IKEA’s “JARNA” Display Cabinet
By Dick Williams

            While visiting the local IKEA Swedish home furnishings store (in hopes of finding a sale on their $149 tall glass display cabinets), I spotted a product that I hadn’t noticed there before.  It was a wooden wall cabinet called “JARNA” (item # 100.714.12), with twin sliding glass doors and two glass shelves.  It’s marketed as a CD, DVD or video cassette cabinet, but I immediately thought of its diecast display possibilities.  At only $20, I thought I couldn’t go wrong, so I picked one up in the self-service furniture area (at this IKEA, it was located in Aisle 12, Bin # 34).

            I keep most of my collection on the walls in acrylic cabinets, using both compartmented and undivided styles.  However, I’m running out of wall space for the large cabinets but have some empty spots in which a smaller cabinet could fit.

            The cabinet weighs 16 lbs. (7 kg.) and comes unassembled.  Its dimensions are 19 ¼ inches (49 cm.) square and 6 5/8 inches (16 cm.) deep (the interior shelves are 5 7/8 inches wide). The sides, top and bottom are made of ¾ inch thick light-colored walnut and can be stained or painted (but it looks quite nice left in its natural color).  The boards are assembled with 8 hex-head screws (an Allen wrench is supplied). The back is covered with a two-piece thin fiberboard sheet covered with walnut veneer, taped together so it folds in the package.  It’s attached with 20 tiny nails – a tack hammer is the only tool you’ll need to supply to assemble the cabinet. 

            The two tempered, safety glass shelves are adjustable and the glass doors fit into tracks in the top and bottom of the cabinet.  The cabinet can be hung from the wall (two very sturdy metal mounting fixtures are already attached to the back of the side boards) or set on top of a bookcase, table or other flat surface.  (While it may appear heavy, it probably would be no heavier than a larger, filled 54- or 89- car acrylic cabinet.)  IKEA says it will hold a maximum load of 33 lbs (15 kgs.).

            The photos show the cabinet filled with a variety of different sizes and types of models, including 1:43rd scale Corgi and Fleer cars, 1:64th scale Code 3 apparatus, a 1:18th scale motorcycle and a couple of 1:36th scale Corgis.  This versatile cabinet is especially well suited for displaying high-top vehicles like vans (for example, see the Eligor Mercedes Sprinter van and the Corgi Thorneycroft police van on the top shelf) and some fire apparatus. 

            About seven Code 3 engines or 1:43rd scale cars can be easily displayed on each of the three shelves (eight if they are placed exactly perpendicular to the shelf edge).  When you consider that an acrylic cabinet that holds about twice as many models costs around $50-60 more, I’d consider this a bargain, especially given its versatility.  Additional models with individual cabinets can be displayed on the top of the cabinet.

            The one drawback of this cabinet is that it can be kind of dark inside since only one side is transparent.  However, this can be addressed either by positioning it near an external light source or by mounting a light inside the cabinet.  Linear cabinet lights of various types and lengths can be purchased in Wal-Mart, and IKEA sells a neat little circular halogen light for display cabinets for $10 a pair.  A hole could be drilled through the fiberboard back of the cabinet to take the cord for the light. 

            I purchased this cabinet at the IKEA store at Potomac Mills in Dale City, VA.  Unfortunately, if you don’t have an IKEA store near you (and they seem to be clustered in California and the Northeast Coast), you apparently can’t order this item from their Internet site at this time.  It is shown on the site at http://www.ikea-usa.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=12&langId=-1&catalogId=10101&productId=47149, but there’s a notice saying that the product is only sold in the stores.  However, you can see the locations of all IKEA stores and check the availability of this product in each store.  The “Non” light can be viewed at http://www.ikea-usa.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=12&langId=-1&catalogId=10101&productId=46917 and can be ordered online. 

                                       Click on photo to enlarge