Ask a room full of hobbyists where their unpainted pile lives and half of them will point at the same piece of furniture: the IKEA® Kallax®. It is everywhere — cheap, square, and already holding your paints, foam trays and rulebooks. What most people never do is turn one of those cubes into an actual display. That's a waste, because a Kallax compartment is very close to the perfect miniature showcase — if you stop laying models flat and start staging them.
Why the Kallax Works as a Display Cabinet
Each Kallax compartment gives you roughly a 33 × 33 cm opening and about 39 cm of depth — a generous stage for painted miniatures, sitting at eye level if you pick the right row. It's sturdy, it's already in the room, and unlike a glass cabinet it costs you nothing extra. The catch: a flat cube floor shows you one row of models and hides everything behind it in shadow. The fix is the same one used in every good museum display — tiers.
The Quick Answer
Yes — a Kallax cube makes an excellent miniature display. Add a tiered riser so every rank of models is raised and visible, push the display toward the front third of the cube where the light reaches, and add a battery or USB puck light for the classic museum glow. A single cube comfortably stages a full squad and more; a spare row of cubes stages an army.
Setting Up a Kallax Display Cube, Step by Step
- 1. Pick your cube. Eye-level rows win. Avoid the bottom row unless you enjoy kneeling to admire your paintwork.
- 2. Add tiers. A tiered display riser turns the flat floor into stadium seating — rear ranks raised, every model visible from the sofa. A 5-tier stand sized for standard cabinet shelves sits inside a Kallax cube with room to spare. Our stands are compatible with Warhammer 40,000® miniatures on standard 28–40mm bases, along with most other tabletop systems.
- 3. Stage forward. Kallax cubes are deep; ambient light dies toward the back wall. Keep the display in the front two-thirds and let the rear stay dark — it reads as intentional backdrop.
- 4. Light it. A battery puck light or slim USB strip on the cube ceiling transforms the whole thing. Matte, anti-glare risers matter here — glossy plastic bounces the light straight back at you.
- 5. Keep the dust manageable. An open cube collects dust faster than a glass cabinet. Tiered layouts make the fortnightly once-over with a soft brush quick — full routine in our guide to cleaning dust off painted miniatures.
Kallax vs Glass Cabinets: Which Should You Display In?
If you own a glass cabinet, use it — dust protection is real, and we've written about getting the most from the discontinued IKEA® Detolf® and its replacement, the BLÅLIDEN. But the Kallax has two advantages neither can match: you already own it, and it lives where you actually spend your time. A display you walk past daily beats a perfect cabinet in a spare room. Many hobbyists run both — glass for the pride pieces, Kallax cubes for the rotating cast.
What Fits in One Cube?
With a tiered riser, a single cube comfortably stages 15–20 infantry on 28–32mm bases, or a mixed squad with a centrepiece on the top tier. Larger models on 40mm+ bases eat space quickly — check heights and base sizes against our Size Guide & Comparison before planning a full army wall.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size is a Kallax compartment?
Roughly 33 × 33 cm at the opening and about 39 cm deep. Always measure your own unit — dimensions have varied slightly across production years.
Will a tiered display stand fit in an IKEA Kallax?
Yes. WarSplay tiered risers are sized for standard cabinet shelves and sit inside a Kallax cube with clearance for models on the top tier. Check tall centrepieces against the 33 cm opening height.
How do I light a Kallax display cube?
Battery puck lights or a slim USB LED strip stuck to the cube ceiling. No wiring, renter-friendly, and a warm-white puck gives the classic museum look.
Doesn't an open cube get dusty?
Faster than a glass cabinet, yes — expect a light dusting routine every couple of weeks. Tiered layouts keep models accessible so cleaning takes seconds, not an afternoon.
Trademark note: IKEA®, Kallax®, Detolf®, BLÅLIDEN and Billy® are trademarks of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Warhammer 40,000® is a trademark of Games Workshop Group PLC. WarSplay® and Blubbercove Ltd are not affiliated with, authorised by, endorsed by, or licensed by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. or Games Workshop Group PLC. These names are used solely to indicate product compatibility.
Disclaimer: WarSplay® products are independently manufactured by Blubbercove Ltd. We are not affiliated with, authorised by, endorsed by, or licensed by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. or Games Workshop Group PLC. All WarSplay® designs are the intellectual property of Blubbercove Ltd.