Planning a Studio (and Learning to Let the Plan Change)

If you’re going to redesign your studio, it’s probably a good idea to start with a plan. What I learned through my own experience, though, is that even the best plans don’t always unfold the way you expect—and sometimes that’s not a bad thing.

When I first started designing what is now my synth wall, the idea was very clear in my head: it was going to be a large modular setup. I found a shelving system at IKEA that I liked and that would work in the room, bought two of the main vertical shelving posts, and fully intended to build everything around a modular system.

That plan didn’t last very long.

When Reality Interferes With the Plan

Before the modular setup ever became a reality, I started acquiring more synthesizers. At that point, it became obvious that my original idea no longer made sense. The solution wasn’t to force the plan to work—it was to abandon it and start developing a new one.

Working through that transition was tricky at times. Redesigning the layout as the situation evolved took longer than expected, and there were moments where I simply couldn’t make up my mind about what direction to take. But in the end, the process led to a result that fits my studio far better than the original idea ever would have.

Designing for What You Have—and What You Might Have

One of the biggest challenges when designing the synth wall was balancing present needs with future possibilities. I had to think not only about the gear I already owned, but also about what I might want to add later.

In cases where I didn’t have a specific instrument in mind, I worked from general size assumptions. For example:

• One set of shelves is roughly 31 inches wide, designed to accommodate smaller keyboard-style synthesizers.
  
• Another section is 19 inches wide, partly because it was originally intended for a 19-inch modular rack, and partly because that was simply the remaining usable space on the wall. These shelves were great for sound modules like the Deep Mind 12.
  

These kinds of practical constraints ended up shaping the layout just as much as creative goals.

Choosing a System That Fits the Room

The shelving system also had to work with the physical realities of the room itself.

Before switching to the current shelving, that wall had heavier bookcases—one on each side of the drum set—in a layout similar to my piano wall, which also uses bookcases on either side of the piano. While the older setup looked good visually, it didn’t function well in practice.

It didn’t provide the storage flexibility I needed, and more importantly, it blocked access to an access panel on the wall—something that needs to be reached from time to time.

The new shelving system solved all of those issues. It offers far more flexibility, better access, and significantly improved storage, and it has been able to evolve alongside the rest of the studio rather than fighting against it.

Letting the Layout Evolve

Throughout this video series, the synth wall changes repeatedly. As new instruments are brought in, the shelving layout shifts. What looked right at one point often changed as the studio developed further.

That evolution is ongoing. I’m fairly certain the current layout won’t be the final one—but with each adjustment, it gets closer to what I think of as my ideal studio.

Is a Home Studio Ever Finished?

That raises an interesting question: are home studios ever really finished?

For some people, maybe. For me, it’s highly doubtful—and honestly, that’s part of the appeal. I enjoy experimenting with layouts, rethinking how things are arranged, and exploring new ideas as the studio grows.

Maybe one day it will feel “done.”
But if I’m being honest, I’m not sure I’d want it to be.