Born out of the simple question—”Where do I put my records?”— HiFi Cabinet Co. is a new vinyl storage and lifestyle brand that’s turning heads across the music and design worlds. The product line is clean, colourful, and clever: modular crates built to traditional LP specs, complete with rollerblade-style caster wheels, stackable pins, and a vibe that lands somewhere between Bauhaus and your friend’s basement setup. More than a clever solution to record sprawl, the company is also pushing something larger: an ethos that music deserves its own space, both literally and metaphorically.

“The genesis really started when one of our guys bought a record player,” says Smith. “Salespeople would talk specs—amps, wattage, styluses—but no one ever asked about the space it lives in. No one talked about the lifestyle around music listening.”

That gap, between audio tech and the human experience of music, is what sparked the concept. When Smith and his co-founders realized that even cigar smokers and gardeners had entire media ecosystems built around them, but music lovers didn’t, they got to work.

The first product was the crate—a modern reimagining of the humble milk crate, long beloved by vinyl junkies and basement DJs alike. However, unlike the intentionally modified dimensions of today’s milk crates (which no longer comfortably fit a 12-inch record), HiFi Cabinet Co’s crates are precision-molded, reinforced, and designed to be part of the room rather than something you hide in it. They come in colours like Clockwork Orange, Noir Duke, and Lavender Haze, each with a personality and story of its own.

“One customer bought three black ones for her pantry, then gifted one to her husband for his records,” laughs Smith. “They’re functional, but they’re not limited to one function.”

In that way, the crates are a kind of Trojan horse. They get in the door because they’re useful—but they stay because they’re stylish, adaptable, and made with care. The entire product line is constructed with sustainability in mind: recycled polypropylene, organic cotton for apparel, and designer slip mats that blur the line between music accessory and collectible object art. One limited-edition slip mat even comes with a certificate of authenticity from the artist.

“We wanted the crates to reflect that sense of intention,” says Smith. “Whether you’re listening in a tiny hut or a luxury home, there’s a universal element: you need a place for your records.”

“Whether you’re listening in a tiny hut or a luxury home, there’s a universal element: you need a place for your records.”

— Tony Smith

As the company scaled from idea to injection-molded product, the feedback loop from listeners worldwide started to pour in—helping refine, test, and validate every design move. It was through that dialogue that the team landed on one of their most requested features: stackability.

“We got that question a lot,” Smith admits. “And it’s tricky, because vinyl sticks out for easy flipping. But we solved it by designing custom stacking pins. Now you can build vertically—like modular shelves—and it holds up to 55 pounds with no sagging.”

It’s the kind of smart engineering that makes the product pop, but what makes it stick is the cultural positioning. HiFi Cabinet Co. is about expression, about slowing down, and about reclaiming the tactile rituals of music fandom. It’s also about building community across formats, genres, and generations.

According to Smith, there are five main kinds of vinyl listeners. “There’s the people who have records but no player, people with both, people with a designated listening room, people who listen while hanging out, and the collectors. And all of them need storage.”

In other words, the brand doesn’t gatekeep. Whether you’re deep into first pressings or you just bought your first BRAT LP on a whim, you’re in.

HiFi Cabinet Co’s focus on mobility isn’t just in the wheels—it’s in the brand’s roadmap too. Future plans include camo crates, limited edition artist collaborations, and more ways to integrate storage with storytelling. Because for Smith and his team, this isn’t just about housing your collection—it’s about elevating it.

“During COVID, people slowed down. They stopped skipping tracks and started listening to whole sides again,” Smith says. “We want to support that—however people listen, wherever they are.”

For now, the crates remain the centrepiece, but don’t be surprised if HiFi Cabinet Co. evolves into the de facto home brand for modern music lovers. Because in an era of algorithmic discovery and compressed sound, what Smith is building isn’t just storage, it’s space—for music, for memory, and for meaning.

For more info and to order your own HiFi Cabinet Co. record crate visit hificabinetcompany.com