Cool Hunting

The Record Cabinet, the first offering from Jenn and Nick Atocha (the husband and wife team behind Atocha Design), is the happy result of two music fanatics needing a home for their newly combined vinyl collections. Unlike most LP storage systems, which store records sideways allowing you to only see the spine, the Record Cabinet allows you flip through your collection savoring the artwork in full frontal view. Jenn elaborates, "The whole MP3, digital music world doesn't make sense to me. So many musicians are visual people and you really need the LP at a minimum to see their vision. So much is expressed in album cover art that becomes part of how you hear the music. Pick any Beatles record, or Bowie, or Bjork, or Beck, just to stick with the letter B, and imagine hearing it without the artwork. You can't!"

Mid-Century Design aficionados will immediately recognize the modern lines of the Cabinet that echo back to the classic work of George Nelson and Paul McCobb — two designers who provided both inspiration and influence. "Their work was so simple, yet elegant and beautiful." In keeping with this timeless aesthetic, the piece comes in Maple, Oak, Walnut and Bamboo with solid brass drawer pulls and is hand-crafted domestically.

Just as musical taste varies, so does storage needs — Atocha wants you to have the right Record Cabinet and is offering various configurations including those with CD, DVD and component storage. Contact them to set up a design consultation. Each piece is made to order and pricing is based on size, materials and design requirements. The option pictured has six LP drawers and four CD drawers and is priced at $12,500.

We can't guarantee the Record Cabinet will make your music sound better, but such a combination of form, function and elegance will definitely alter your visual soundscape.