How to turn IKEA PAX into built-in wardrobes

Built-in wardrobes are an excellent tool to make the most of a space for storage, particularly here in the UK where space tends to be quite limited. They also often tend to be quite expensive. This isn’t a waste of money, as joiners are very skilled tradespeople who can create beautiful, durable and useful storage areas, however the expense is obviously not possible for everyone.

Here is where IKEA comes in – while the Swedish furniture maker is often looked down on, they certainly make well-made, affordable, practical fittings. Their PAX fittings are one such item that will allow you to create a wardrobe that suits and fits the user + the space.

Read on for how you can use the IKEA PAX items to do so:

1. Plan what you need/want

   Each wardrobe user is different in their wants and needs – some prefer lots of shelves, others prefer a combination of shoe shelving, hanging space, and drawers. Some people like things nice and open/exposed so their items can be on display, adding a decorative touch to the space, while others like everything neat and closed away. It’s important to spend some time thinking about what you need and want in the space, which items you want to store and where/how, and how you’d like the space to look/feel. There are a variety of shelves, shoe racks, drawers and hanging rails in the IKEA PAX range, which makes meeting different needs easy.

   
   

2. Plan the space

   Take some time to measure the space, think about light (natural and artificial) there, and electrics in the area you’re planning to add the wardrobe to. If there is only a small amount of natural light and a single downlight, you’ll need to think about how you can add light to the room, as you may blocking the natural light with the wardrobe. It’s also important to think about how you’ll move around the space – if it’s quite long but not especially wide, you may be able to create a gallery style wardrobe, with units on either side of the space. If it’s quite narrow however, it would be best to make one wall of the units reduced depth, so you can comfortably move around, try clothes on, and get things in and out of the space. Remember the doors will take up space when they are open!

   
   

3. Order your fittings

   Be prepared to be patient! Our experience of IKEA is that it can take a few orders or visits to get everything you need. The inner fittings you want may well not be in stock in the right colour or size. Items can be missing from orders or arrive damaged. You’ll need to carefully check everything on arrival (don’t wait until assembly time…). IKEA is often a good way to get a good value wardrobe, but it can take a bit of work.

   
   

4. Finish off the space

   Once the internal components of the wardrobe have been decided on, it’s time to think about finishing off the space. You may want the wardrobe to be open/exposed, in which case you might like to paint the PAX fittings a particular colour to add a decorative touch. This will need proper preparation to work well – research before starting!

   
   

   There are doors that can be purchased to fit onto the internal units for if you’d prefer for everything to be shut away neatly. Adding feature handles can add so much to the space – we love Plank and Anthropologie for some really beautiful handles and knobs. To add texture and a touch of luxe, you might consider adding full-length curtains from the ceiling in front of the units, to hide items away while adding softness.

   Some people also add filler pieces or trim to make the unit look closer to fully fitted. This can work well – but we’d recommend engaging a joiner with suitable tools to do this for you. The finish still won’t be as perfect as fully bespoke can be – ask the joiner to explain any limitations or concerns.

   
   

5. Safety + Sustainability considerations:

   Make sure you have considered correct fittings and fixtures to safely attach all units to the walls – the PAX units should have necessary safety instructions with them.

   
   

   Consider hiring a specialist to help you – paying a builder for a couple of days work to fit everything will almost certainly be cheaper than paying a joiner to build everything from scratch

   If you’re painting the PAX units, consider environmentally-friendly, low-VOC paints used with a suitable primer.

   
   

   People often think of IKEA as disposable, because of the price point and because in the past the quality was variable. In recent years lots of their furniture has been improved to be more easily re-flat-packed and re-assembled. If this isn’t your long term home, you should be able to take the units with you or gift/sell them on.

   

   

    Bespoke joinery and PAX shoe storage combine to make this walk-in dressing room