I have a small home studio in which I record voiceover work and music that has been in serious need of organization for a long time, and with the recent opening of an IKEA store in South Korea, it seemed like the perfect time to stop lamenting and start enacting. There were a few major considerations.
1) I like to stand while recording voiceovers but sit while recording electric bass; I needed a nice in-between height.
2) I needed things off the floor so I could stash my pedal board and run mic and instrument cables without leaving a trail of spaghetti all over the floor.
3) I have zero wood-working experience and only a small hand drill: no major modifications to the furniture would be possible.
And so, with the help of Sketchup, here is my plan:
The foundation (x2, mirrored)
4x Silveran feet, mounted to outside corners of Kallax 2×2 units (17cm tall) {Capita brackets are shown because they were the right height}.
1x Kallax 2×2 (77cm tall)
1x Linnmon table top (3.4cm tall) – horizontally centered on Kallax, offset 14cm from front, 7cm from back (though one can obviously place to their own tastes).
QUESTION : Do you guys think I should screw the table top into the Kallax frame, given the shelves braced along the back edge? I was thinking of using 3M super velcro.
3x Ekby Tore brackets (Offset 15cm from outer edges, middle one is 40.5cm from the outer brackets {inside edges}; 20cm tall)
1x Ekby Jarpen 119×28 shelf (3cm tall)
Total height: Tabletop – 97.4cm, Shelf top – 120.4cm.
As I’m 187cm tall (6’2″), this is a very workable height for me. Plus, with one of the taller bar stools available in Ikea, this is also a good sitting height to work at. Being able to put my 27″ iMac and position my monitors both at optimal heights and off my main work surface helps control clutter and work flow immensely.
Additions to BOTH stations:
Kvissle newspaper rack: handy charging station for/general place to stash mobile devices, storing scripts for the day, or storing charts for upcoming gigs.
Bjarnum folding hooks (x3 per station): can be used either to guide cables or hang bags, hats, jacekts, etc.
Fastbo wall panel (RED): These I will cut into 5cm x 10.3cm rectangles which I will slip underneath the feet of the Ekby Tore brackets to protect the table top and add a bit of somethin-somethin to the look. I will also cut small squares for the underside, though I haven’t measured that out yet. One sheet is 50cm x 60cm, so I’ll have plenty to work with. I’m not sure yet how I’ll use the leftover material, but I thought about putting a strip across the front of the right station where my keyboard shelf will sit.
Additions to LEFT station:
Grundtal toilet roll holder (top-right nook of Kallax, x2): Perfectly sized for holding my two pairs of headphones in the upper-right nook of the Kallax bookshelf.
Attest handles (Outer right side of Kallax, x2): I use my Fireface 400 soundcard as a secondary unit to my Apogee Symphony, mainly for routing and recording my electric bass and effects into Pro Tools. I wanted to put it somewhere out of the way, yet accessible, and thought the right side of the Kallax would be great for it, and the Attest handles are a great fit. On my unit there are rack-mount wings which will hold it in place vertically (not pictured here), but for added security I’ll also loop a velcro strip through the handles to secure it horizontally.
Drona box (x2): For storing pedals, cables, and other music-related knick-knacks.
Additions to RIGHT station:
Drona box (x2): Storage for microphones (may insert foam, like a mic trunk) and camera equipment.
Kallax insert with 2 drawers (x2): For papers and miscellaneous things that are not needed all the time but should be organized.
ETC:
Keyboard/trackpad caddy (Wall shelf not from Ikea, 17cm x 60cm x 4cm): I use this wall shelf as a keyboard and trackpad caddy at the moment, as the apple keyboards and trackpad have a handy lip that allows them to rest perfectly on the edge of a board or table. Apple mounted the Left and Right buttons on the underside of the trackpad, so it’s quite easy to click in this configuration. I’m thinking of adding a non-slip pad along the upper edge to keep things from sliding around too much, as they do when my thighs are angled downward.
Enudden hanger with clip: The standard use for these is to hang shoes and clothes, grabbing them with the clip. However, I thought they’d make great cable leads as the clip seems to be pretty strong and can fasten to table or bookshelf edges. I could probably run a few cables through them at once, or even use them to store those cables when not in use.
Bosse bar stool (x2): What can I say? I like them. I may swap one for a Franklin however, as when another person isn’t recording with me I can fold it up and store it behind one of the work stations, freeing up some space.
Lerberg Shelf unit: Perfectly sized for situating in the corner with my secondary monitor on top, miscellaneous things on second shelf, printer on 3rd, and my rack equipment on the bottom, though I may have to add some under support for the bottom shelf as that equipment is kind of heavy. I’ll be putting my Apogee Symphony and an Avalon AD2022 preamp (11.4kg/25lbs on its own) there. I’ve read that some people use Lack side tables to store rack equipment in, and I have considered possibly putting one upside down underneath the bookshelf to keep the rack gear stable, but I’ll see.
Scotch: Preferably Single malt, 18 years+, and enjoyed with a friend (2 glasses). Clinky!
Jules is the author of IKEAHackers.net: 25 Biggest and Best Projects".
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