When it comes to vinyl, Nick Malkiewicz doesn’t mess around. His collection contains 10,000 to 15,000 records, which he proudly displays in his home.
In 2000, Malkiewicz built his own set of shelves to house his collection, using two-by-fours. The shelves were sturdy and got the job done, but they didn’t have the aesthetic appeal that Malkiewicz was after.
In 2012, Malkiewicz moved to a new home and spent a year or two searching for a shelving system whose aesthetic would match the house. He first attempted to build the shelves with steel but when that become too difficult, he began looking for aluminum options. That’s when he discovered Modern Shelving.
Because Malkiewicz has already invested in and built his own shelves, he wasn’t in need of shelves but simply the hardware to accompany them. A self-proclaimed DIY guy with an interest in Autocat and architecture, Malkiewicz already had everything laid out how he wanted it when he connected with a Modern Shelving designer.
Together, they collaborated on a design that would fit well in his home. The house had tall ceilings, somewhere in the ballpark of 15 feet, so they opted for extension poles, with a tetra pole across.
“That design was insane,” recalls Malkiewicz. “And that was my first endeavor with you guys.”
When the parts arrived, install was a breeze. Throughout the installation process, Malkiewicz didn’t hit a single stud. When it was finished, Malkiewicz installed a built-in television, his turn tables, and lots and lots or records.
“The amount of weight I had on that wall is insane,” says Malkiewicz. “We rent that house now and I left that system in the house until two months ago. It lasted 11 years with all that weight and nothing fell off.”
When it came time to move homes, Malkiewicz turned to Modern Shelving once again. He worked with the team on an all-new design with new hardware. The design was simple: A straight up massive wall of records. Malkiewicz opted for the longest poles he could get and once again built his own custom shelves and paired them with Modern Shelving hardware. It turned out great.
Last year, Malkiewicz moved once again but this time, he took his shelving unit with him. The ceilings in his new home are 11-feet, so he used the extension. He hit a bunch of studs during the install, but as a result, his shelves are impenetrable.
His new home has an open floor plan and the shelves, and his massive record collection is the center point of the house.
“[Modern Shelving] is great because it’s modular and you can literally take it with you, which is what I did, “says Malkiewicz. “And you can add onto it!”
Malkiewicz is well connected in the vinyl world and has referred numerous friends over the years to Modern Shelving. So far, everyone has been more than happy with the results.
“You can take it with you, it can hold a ton of weight, it’s flexible, and it looks great,” says Malkiewicz. “That’s the number one thing to me is that it looks great.”
