Ten Critical Factors to Designing the Perfect Record Player Cabinet

Vinyl is back, and so is the challenge of storing it. A record player, separates, and rows of albums quickly take over a living room, and mass-produced furniture rarely does the job well. That’s where a bespoke HiFi cabinet comes in. More than storage, it’s a record player stand, a piece of bespoke living room furniture, and often a focal point of the home.

Every system, collection, and home is different. That’s why each bespoke HiFi cabinet will be as individual as your needs. Here are ten critical factors I consider when creating the perfect record player cabinet, turntable stand, or vinyl storage system, centred around your own requirements.

1. Designed Around You

No two music lovers have the same setup. Some want a minimal cabinet for a turntable and a few records, others need space for amps, streamers, and an expanding collection. My role is to understand your habits, your space, and your priorities. The cabinet should complement how you already enjoy music.

It all starts with your equipment and particular requirements

2. A Record Player Cabinet That Fits Your Space Perfectly

One of the biggest advantages of bespoke furniture is that it can be made to fit your space exactly. That might mean floor-to-ceiling vinyl storage and integrated record player cabinet, a low unit under a window, or a freestanding DJ booth. Unlike pre-designed options, a bespoke record player cabinet doesn’t need to compromise.

Made to precisely fit the space and maximise vinyl storage

3. Making Vinyl a Feature

Vinyl takes up space, but that’s part of its charm. Rows of records have presence, colour, and personality. Instead of hiding them away, a bespoke HiFi cabinet makes them part of the room. With the right proportions and layout, your collection becomes a feature in its own right.

A system in need of refinement

4. Organised Vinyl Storage, Organised Listening

The difference between crates on the floor and a proper vinyl record storage cabinet is night and day. Well-sized sections and dividers make browsing intuitive, and arranging your album a joy, be it alphabetically, chronologically, or by genre. Good organisation means you’ll play more of your records and enjoy them more.

5. Showcasing Equipment, Not Hiding It

Amps, turntables, and streamers are objects of beauty in their own right. A bespoke HiFi cabinet should be designed to present them properly, with space to breathe and be appreciated – not stacked into a tower that looks like a data centre. Details like removable backs, lined cable ports, and air vents keep everything functional while still sleek.

This system from the Montreux Jazz festival may have sounded incredible but it's not what I'd want in my living room

6. Built to Handle the Demands

Vinyl is heavy (up to 50kg per metre) and amplifiers can weigh as much as some cheap furniture would on its own. A bespoke cabinet is designed from the ground up to handle that weight with solid joinery, braced shelves, and considered proportions. It won’t sag, warp, or fail, even after decades of use.

Solid walnut and sliding dovetail joinery from a recently commissioned record player cabinet

7. Record Player Cabinets With Cable Management That Works

Cables are the bane of many systems (and relationships). A good record player cabinet hides them while keeping them accessible. I often design in hidden channels, false backs, and removable panels so everything is tidy, serviceable, and future-proof. The aim is simple: you see the music, not the mess.

I introduce a false back so that the vinyl sits flush with the front of the cabinet whilst space is left behind for plus and cables to comfortably sit inside the cabinet

8. Materials That Match Your Home

Timber choice sets the tone of a bespoke HiFi cabinet. Walnut can echo the warmth of vintage speakers, ash gives a lighter, modern feel, oak brings timeless solidity, while exotics like utile add a richer, more formal presence. Each timber carries its own character, and I help clients choose a timber and a finish that reflects their taste and ties the cabinet seamlessly into their home.

There is such a huge variety of timber that can be chosen to create something truly unique and beautiful

Where each project starts

9. Custom Features for How You Listen

The beauty of bespoke is in the details. Maybe you want a “now playing” rack, drawers for accessories, or subtle LED lighting. Perhaps you need a DJ booth with room to perform, or a record player stand that doubles as a TV unit. Each feature is tailored to how you listen and live, so the furniture serves you, not the other way around.

Built to exactly fit the client's equipment, with integrated LEDs to help frame the vinyl

10. Built to Last, Built to Remember

A good record player cabinet isn’t just for now - it’s something to treasure. I inherited my grandfather’s vinyl collection, and for a year it sat in boxes. When I finally built myself a cabinet, I could organise the records and start listening again. Indeed, I am listening even as a write this. That same principle applies to every commission: just as a collection can be passed down, so can the cabinet that holds it.

Conclusion

A bespoke HiFi cabinet is more than storage. It’s bespoke living room furniture designed to fit your system, your home, and your habits. It makes vinyl a joy to use, equipment a pleasure to see, and the act of listening effortless. Most of all, it’s a piece that’s as individual as the person who commissions it – something to live with, enjoy, and pass down alongside the music itself.

A more in-depth discussion of these and other factors can be found here.