About ten years ago, I stumbled upon a bunch of chalkboards in an alley by my office. I went to get a flat-head screwdriver and pried the trays off the bottom. That has been storage for 45 cds ever since.
Here are some pictures:

http://matthewhambrick.blogspot.com/2008/09/cds-as-wall-art.html

I eventually started painting them the color of my walls so they would disappear.

http://picasaweb.google.com/matthewhambrick/CdWall?authkey=PE58owIA4O8#

About ten years ago, I stumbled upon a bunch of chalkboards in an alley by my office. I went to get a flat-head screwdriver and pried the trays off the bottom. That has been storage for 45 cds ever since.
Here are some pictures:

http://matthewhambrick.blogspot.com/2008/09/cds-as-wall-art.html

I eventually started painting them the color of my walls so they would disappear and allow the cds to be the most noticeable thing.

http://picasaweb.google.com/matthewhambrick/CdWall?authkey=PE58owIA4O8#

don't albums fit in a file cabinet?
if so, you should find a vintage library style file cabinet. Like the old card catalogs
cool vintage look to hold hundreds of records?

The Ikea EXPEDIT bookshelves are kind of a default choice. I have a couple thousand LPs and I split my collection between one of those, and some vintage Haller office furniture. The Ikea shelves are plain enough to match most interiors, and they are just the right size for LPs. And since the shelves are supported every 12 inches or so, the heavy weight of LPs won't cause the shelves to sag. Also, these shelves are dirt cheap, just don't try to move one, as it really, really sucks.

This has been the challenge for many a dj forever.

The first time I went to Ikea I saw a guy carrying around a Gatecrasher album. I knew his dilemma. How can I attractively and safely display my dizzying collection of record albums? His strategy was to cart a record around Ikea slipping it into various pieces of furniture to see if anything worked.

I still haven't figured it out--that's why my records are still in a storage facility. But I think the first step should involved identifying where the records will be kept. Will they be in a living room, office or a more formal room? Do you want the records to be visible or concealed?

My brother bought a $200 shelving unit from target that is simply a square grid and it just so happens to take a record perfectly.

I want to say I saw something on this site that highlighted some custom cabinets that actually had a pull-out drawer for records. That of course would be an ambitious project involving time, expertise and money.

I dumpster dove an industrial wire record rack in SF that was used in a school. It was very simple and minimal and the records are obviously all exposed standing neatly in a line.

If all else fails, there are always milk crates! Just kidding!

Good luck--I'm sure there a lot of people who would like to hear what you come up with--shoot a picture.

I think your journey should start with a particul

hmmm...I don't know where that last line came from...

I use the West Elm rolling storage cubbies for storing records, they're the perfect size.

It's obvious that your husband not only collects, but also appreciates the music. Maybe buy him some album frames so he can display them instead of hiding them?

-Ruth

Ruth - the issue with the frames is that you then can't play the record that is safe inside it's sleeve.

I concur with the expidit from IKEA.

I like the cd wall, but that requires some serious wall space for the size of this collection.

Another option is to look into a chest of some kind and store them in there. Then you've got additional seating or a side table or something.

Good luck!

http://embritadesign.blogspot.com

I had thousands of CDs to contend with and I ordered from this place in Canada I found online called Can Am. They are really cool to deal with and the product is really made well (not cheap, but worth it in my opinion). I got a 3 draw and a 2 draw slim CD drawer cabinet combo and stacked them (got the wheels too...) for CDs. Now I know where everything is, filed nice and neat. here's the link

http://www.can-am.ca/

I agree with everyone who mentioned Ikea's Expedit. Then add a picture ledge to a wall to display a few albums in your current "playlist." Insta-cool vintage art, and easier to access than LP frames

i'm still using the translucent USPS mail bins.. and I may have to keep it that way.. or maybe move to crates. a bookshelf would be nice, but still not easy enough access when actually mixing.

there are some cool storage solutions at turntable lab

this is what we did:

http://rearrangeddesign.blogspot.com/2008/10/from-all-junks-one-i-need-more-is-music.html

Until we can afford custom cabinets to house our 12" and 7" collection, the Expedit from Ikea it is.

I'm a DJ so I needed a space not only for LPs but also for headphones, turntables and a mixer. I'm an Ikea fan, but I didn't roll with the Expedit because it simply wasn't sturdy enough or the right height.

Instead, I went with their excellently constructed Effektiv office line, putting two units together. They perfectly fit my LPs and all of my gear, and they're the perfect height for a home mixing console.

You can see pictures here:
http://flickr.com/photos/session/2926800757/in/set-72157607890141457/
http://flickr.com/photos/session/2927659190/in/set-72157607890141457/

(They're messy because I'm in the middle of the Fall Cure!)

I picked up several cube cabinets from our local unfunished wood store. They come in single, double or triple; can be stacked together for stability; and stained or painted to match your decor. LPs fit inside perfectly!

if you live in sf, stop by stumasa.

Came across this and thought I would send it.
http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/eclectic-music-room/index.html
Seems bookshelves are the route to go for most people.
I'm running into a similar problem with my CDs. I don't want to display them, but would like to have easy access to them.

My boyfriend has a ton of records and I've been trying to figure out what to do to get rid of the ikea shelves! I bought vintage wood crates of various sizes (4 fit all his records) and put the records atop a short (sturdy vintage) shelving unit. They are turned on their sides and open part faces out. The record player sits on top of one of the crates.