Most vinyl record collectors know about IKEA’s Kallax storage units. They are perfect for vinyl records, especially for 12-inch albums. What most collectors won’t know is that they can look gorgeous with the addition of a few legs and a painted backing board. We have two of these Kallax units, in the walnut effect/light gray color, on either side of the bed in our basement bedroom.
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My hubby and I really enjoy listening to music, and spend a lot of time in vintage and charity stores crate-digging for interesting records. Our vinyl collection is housed in more of these Kallax units in other areas of our basement! They all have legs and backing boards. Our basement is cool, dry, and dust-free, a big plus when it comes to storing vinyl records.
The steel legs (in the photo), which need to be purchased separately, are not only practical (easier to move and clean under), but they add to the aesthetics of the units. Each package contains 4 legs, so you may need 2 sets for each Kallax unit of 4 x 2.
IKEA introduced a Kallax unit with an underframe a while back, so that may be easier to assemble than six legs (lol)! The ability to clean under furniture (with my vacuum cleaner brush) is a big factor in many of our furniture-buying decisions.
The backing board was a ready-to-paint piece of particle board purchased from Lowe's and cut to our specifications. I am not sure that Lowe's still carry this same one, so I found something that is similar at Home Depot. The backing board makes the whole unit much more stable and stops dust from getting in through the back of the units. According to my hubby, the backing board also stops the records from falling through the back.
We used to have tall, slim bookcases to store all our CDs. They were taking up too much space, and it was a nightmare to clean around the shelving. To save space, we decided to part with the hard CD ‘jewel’ cases, and place the CDs in these CD wallets instead. Then, I found these attractive and robust CD boxes that can hold 100 CDs in the new wallets. You can, if you prefer, store the CDs in their original cases, but then you would need more of the boxes!
Apart from CDs, many collectors are keen to protect their vintage and pre-owned vinyl records with new outer sleeves. These vinyl record outer sleeves for 12" LPs, made from durable high-density polypropylene (3 mm Thick, 12.75” x 12.75”), are perfect for treasured collections.
So, now, the bedroom space looks more like a cozy bedroom, with the Kallax units performing double-duty as nightstands as well as a beautiful way to store some of our vinyl collection. The drapery panels that can be seen in the photo below not only cover a small basement window above the bed, but they also look very elegant in this bedroom. On the topic of drapery panels, read my post on my master bedroom bay window drapes project!
Finally, what can be more apt to a vinyl record collector than reading a copy of Andy Bracken's "Worldly Goods", a novel about a man who reluctantly inherits his father's vast record collection!
Product List
Area Rug - Ivory/Gray shown in photo (darker than ivory)
Tufted Arm Chair - back in stock Aug 2022
Throw Pillow - part of a six-pillow set
Faux Succulents, Mid-Century Modern Radio - HomeGoods
Typewriter - Vintage Stall in Antiques Expo