The IKEA BLÅLIDEN® is one of the most popular glass display cabinets in the miniature hobby — it's affordable, it has a glass door and sides for dust protection, and it lights up nicely. The question collectors ask before buying tiered stands for it is simple: will they actually fit? Here's the measured answer.
BLÅLIDEN internal dimensions (what actually matters)
Ignore the external footprint — what counts for display planning is the usable space inside each glass shelf. As a planning guide (always confirm against the current IKEA® spec before buying):
- Internal shelf width: roughly 30–31 cm — enough for one wide tiered stand or two compact ones side by side.
- Internal shelf depth: roughly 28–30 cm — this is the number that decides how many rows you can stage.
- Height between shelves: adjustable, so you can free up vertical clearance for tall banners and centrepieces by removing a shelf.
Do WarSplay® tiers fit?
Yes — comfortably. A WarSplay® Classic tier has a footprint of around 10 cm deep, so it uses only about a third of the BLÅLIDEN's ~28–30 cm shelf depth. That leaves room to either stand the tier at the back and keep a front row of models on the shelf surface, or run two tiers front-to-back for a deep, stadium-style bank of miniatures on a single shelf.
Because the stands are modular with flat edges, you can place two side by side across the ~30 cm width to fill the shelf completely. In practice a single BLÅLIDEN shelf will hold a full infantry squad with every model visible, rather than a flat single rank where the back row hides behind the front.
Why a tier beats a flat BLÅLIDEN shelf
The BLÅLIDEN's glass shelves are flat, so without elevation your back rank disappears behind the front one. Raising the rear models onto a tier fixes that: our own measurements show that lifting a 20 mm-tall figure onto a 49 mm tier more than triples its visible display height, which is exactly what clears the heads of the models in front. The result is more models per shelf and every one of them on show.
Setup tips for a BLÅLIDEN
- Add the LED kit. BLÅLIDEN takes an optional IKEA® lighting strip — angle it slightly forward to light the paintwork without glare (see our LED lighting guide).
- Remove a shelf for centrepieces. Free up vertical clearance on one shelf for 80 mm monsters and tall banner models.
- Keep the finish matte. Glass cabinets already reflect; a matte tier avoids adding a second source of glare.
WarSplay® modular stands fit 25–100 mm bases and are compatible with Warhammer 40,000® and most other 28–40 mm tabletop systems, so whatever you collect will sit correctly on the tiers. If the BLÅLIDEN isn't the cabinet for you, our cabinet alternatives guide compares the other popular options, and the BILLY bookcase guide covers the bookshelf route.
Frequently asked questions
How many miniatures fit on one BLÅLIDEN shelf with a tiered stand?
With a Classic tier plus a front row, a single shelf comfortably displays a full 10–17 model infantry squad on 28–32 mm bases, all visible.
Do I need to remove the BLÅLIDEN shelves?
Only if you're displaying tall centrepieces. For standard infantry the factory shelf spacing is fine; the tier provides the elevation.
Will tiered stands slide on the glass?
They sit stably on their own footprint. If you transport the cabinet or want extra security, magnetise the bases onto a steel or magnetic liner — see our magnet size guide.
WarSplay® is an independent UK brand of Blubbercove Ltd. IKEA® and BLÅLIDEN® are trademarks of Inter IKEA Systems B.V.; Warhammer 40,000® is a trademark of Games Workshop Limited. Trademarks are used for compatibility description only; see the disclaimer in our site footer.