Well, here's what I've done to 'take the edge off' my pianolas
loudness: a generously sized wool throw (with a nice pattern so
I don't get tired of looking at it) was placed on top of the pianola
and draped down the back, held in place by a number of objects such
as a lamp, an old Russian samovar, a small carousel and some rolls.

The instrument was then placed in-between the living room and the
dining room as a divider, facing the dining room.  Right up against its
back facing the living room, we put the sideboard-to-miscellaneous-disc
and roller cob-cabinet conversion, which is a bit shorter, but which
also serves as the display for several other musical delights.

The necessity of arranging a lot of stuff in a medium size house can
be a great creative idea-inducer.

Claudine Jones
San Francisco Bay Area