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How We Modified Our IKEA VITTSJÖ

Yellow Brick Home has over 11 years of archives, so from time to time, we’ll be sharing our favorites from posts past. This tutorial was originally published in February 2014 and updated in 2021. (This is why you’ll notice two paint colors on the walls.) Enjoy!

This is how we modified the IKEA VITTSJÖ so that it could bear the weight of our vinyl collection! via Yellow Brick Home #vinyl #recordcollection #recordstorage
speaker | floral art | globe lamp | sconce

The purpose for our nook: Sit. Relax. Enjoy music. We knew this would be our funny little room to play our records (man, we’ve really been missing our records!), read a good book and hang with the pets. A few readers mentioned here that they could totally see our girls sneaking into this room, baking in the sun and leaving only in the evenings to fill up on tuna. These comments were so endearing to me, that my only hopes for this room is to make that true.

Finding a Home for Our Vinyl Collection

To make this happen, we needed a place to stash our vinyl collection, and as we mentioned after painting the room green (update: it’s since been painted Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal), we finally assembled an IKEA VITTSJÖ unit that was originally intended for our future kitchen renovation. They’re inexpensive and well made, but because records are heavy, we needed to reinforce the glass shelves they come with for something that can bear the weight.

IKEA VITTSJÖ before modifications | via Yellow Brick Home
via

The Plan!

Like most IKEA pieces, there are many, many ways to hack an item – so many! Kate at Centsational Girl has a great write-up on nothing but Vittsjo ideas, and while we toyed with the idea of a different color altogether, we actually really liked the matte black finish for this room. Our plan? We wanted to add wood shelving not only for the warm look it would provide, but again, to give us enough support for all of our records. Here’s how it looks today, with plywood reinforcement on the lower two shelves!

This is how we modified the IKEA VITTSJÖ so that it could bear the weight of our vinyl collection! via Yellow Brick Home #vinyl #recordcollection #recordstorage
speaker | floral art | lamp | sconce | rug | brass hardware (similar)

Tools + Supplies Used

Figuring Out the Math

The original glass shelves actually sit on small tabs inside the steel frame, and we would need to fit shelves to sit on top of the steel frame. (Support, support, support!) The measurement needed for each shelf was 14 1/4″d X 39 3/8″w, which meant that our (more affordable) options were mostly limited to 4′ x 8′ sheets. In the end, we decided to buy a nice looking 4’x8′ sheet of birch plywood for $40.

But here’s the best part: We had the sheet cut down in the store for all of our shelves! After ripping the whole board down to 39 3/8″, a friendly sales associate continued to cut that down to 14 1/4″ planks, which gave us enough for 6 shelves – leaving us with 1 extra (always good to have in case of a mistake!). Note: We previously added plywood to every shelf, but in its current rendition, we opted to keep the glass for the top two shelves.

Creating a Paper Template

Now that we had our shelves, we would need to notch out the room needed for the vertical supports, so I made a paper template. For anyone wanting to do the same, these were the measurements needed on our 14 1/4″d X 39 3/8″w stencil:

Image of the paper template used for modifications | via Yellow Brick Home

Notching the Shelves to Fit

We laid our template on each shelf and I traced the notches with pencil. Scott used a jigsaw to cut out the little squares needed for the vertical supports. Tip: It’s helpful to first drill a small hole so that the jigsaw blade can more accurately make the innermost cut.

How we notched the shelving to fit the IKEA VITTSJÖ | via Yellow Brick Home

Protecting Each Shelf with Stain + Poly

Each shelf got a good sanding, followed by pre-stain conditioner, stain and poly. For the color, I used two coats of Minwax Special Walnut, which is a shade we’ve come to love for a true medium brown (no reddish tint!). I followed the stain with two coats of Polycrylic, giving it a light sanding with 220 grit sandpaper between coats one and two. We allowed the shelves to dry for a week before putting our heavy records on them – although to be honest, it was simply because life got busy (and an extended dry time never hurt, right?)

The pre-conditioner, stain and poly that we used to modify our IKEA VITTSJÖ | via Yellow Brick Home

Adding Horizontal Supports

With our shelves ready to go, we would need to add horizontal supports on the sides of the bookcase so that our records to have a place to lean. The negative space between the front and back vertical supports is almost 13,” and with a record being 12,” well, we would need to remedy that. Scott suggested we use 3/4″w aluminum flat bars (so smart!), cut them down to size using a Dremel, and screw them directly into the bookcase…

Flat stock image | via Yellow Brick Home

… Like this! We sprayed the flat stock with matte black spray paint and used sheet metal screws to attach it to the VITTSJÖ. Then I touched up the screw heads with a cotton swab, which brings me to a favorite trick of ours for spray paint touch up: Spray the paint directly in the lid, then use the little pool of paint with a small brush or cotton swab to cover up what you need:

A tip for touching up spray paint: Spray the paint into the lid and use a cotton swab to touch up chips. via Yellow Brick Home

Styling the VITTSJÖ!

After I loaded our records on the bottom two shelves, I scattered a few favorite pieces around the house, but finally settled on this shelving set up.

This is how we modified the IKEA VITTSJÖ so that it could bear the weight of our vinyl collection! via Yellow Brick Home #vinyl #recordcollection #recordstorage
This is how we modified the IKEA VITTSJÖ so that it could bear the weight of our vinyl collection! via Yellow Brick Home #vinyl #recordcollection #recordstorage
speaker | globe lamp | brass box | black marble box

Our main hesitation in choosing plywood for the shelves was knowing that we’d be able to see the edges (which is not plywood’s finest point), and you know what? We kind of love them.

A detail of our record collection, via Yellow Brick Home
This is how we modified the IKEA VITTSJÖ so that it could bear the weight of our vinyl collection! via Yellow Brick Home #vinyl #recordcollection #recordstorage
This is how we modified the IKEA VITTSJÖ so that it could bear the weight of our vinyl collection! via Yellow Brick Home #vinyl #recordcollection #recordstorage
speaker | lamp | brass box | marble box | sconce | rug | brass hardware (similar)

What’s Your Hack?

We love a good IKEA hack! Reimagining a piece of furniture to perfectly suit your home’s needs always leaves me feeling inspired. Which IKEA items have you hacked lately?

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  • angela2.24.14 - 7:26 AM

    Love the shelves! I have seen them at IKEA and have been thinking about where I can use them in my own home. The shelves look great with wood, too!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-ThreeReplyCancel

  • Amanda2.24.14 - 8:45 AM

    I love these shelves! I wish I had an Ikea around here. Maybe I’ll have to do some online shopping …ReplyCancel

  • Laura @ Rather Square2.24.14 - 9:07 AM

    Love this hack! And I too like the plywood edges. It adds to the rustic-ness (?) and retro vibe of the records and room.ReplyCancel

    • Kim2.24.14 - 9:18 AM

      Angela, go for it! This unit is one of the better made ikea items and full of custom possibilities!

      Laura, oh, yes, more rustic for sure.ReplyCancel

  • andee2.24.14 - 9:43 AM

    I love your idea about spraying paint into the cap and using a q-tip. One of those, why didn’t I think of that it’s so simple…DOH moments for me.ReplyCancel

  • Cait2.24.14 - 9:46 AM

    Those look great! I totally need to do that in our Art Room for books and supplies! I was going to do a similar Ikea Hyllis hack in our Library, but we just lucked into some hutches at ReStore this weekend and we’re going to make into build-ins. (fingers crossed that goes well)ReplyCancel

  • Kim2.24.14 - 10:04 AM

    Ooh, good luck, Cait! How fun.ReplyCancel

  • Marie2.24.14 - 10:16 AM

    Once again, you made the most of it and this shelving unit is absolutely awesome. I love the edges too, and thank you for the trick about spray paint. I bet Jack was dreaming about a future sunny day in the nook, I can see that on your picture. I read your “sage” post and I’m glad it worked very well. Never forget to always look on the bright side of life – Jack does !ReplyCancel

  • Hannah K.2.24.14 - 10:27 AM

    I love everything about this room — I want one in my own home!ReplyCancel

  • Cait2.24.14 - 10:27 AM

    Thanks Kim! If it turns out half as nice as your amazing media wall in the condo I’ll be over the moon!ReplyCancel

  • Meg2.24.14 - 10:30 AM

    Damn, you guys are good.ReplyCancel

  • Katherine2.24.14 - 10:49 AM

    Lovely!
    So, Sorry – not sure if I’m not reading your post right …. did you leave the glass shelves in and just put the wood on top or have you removed them? If you’ve removed them – what are you going to do with the glass?

    Beautiful little nook is coming along nicely. I actually just picked up a sample of that paint because I think it would be nice in my bathroom! Thanks as always for your inspiration!ReplyCancel

    • Kim2.25.14 - 2:29 PM

      Hi Katherine, sorry your comment got stuck in spam! We did leave the glass in, but it’s not actually supporting anything. The glass sits INSIDE the steel shelving unit, and the wooden shelves sit on TOP of the steel. And thank you!ReplyCancel

  • Staci2.24.14 - 12:27 PM

    This is awesome. Was it hard to get the plywood into place after you had made all the appropriate cuts and whatnot? Do you think the aluminum supports will support the weight of the records over the long haul?
    I love the way the edges of the stained plywood look, too.ReplyCancel

  • Kim2.24.14 - 12:52 PM

    Staci, nope, once we had our boards cut down (ever-so-slightly on the large side), they went in smoothly. When I traced my lines with the template, Scott cut on the OUTSIDE of my lines, so it’s a snug fit, but definitely not loose at all.

    You know, this bookcase feels really sturdy overall, but that’s a valid question. The plywood adds SO much support, so we don’t think we’ll have any problems (there’s no bowing of any kind happening, and there’s a lot of weight on them!), so we don’t think so. Of course time will tell, so if we ever need to upgrade for poor support reasons, we’ll surely blog about it!ReplyCancel

  • I love it, in fact I love what you’ve done with this room!ReplyCancel

  • tia2.24.14 - 2:01 PM

    omg u have midnight marauders on vinyl!ReplyCancel

  • Kim2.24.14 - 2:10 PM

    Wow, good eye, Tia! That gets played a LOT in our home.ReplyCancel

  • caroline [the diy nurse]2.24.14 - 3:16 PM

    I’m loving it! I think the wooden shelves make it look 100 times more substantial. With the glass it just looks so wimpy. And I like the wood edges too- its like a subtle pattern :)ReplyCancel

  • Cyd2.24.14 - 7:28 PM

    Love this! I’ve been wanting a set or nine of the Vittsjo shelves, too, and I love this look. Also I’ve been voting for you guys like crazy since Friday! ;-)ReplyCancel

    • Kim2.24.14 - 7:49 PM

      Thanks, Cyd! How awesome would a WHOLE bunch of these along a long wall? And I’ve been voting for you like crazy too!ReplyCancel

  • Jessica@CapeofDreams2.25.14 - 4:04 PM

    If you ever want to change the look of the plywood sides, it would be really easy to put birch tape around the sides. You just iron it on and then trim with a chisel and sand. It looks good the way it is, but it would look a little more finished that way.ReplyCancel

  • Kim2.26.14 - 7:26 AM

    Jessica, we did toy with that idea… we’re not ruling it out, but I was so sure I would hate the look, and surprisingly, we really ended up liking it! Thanks for the tip.ReplyCancel

  • Krista2.27.14 - 5:02 AM

    Wow! I wish I’d seen this before we blew the bank on some Besta that we’re not really loving in our space.
    I think birch ply edges can be really beautiful when finished in more of a clear coat manner vs staining.
    Great job!ReplyCancel

  • […] was posted in Design on March 2, 2014 by Drew Lambert. My husband, Scott, and I have this funny little room just off our main living space. Over the past several months, it has unofficially become our […]ReplyCancel

  • Melissa3.12.14 - 1:32 PM

    Hi! As a fellow vinyl collecting couple we were scouring the internet looking for record storage solutions as we just weren’t happy with our current situation. Love this, AND we have a pair of unused Vittsjo sitting in storage!! I read a bunch of other entries but was super curious to see if you could give some more info on how (if?) you plan on connecting your record player up to your stereo system? Very, Very curious! And, LOVE the house! It’s looks very similar to the direction we are taking in our new home! I’ll definitely be following to see what you do next!ReplyCancel

  • Katrina3.13.14 - 1:55 AM

    Love, love, love! Just bought a pair of the Vittsjo series shelves and I’ve been searching all over the place for clear instructions on how to add the DIY wood shelving. FINALLY! My search is over, hehe. You guys did such an amazing job, can’t wait to get started! Keep it up, will definitely be following :) Thanks!ReplyCancel

  • Kim3.13.14 - 8:37 AM

    Hi Melissa, thank you! Do you mean how are we connecting the record player to our stereo system, while the stereo system is in another room? I’ll let Scott chime in on that one, since he’s the master of all the cabling (he should be chiming in soon!)

    Katrina, so happy to hear!ReplyCancel

  • Melissa3.14.14 - 10:49 AM

    Hi Katrina! YES! We actually have the same old sound system as yours in our old home but kept everything in the same cabinet. However in our new home we wanted to upgrade (looooove your selection btw! Definitely on our short list!) and have a separate record area, VERY similar to what you guys did. Was just curious how you guys plan to connect everything! I get that it’s not something that would interest most people, so thank you for your quick response! REALLY appreciated! You guys are the only reference to sound systems and record players AND video game consoles I’ve been able to find!
    P.s. We sold our home before we bought a new one so we’ve been crashing at my inlaws while we wait for settlement and I SO get the “we really miss our records” sentiment. DYING!ReplyCancel

  • Scott3.14.14 - 5:27 PM

    Hey Melissa! We are lucky enough that that wall behind the main media center (where the TV is mounted) buts up to the room where the turntable now lives. We used the hole that the TV cables run through on the TV side, and the flexible pass-through wall plate linked below on the “nook room” side. The RCA connection cables (as well as our tiny turntable pre-amp) will run behind the Vittsjo unit and stay out of sight. The installation was simple with the included template and only took about a half hour. Hope this helps and good luck!

    http://www.homedepot.com/p/CE-TECH-Flexible-Opening-Cable-Wall-Plate-White-5028-WH/203564824ReplyCancel

  • Maggie6.8.14 - 10:49 AM

    I love this! It looks beautiful. Question, did you take any additional measures to secure the top board? Thanks so much!ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.11.14 - 9:54 AM

      Hi Maggie! The top board isn’t secured in any way, but it’s heavy enough that it’s not going anywhere!ReplyCancel

  • Nicole9.16.14 - 6:41 PM

    This is wonderful! Did you have to attach this to the wall ? I’m a renter and I’ve been looking high and low for a shelf for my recordsReplyCancel

    • Kim9.18.14 - 12:34 AM

      Hi Nicole, our records are SUPER heavy, so there is almost no chance of tipping (we also bottom weighted the whole unit to help with this). However, we did purchase a few L-brackets to secure it to the wall – JUST IN CASE.ReplyCancel

  • pin now and read later…10.20.14 - 11:03 AM

    […] is until I ran into yellow brick home’s hack for creating functional wood shelves for Ikea’s VITTSJO shelving unit. Like many others […]ReplyCancel

  • Edna3.7.15 - 8:18 PM

    I’m planning on doing this project. Thank you for the photos and tips.

    I don’t know if Plywood comes in only one thickness when it’s 4’x8′ but could you give the thickness you used for the shelves?

    Thank You!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.9.15 - 9:45 AM

      Hi Edna, the thickness of plywood can vary (which is reflected in its price), but we chose something closer to 1/2″ since we would be storing really heavy records on them. If you’re planning on books or records, I would recommend something similar, but for lighter items, you could likely get away with something more thin. Good luck on your project!ReplyCancel

  • Henry8.19.15 - 3:26 PM

    Hi,

    The shelves look incredible, I love the stained layered plywood effect,it goes really well with the frame.

    Where you screwed the support bars for the vinyl at the ends of the shelves, were the holes already pre-drilled there for you to screw into or did you have to drill them yourselves; also what size screws did you use?

    Thanks very muchReplyCancel

    • Kim8.20.15 - 8:07 AM

      Thanks, Henry! We drilled pilot holes ourselves, so you can use any size screw you’d like!ReplyCancel

      • Henry8.20.15 - 2:33 PM

        That’s great, thanks for getting back to me, I will be following your instructions to make my own!ReplyCancel

      • Henry8.20.15 - 2:35 PM

        Oh one more question – do you think the shelving, in terms of the frame strength, would be strong enough to take the two shelves above being filled with records too?ReplyCancel

        • Kim8.20.15 - 2:43 PM

          Hmm, I’m not sure if I’d fill all of them with records. Maybe alternate the different ‘cubes’ on the top couple of shelves – some with records, some with frames or books. I would definitely make sure to anchor the shelf to the wall at the top as well! There are holes on the underside of the top where you can anchor it, or you can get tipping brackets. I would do that just as an extra precaution!ReplyCancel

          • Kim8.20.15 - 2:45 PM

            And one more thing! Make sure you get sheet metal screws for the aluminum strips. Something we wish we would have added (and still will at some point) are record stops on the back as well. You could do this with another aluminum bar, or you could cut an extra piece of plywood and glue/screw it to the bottom/back of each plywood shelf. This will give the records a place to stop so they’re always flush and straight in the front. :)

          • Henry8.20.15 - 2:50 PM

            Excellent, thanks so much for all the information, I really appreciate your help.

  • Kathryn9.26.15 - 8:08 AM

    My fiancé and I are considering doing this when we move into our house. I was wondering if you’d be willing to share how much it cost you guys total. We just want to get a good idea how much to budget for! Thanks!ReplyCancel

    • Kim9.26.15 - 11:19 PM

      Hi Kathryn, the plywood we got was about $40/sheet, but you that price could vary depending on the quality of wood. I’d just add that to the current price of a Vittsjo plus $20 or less for the aluminum bars and spray paint!ReplyCancel

      • Kathryn9.28.15 - 5:48 AM

        Thanks so much! So if we were going to do the boards (my fiancé’s dad has all the equipment on their farm!) we would add 40 for each board and 20 right ? Thanks again so much for your help !!ReplyCancel

        • Kim9.28.15 - 9:12 AM

          Oh, no, one sheet of plywood at $40 is all you need for ALL the boards! Then you’d just need the aluminum (if necessary; it was for us since we’re storing records), flat black spray paint and wood stain. Good luck! :)ReplyCancel

          • Kathryn10.24.15 - 8:36 AM

            Thanks! My fiancé and I are getting ready to do this today! After we put it together I realized I have one more question! How did you do the top and bottom shelves? The ones you had to screw on ? Thanks again!!

          • Kim10.24.15 - 10:59 AM

            I’m not sure what you mean… The VERY top is still the IKEA shelf, but we added the piece of plywood on top to mimic the look of the rest, and the bottom shelf is the same as the middles. I hope that makes sense! Here’s the thing: You can really make it any way you like, with the main thing being to get those dimensions right when you make the cuts on plywood! There are so many ways to personalize it along the way. As you start putting it all together, you might make decisions that make more sense for you, so have fun with it! Our whole goal was to allow it to support heavier items such as books and records, while bringing in the warmth of wood. :)

          • Kathryn10.24.15 - 7:34 PM

            I completely understand! We did it today haven’t stained it but unfortunately the notches didn’t turn out how we thought. Even after the cutting there some spacing visible. Some of the notches are too big :(

          • Kim10.25.15 - 12:29 AM

            I bet they’ll be less visible once you load the shelves with your stuff… Just keep going, a little love goes a long way!

  • tryllu2.20.16 - 10:22 AM

    Could you kindly check thickness one more time? Vittsjo frame is around 17mm thick (2/3″) and from your photos I can see that plywood thickness is similar.
    Thanks in advance :)ReplyCancel

    • tryllu2.20.16 - 10:23 AM

      Im asking about plywood thickness of course :)ReplyCancel

  • […] TWO: Be mindful of scale and weight. Once you’ve got a good handle on what stays vs. what goes, start adding your bulkiest items to your bookshelf first. We have a healthy record collection that we display on our bookshelf, and we keep these heaviest items down low. To avoid a top-heavy bookcase, larger items (such as baskets, bins or in our case, records) should be displayed on the lowest level. Below, you can see how we did this with our recent bookcase makeover. […]ReplyCancel

  • […] de la historia. Sin embargo, este ejemplo nos ha parecido especialmente destacable. El autor de Yellow Brick Home añadió estanterías de madera, consiguiendo que la pieza parezca más elegante y con un acabado […]ReplyCancel

  • […] shelving unit is a brilliant product from IKEA on it’s own, but when hacked like this by Yellow Brick Home it takes on a whole other, lovely […]ReplyCancel

  • Libby6.3.19 - 9:52 AM

    Love this idea! How/ what type of saw did you use to cut the aluminum bars?ReplyCancel

  • Brad & Karis10.20.19 - 9:55 AM

    Thank you so much for this! We’ve just been to Ikea, bought the smaller unit, I’ve just cut the shelves and my fiancé is just finishing the first coat of varnish/stain. Amazing stuff!ReplyCancel

  • […] Industrial Wood Shelving  Yellow Brick Home […]ReplyCancel

  • […] Industrial Wood Shelving  Yellow Brick Home […]ReplyCancel

  • Viktor7.23.20 - 8:46 AM

    The metal bars on the side of the shelf, they’re not included right? How did you make them or what did you buy? ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.23.20 - 11:03 AM

      We used metal flat stock and spray painted them matte black!ReplyCancel

  • Kristy1.25.21 - 6:14 AM

    It was really hard to photograph, but you can see how we used Ikea Kallax units, two stacked on each other, to create custom towers in our closet. Then we hung double rods between them. And voila, a beautiful, custom closet for around $500.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CHZOFJpAu-P/ReplyCancel

  • Alina3.21.21 - 10:28 PM

    Hi y’all,

    Love this idea! Is this customizable in the sense of doing a longer shorter version? Almost like a credenza?ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.22.21 - 10:31 AM

      I’m not sure I understand the question? IKEA is customizable in so many ways – there’s a hack for everything, it seems!ReplyCancel

  • Marcey Moreno2.12.24 - 11:38 AM

    I love love LOVE this solution. I’ve got 3500 records that came with my husband when we started dating and I’ve yet to find an elegant solution for them. This might be it! Were you concerned about the other shelves being able to hold the weight, is that why you stuck to the bottom two?ReplyCancel

    • Scott2.12.24 - 12:12 PM

      Hi Marcey! Since this post, our collection has grown to fill up the bottom three shelves. Everything is holding beautifully so far and we’d have no concerns moving up to the 4th shelf if it ever becomes necessary. The VITTSJO is anchored to the wall with heavy duty toggle bolts and it’s VERY sturdy. Based on our calculations, each ‘cube’ of the shelf holds 75-100 records depending on how tightly they’re packed. Hope this helps!ReplyCancel

      • Marcey2.13.24 - 8:58 AM

        Very helpful indeed! Thank you for such a speedy reply. ReplyCancel

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