It’s like stepping back in time, in a tiny passageway near the very edge of Montmartre, where a family-run business had been restoring pianos for nearly 100 years. We contacted Pianos Nebout when looking for a Pleyel piano for La Belle Juliette, and it was great to be able to go and see the restoration work in progress…

Nearby Place Clichy has just been spruced up and reorganised, but certain parts of Paris seem to stay eternally the same, and some of the old workmanship skills miraculously survive. So it is at Pianos Nebout where they’ve been restoring and selling pianos for nigh on 100 years now, always with the same meticulous attention to detail.

Places like this are few and far between though (even in Paris, only two workshops are left), but a restored piano will always have a richer sound than a new piano, and this is why we chose an old Pleyel piano for the music room at La Belle Juliette, restored by Pianos Nebout. Which explains how we got to visit them and see them at work!

It all starts in a paved alleyway, a real old school Paris ambiance.Going into the Nebout workshop and offices is a little like travelling back in time: the office looks dated (not to say worn out), the workshop is full of the sort of spare parts that you never see in a garage. It’s quite magical, you can feel the history of the place…This is where Corinne Moncelli, the owner of La Belle Juliette, cale to choose the piano that will soon take its place in the hotel’s music room. Pleyem is a venerable piano manufacturer, and each of their pianos has its own number that allows us to know something about its origins. Our piano – n° 180714 – was built between 1925 and 1927. Now that the Pleyel archives have been entrusted to the Musée de la Musique at La Villette, we just have to wait a couple of months for them to hook out the details, and then we’ll hopefully know who was the piano’s first owner.

It’s quite strange to see a piano – our piano – in bits, being restored piece by piece. When we visited, wood specialist restorer Patrick was taking care of some key elements. After him, work will pass onto another person. Each person has his/her speciality. In all, thousands of man hours are spent on each piano.Several pianos are being restored at any one time. Around the workshop, you’ll see them in various states of preparation, with pieces lying all around them. Everything is labelled so keep it with the right piano. Fascinating to see.At Nebout, you can feel the love they put into each restoration. The company had been run by the same family for nearly 100 years, motivated by their love of pianos; they restore them, sell them and even play them! Next to the workshop are two showrooms, filled with shiny pianos, some of which including fantastic retro details – the sort of thing that no longer exists in modern manufacturing. The prices can be eye-wateringly high, and certain pianos are ‘parked’ here waiting to be transported to their new owners, often on the other side of the world. Without even asking, Mme Nebout sat herself down and gave an impromptu recital on a couple!

And recently, Pianos Nebout have opened a shop that anyone can drop into. It’s just behind Saint Lazare station, an area that has a long history of musical association. They’re at 69 rue de Rome (here).

We’re really looking forward to receiving our Pleyel piano at La Belle Juliette, freshly restored and ready to have its ivories tinkled. It’s another element that will give the hotel its particular character. We’ll give you an update when delivery has been made! Thanks to everyone at Pianos Nebout for their warm welcome and help.

To check out all the photos of our visit to Pianos Nebout, click the play button below, then click the four little arrows bottom right to go into fullscreen mode (much better for the eyes).