer meets red lacquer detailsWith its elegant aesthetic and contoured design, Gran Nichetto translates the smoothness and dynamism of a gondola's hull into the detailing of every part of the instrument. The Walnut Veneer edition pairs hand-selected American walnut with striking, intensely red lacquer details: the keylid and the inside of the pedal lyre are finished in high-polish Urushi Red. It also features stainless-steel hardware. Gran Nichetto sits atop elegantly sculpted legs – and it is these legs where Danzer's craftsmanship enters the story.

Built by hand, played by hand 
Wood does not bend into tight, compound curves easily. Pushed too far, it can split and crack along or against the grain. For legs this sculptural, on an instrument this precise, that was not an option – which is why Steinway & Sons turned to Danzer to bring the same sculptural language to the instrument's legs.
For each Gran Nichetto in its Walnut Veneer edition, Steinway & Sons supplies Danzer with three solid-maple leg cores and grown American walnut veneer. At our production site in Kesselsdorf, Germany, our specialists use a globally unique process to create 3D-Veneer from the raw veneer. The 3D-Veneer is then pre-bent to match the contours of the existing legs. 
Built up by hand by our experienced craftspeople, the veneer follows tight, organic curves without cracking or tearing. It is real wood throughout, not a synthetic substitute. For an instrument built on the promise of craftsmanship, that distinction matters.

Getting there, one curve at a time
Getting the perfect legs for the limited-edition grand piano took time and close coordination. Long before any veneer was cut, Steinway & Sons and Danzer worked through what was technically achievable – and how the design should be carried across each curve.
A single mock-up piece came first, built to test the process against the design. Only once that held up did the teams move to the real thing: the first three legs for a complete Gran Nichetto.
"A grand piano is true craftsmanship – a luxury in itself. The legs have to carry the instrument's full weight while holding a precise curve. That is why we use a process unique in the world to create 3D-Veneer and pre-bend it by hand to match the contours of the piano’s legs. We're proud to contribute a small part to a product this refined, and to a musical experience this exceptional." – Nora Liebender, Transport & Sales Manager at Danzer 
For Steinway & Sons, using real wood was especially important: 
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"Translating the beauty of natural walnut veneer onto such a complex sculptural form was essential to realizing Luca Nichetto's vision for Gran Nichetto. Danzer's expertise made it possible to preserve the authenticity of real wood while wrapping it seamlessly around the piano's organic curves."– Robert Polan, Vice President Custom Pianos at Steinway & Sons

Technically shaped, but true to the wood 
The 3D-Veneer process behind these legs is Danzer's own. Developed to give real wood the freedom of sculptural, three-dimensional form – without leaving behind what makes wood valuable in the first place: its grain, its warmth, its authenticity as a material. The team at Danzer Kesselsdorf is used to working with organic shapes, tight tolerances and demanding surfaces that often exceed standard production capabilities. Their technical know-how is complemented by the practical experience of skilled craftspeople.
On Gran Nichetto, that craftsmanship quietly carries the piano's organic form through every detail of the instrument – striking its own individual note. Like every accomplished pianist brings a personal interpretation to a piece of music, every piece of wood deserves its own interpretation, too.