Ikea for DJs. If you’ve been collecting vinyl — or playing it — long enough, you already know the quiet hero of the DJ world isn’t a mixer or a set of Technics. It’s IKEA, the Swedish flatpack megastores.
From the legendary Expedit to the modern Kallax, IKEA furniture has been holding up our record collections and home DJ setups for years. Affordable, modular, and almost suspiciously perfect for 12” records, their square shelving has become the default choice for bedroom DJs and serious collectors alike.
With vinyl making a comeback and home DJing more popular than ever, figuring out the best way to store your records — and maybe even build a proper booth — has never been more important. Note the image below though – Vinyl is still a minority pursuit)
In this guide, we’ll look at how IKEA’s Kallax and other products have become a DJ’s best friend, explore new options like Eket, and share simple tips to turn your living room into a pro-looking home Ikea for DJs setup without breaking the bank.
A Brief History of IKEA & Vinyl Storage
Long before Spotify playlists and USB sticks, DJs and collectors had a single, very real problem: where do you put hundreds of heavy 12” records? Taking them to gigs was covered by record boxes and flight cases, but there wasn’t an off the shelf solution
Enter IKEA.
For decades, their simple, square shelving quietly became the go-to solution for vinyl storage. The hero of the story? The IKEA Expedit.
The Era of Expedit
The Expedit was the vinyl collector’s dream. Its perfectly square cubes were just the right size for LPs, and it could handle the serious weight of a growing collection. Bedroom DJs used it horizontally as a makeshift booth, and collectors stacked them high like a modular record library. Were they designed specifically for DJs, we’ll never know.
But in 2014, IKEA dropped a bombshell — Expedit was discontinued.
Vinyl enthusiasts and DJs around the world went into panic mode. Social feeds lit up with people hoarding Expedit units like rare pressings. For a while, it felt like we’d lost a crucial piece of DJ culture.
The Rise of Kallax
Then came the replacement: IKEA Kallax.
Kallax kept the same iconic cube design and LP-friendly dimensions, but with a slightly slimmer frame and lighter materials. Some DJs were sceptical at first — could it really hold the weight of hundreds of records? The answer turned out to be yes, especially with proper assembly and occasional wall-anchoring.
Since then, Kallax has become the new king of vinyl storage and a versatile tool for home Ikea for DJ setups. From single 2×2 cubes to massive 5×5 walls, it’s a modular solution that’s earned its place in both living rooms and studios worldwide. Editor Paul has 2×4 cubes in the studio holding around 800 12″s (mainly mid-90s underground house in case you were wondering – Think Ugly Bug records, UDG, Flying etc).
IKEA Kallax: The modern vinyl storage king
If Expedit was the classic, Kallax is it’s remix. Soem remixed are better than the original _ U2 – Lemon (The Perfecto Mix) and Joe Roberts – Lover (The K-Klass Mix) were the first two that sprung to mind. And the Kallax is no exception, it’s affordable, modular, and perfectly designed to hold 12” records without wasting an inch of space.
Whether you’re a casual collector or a seasoned DJ with walls of wax, Kallax is our recommendation for home vinyl storage.
Why Kallax works so well for DJs
It’s no accident that Kallax has become a DJ favourite — its size, strength, and flexibility make it almost like IKEA designed it with vinyl collectors and home DJ setups in mind.
Perfect dimensions for 12″s
Each cube in a Kallax unit is roughly 33x33cm (13×13”), which means your records slide in neatly with just enough room for fingers to flip through. No squeezing, no awkward gaps.
Kallax comes in all shapes and sizes — 2×2, 4×2, 4×4, and even 5×5. Stack them vertically for a towering record library or horizontally for a low-profile setup. Need to expand? Just add another unit on top or to the side.
Weight capacity that literally holds up
A fully loaded cube can hold around 50–70 records comfortably. When properly assembled and secured, even a 4×4 unit can handle the heavy demands of large vinyl collections without bowing or breaking.
Minimalist style, maximum utility
Kallax is simple enough to fit in any space — from studios to living rooms — and easy to customise with inserts, doors or baskets. Many DJs add back panels, cable holes, or lighting to turn it into a real showpiece.
Pro tips for an Ikea for DJs ready Kallax
Here’s how to get the most out of your setup:
- Anchor to the wall: Heavy vinyl can tip a tall unit, so always secure your Kallax if stacking high.
- Use a horizontal 4×2 as a booth: Perfect standing height for decks, with records stored right underneath.
- Add wheels or castors: Makes cleaning or rearranging easier — and looks slick.
- Add lighting: LED strips or backlights can give your setup a professional, studio-ready look.
Kallax has become the backbone of home DJ culture, and Ikea for DJs very much a search term, transforming cheap flat-pack furniture into a durable, stylish solution for vinyl and gear. And for under £100 for most configurations, it’s hard to beat.
IKEA products for home DJ booths
Kallax might have earned its crown as the vinyl king, but many DJs have discovered that IKEA furniture can double as a full-blown home DJ booth with just a little creativity.
From budget setups to Instagram-worthy home studios, IKEA gives you the building blocks to craft a booth that fits your space, your style, and your workflow.
How to turn a Kallax set up into a DJ booth
The simplest setup? Flip a 4×2 Kallax unit horizontally and place your decks and mixer on top. Boom — instant DJ booth.
- Standing height ready: A 4×2 unit is roughly 77cm (30”) tall, comfortable for most DJs to perform standing. Note – Editor Paul added two breeze blocks under his Kallax, and this is the perfect height for him.
- Storage below: Fill the eight cubes with records, controllers, or boxes for cables and accessories.
- Add legs for extra height: IKEA’s Capita or metal table legs can raise the booth to club-style height if needed. Beware the pressure exerted on these legs and the flor underneath them if you have a lot of vinyl. Your fake wooden floor won’t appreciate it.
Speaker and gear add-Ons
Your home setup doesn’t stop with decks. A few additional IKEA pieces can elevate your booth:
- Lack Shelves: Perfect for positioning monitors at ear level.
- Adils Legs: Support a tabletop over a Kallax for extra height or surface space.
- Signum Cable Management: Keeps wires tidy underneath your setup.
Expand with Eket and other storage
While Kallax remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of vinyl storage, IKEA has been quietly expanding its lineup with new modular furniture that DJs are starting to embrace. If you want a bit more flexibility, smaller cubes like Eket can act as side shelves for audio interfaces, samplers, or effects units. They can be wall-mounted or stacked, giving your booth a more custom, studio-style feel.
By mixing and matching IKEA staples, DJs can create a booth that’s compact, affordable, and looks professional — not just a couple of decks on the kitchen table.
Eket units are about half the size of a standard Kallax cube and come in a variety of colours and depths.
- Wall-mountable: Great for floating storage or small apartments.
- Custom configurations: Stack them vertically, horizontally, or staggered for a unique setup.
- Great for accessories: Perfect for headphones, cables, samplers, or small controller storage alongside your main booth.
However, Eket isn’t designed for massive record collections. Each cube can hold a small stack of 12”s, but if you’re sitting on 500 records, Kallax is still your go-to Ikea for DJs. Think of Eket as an add-on rather than a replacement.
IKEA recognising DJs
The growing popularity of IKEA for DJs hacks hasn’t gone unnoticed. IKEA released its first dedicated DJ stand, in a collab with Swedish House Mafia no less in 2022, confirming what we’ve known for years: DJs love flat-pack furniture.
The stand is designed for home setups, with space for decks, speakers, and storage underneath — showing that IKEA is finally properly embracing the trend that Kallax and Expedit accidentally created.
Tips for Maximising IKEA for DJs
IKEA furniture is budget-friendly and surprisingly DJ-friendly, but a little planning and a few tweaks can make your setup safer, sturdier, and more functional.
1. Secure heavy shelving
Vinyl is heavy. Always anchor tall Kallax units to the wall. If you’re using them as a DJ booth, consider anti-vibration pads to keep your gear steady.
2. Reinforce for longevity
- Add corner brackets for extra stability.
- Consider plywood bases if you move your setup often.
- Avoid overloading top cubes with heavy gear.
3. Hide the mess
Visible cables can kill the clean look of a home setup. Use insert drawers, DRÖNA boxes, or basket inserts to keep your space organised and photo-ready.
4. Light it up
LED strip lights behind Kallax units or inside cubes can give your booth that club-style glow (and help you find records in low light).
5. Mix and match for a custom studio vibe
Combine Kallax for vinyl, Eket for gear storage, and Lack shelves for monitors to create a compact, functional, and stylish DJ corner that looks purpose-built.
IKEA for DJs: The Unsung Hero of Home DJing
From the legendary Expedit to the ever-reliable Kallax and now the versatile Eket, IKEA has quietly become a cornerstone of home DJ setups and vinyl storage.
Affordable, modular, and endlessly hackable, their furniture offers DJs a simple way to build a setup that looks sharp, functions flawlessly, and grows with your collection.
Whether you’re storing a few crates of wax or transforming your living room into a mini-club, there’s an IKEA for DJs solution that fits. Add some personal touches — lighting, inserts, or reinforced shelving — and you’ve got a home DJ for a fraction of a custom built one.
