DIY wall cabinet around the piano in the living room, by Janine

A homemade wall cabinet with space for your piano

A lovely place to play the piano and more storage space in your living room: with this DIY project, you can see how beautifully those two go together. Janine made this wall cabinet entirely herself, using custom-cut wood from OPMAATZAGEN.nl. To the left of the white digital piano stands a narrow, tall cabinet. To the right, you see a wider cabinet section with a playful arrangement of open compartments and closed doors. This gives the piano its own space without having to fill the entire wall.

A smart layout with open and closed compartments

A narrow cabinet next to the piano

The left cabinet section utilizes the narrow space next to the protruding wall. You can see a tall door at the top, two open compartments in the middle, and a lower door at the bottom. Books are placed in the open compartments, along with a storage box. The cabinet extends to just below the ceiling, making good use of the living room's height.

A wide wall cabinet with a playful rhythm

To the right of the piano stands the wide cabinet section, constructed from three vertical bands. The rectangular compartments vary in height and alternate with flat doors without visible handles. At the bottom, a row of closed cabinet compartments provides a calm base. Above this, you will find, among other things, smaller niches for books and decoration, and a strikingly tall, open compartment containing a vase of flowers. The narrow seams around the doors keep the lines clean.

The wall above the piano remains free between the two cabinet sections. This makes the music corner look airy. In front of the piano stands a brown upholstered bench with buttons; above it to the left hangs a loose lamp on a thick rope. You can see how precisely these soft and natural details loosen up the sleek cabinet.

Sandy beach: the same color as the wall

The wall cabinet is finished in Sandy Beach, the same color as the wall. This creates a soft, sandy base in which the large cabinet sections are less prominent. In the photos, you can see how the shade changes with the light: during the day, the cabinet appears light and neutral, while with the pendant lamp on, the appearance becomes warmer.

The spot next to the warm brown tones of the curtain works well. The light cabinet and white piano keep the corner fresh, while the curtain and upholstered bench provide warmth. This way, the wall cabinet fits into the living room naturally, rather than demanding attention as a standalone piece of furniture.

From individual panels to a personalized wall cabinet

The construction is clearly visible in the project photos: loose, lightly primed panels with labels are sorted and laid out on protective blankets. Next, the vertical side panels and partitions appear, with horizontal planks defining the compartment divisions. Rows of small holes for shelf supports are visible in various panels, allowing you to place shelves at different heights. The doors and finishing will follow later.

For this project, OPMAATZAGEN.nl cut the MDF Primed to size. Janine handled the construction and finishing of the cabinet herself. By outsourcing the sawing, you can focus on assembly, alignment, and painting for a project like this. Especially with a design featuring many compartments and doors, precisely fitting parts are a welcome starting point.

What you gain by making it yourself

With a custom-made wall cabinet, you determine the width of the sections, the space for your piano, and the ratio of open to closed storage yourself. You also choose your own material and color. By assembling and finishing it yourself, you can save on labor costs. However, be sure to factor hinges, mounting hardware, and paint into your budget: these are just as much part of the final result.

Warm minimalist style

With its calm color, straight lines, and alternation between open and closed surfaces, this final result fits a warm minimalist style. You keep items behind the doors out of sight and give your most beautiful accessories their own special place. The tone-on-tone finish—the cabinet and wall in the same color—creates cohesion, while the flowers, books, and soft fabrics ensure the living room remains personal and cozy.

The material used: MDF Primed

MDF Primed is a fiberboard with a smooth, even surface and a pre-applied primer. This makes it a practical choice for a painted wall cabinet like this one: there is no visible wood grain, allowing you to finish the panels sleekly in your favorite color. The primer saves on preparatory painting work. However, before applying the topcoat, check the sawed edges and any treated areas; these may still require a suitable MDF primer. With proper preparation, the soft color Sandy Beach really comes into its own.