You spent hours painting them. Lining them up in a flat row at the back of a shelf does them no justice. A good display lifts every model into view, protects the paint, and turns a collection into a centrepiece. Here's how to do it well — whether you've got a tenner or a dedicated cabinet to play with.
1. Pick your furniture (the IKEA options everyone starts with)
Most collectors begin with an IKEA hack, and for good reason — they're cheap, sized for models, and easy to upgrade:
- DETOLF — the classic glass display cabinet. Tall, sealed-ish, 360° viewing. The catch: the deep glass shelves waste vertical space and back rows vanish.
- BLÅLIDEN / MILSBO — glass cabinets with optional LED kits built for collectibles; great dust protection.
- BILLY bookcase with glass doors — the budget workhorse for larger armies; add extra shelves to double capacity.
The universal problem with all of them: flat shelves bury your back ranks. If you're weighing up the cabinet itself, we've compared the best Detolf alternatives and whether a tiered stand fits inside an IKEA Billy bookcase. The fix for the hidden-row problem is risers.
2. Build depth with tiered risers
Don't display on a flat plane. Staggering height is the single biggest visual upgrade you can make:
- Put the tallest models at the back, shortest at the front.
- Use tiered risers or stepped stands so the second and third rows lift into view instead of hiding behind the front rank.
- Group by faction, scale or base size — mixing everything together looks cluttered.
This is exactly what a modular tiered stand solves inside a cabinet. A WarSplay modular display stand drops onto a Detolf or Billy shelf and turns one flat layer into three or four visible tiers — so you fit more models and actually see them. It flat-packs, so you're not paying premium prices for a fixed acrylic block.
3. Light it properly
Lighting is what makes paint pop, in photos and in person:
- LED strips under each shelf (down-lighting) reveal highlights and shadow detail.
- Warm white suits fantasy and historical; cool white suits sci-fi.
- Avoid a single harsh top light — it flattens everything and casts ugly shadows.
Our guide on LED lighting for miniature displays covers doing this without glare or DIY wiring.
4. Secure your models
If you move models for gaming or transport, secure them so a knocked cabinet isn't a disaster:
- Magnetised bases let you anchor models to a steel or magnetic shelf liner and lift them cleanly when needed. New to it? See our miniature base magnet size guide.
- Tacky/museum wax holds tippy models in place without marking the paint or shelf.
5. Keep them clean
Open displays look superb but collect dust. Brush down little and often, and keep models off the floor and away from radiators. Full method in our guide to cleaning dust off painted miniatures.
Putting it together
A workable setup for most people: a glass cabinet for protection, tiered modular stands inside it to create depth, LED strips for contrast, and magnets or wax to keep everything secure. You don't need a workshop or a big budget — just the right stand doing the heavy lifting.
WarSplay stands support the standard 25–80mm bases and are compatible with Warhammer 40k, as well as D&D, Age of Sigmar and most tabletop systems — so whatever you collect, they'll fit. Browse the modular display range →
Frequently asked questions
What's the best way to display miniatures at home?
A glass cabinet with tiered stands inside gives the best balance of dust protection, capacity and visibility — every model seen, for well under the cost of individual cases.
How do I display miniatures using IKEA furniture?
A Detolf, Blåliden or Billy with glass doors is the popular starting point; add tiered risers so back rows aren't hidden, and LED strips to light the paintwork.
How do I stop models falling over in a display?
Magnetise the bases onto a steel liner, or use a dab of museum/tacky wax. Both hold models steady without damaging paint.
WarSplay® is an independent UK brand of Blubbercove Ltd. Trademarks are used for compatibility description only; see the disclaimer in our site footer.