PAX closet hacked beautifully to match Victorian home

We wanted an affordable closet solution — under $2000 — in our closet-less Victorian home.

However, we wanted something that would match the period architecture and trim work of the house.

Before

After

PAX offered the storage we needed, but not the aesthetic. The hack allowed us to achieve both!

IKEA items used:

Other materials and tools:

Crown Moulding
Baseboard
Panel Mould
Elmer’s Wood Filler
Caulking
Primer
Paint
Nail gun

PAX closet in a Victorian home:

1. Order and assemble your PAX system.

2. Build a simple base using 2x4s and wood screws. This will lift your PAX off the ground to create space for baseboard moulding to achieve a built-in look.

3. Lift your PAX onto the base in the location it will stay in. Secure the PAX to the wood frame using wood screws. Holes can be filled later to cover screw locations.

4. Use MDF 1×4 pieces to frame the sides of the PAX. This helps make the PAX look like it’s built right into the wall by covering the gaps between the back of the cabinet and your wall surface. It also provides a surface to adhere your crown moulding and baseboard to, in the next steps.

5. Attach your crown moulding around the top of the PAX. Match to existing crown in your home for a truly integrated look.

6. Attach baseboard to the bottom of the PAX. Match to existing baseboard in your home and cope the baseboard to integrate seamlessly with the baseboard on your wall, if any.

7. Attach moulding to the PAX doors. Do not use nails here, as they can damage and create holes in IKEA products. Instead, use a strong construction adhesive. Do this with the doors laying flat, not installed, so the moulding doesn’t move while the adhesive cures.

8. Use a shellac-based primer to prime the entire surface – IKEA parts and your moulding and trim.

9. Once the primer has dried, paint in a colour of your choice. For a high-traffic wardrobe, a semi-gloss can provide more durability and ability to clean later on.

10. Install your handles. Drill carefully to not blow a hole through the IKEA material. If possible, hold a 2×4 at the back of the cabinet and drill through it to minimize the risk of damaging the door.

11. Move your clothes in!

How much did it cost?

We figure it cost us just over $1600 including all IKEA items, moulding, paint, adhesives, and custom hardware.

See the full tutorial on our blog and follow us on Instagram.

~ by Kevin & Sarah Reid-Morris

The post PAX closet hacked beautifully to match Victorian home appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

SKÅDIS: 5 ways to make the IKEA pegboard even better

IKEA introduced its own pegboard system, SKÅDIS, two years ago and I’d say it’s one of the best systems IKEA launched in recent years. I love how super customisable it is, with a growing range of accessories that help keep things organized. It works everywhere, in your wardrobe to bathroom . Probably anywhere you have a flat surface to hang it up. Photo: IKEA.com SKÅDIS pegboard system See it on IKEA.com But no matter how perfect a system, you can trust IKEA hackers to improve on the SKÅDIS. And they’ve settle these 5 issues you may have faced with the handy IKEA pegboard. Read on for their fixes. 5 IKEA SKÅDIS issues and fixes #1 Expensive hooks? You’ll need quite a number of hooks and accessories to fill up the SKÅDIS pegboard, and Kenyer was shocked at how quickly they all added up. So he figured he could make his own hooks to save cost. Photo: Kenyer Over at Instructables , he shows us how to twist copper wires into the SKÅDIS hook shape. It works s...

Enjoy Sweet Dreams With These DIY Headboard Ideas

A headboard is one of the last things you see before you fall asleep and one of the first things you see when you wake up. Demonstrate your unique design style by creating your own. Below are some ideas and tips to get you started. Do you think the formula for sleep is on this London bedroom’s headboard? Image: Clifton Interiors Ltd Chalk headboard Create this look with a can of black chalkboard paint. Almost any type of wall – drywall, plaster, wood, brick or concrete – will work, as long is it is properly prepped. Chalkboard paint is easy to apply, dries fast and can be cleaned with soap and water. But you’re not limited to the color black – chalkboard paint comes in just about every color. If you don’t want to use paint, consider chalkboard contact paper – and yes, you can use chalk on it. An Edmonton hockey-themed room. Image: Cameron Homes Hockey goal headboard For the ultimate hockey fan, nothing beats a hockey goal headboard. Complete the scene with a team blank...

Sliding Bookcase Doors KALLAX hack to divide your rooms

I replaced single-glazed sliding doors that divided the sitting room and dining room with a sliding KALLAX bookcase. For one “door”, I used two 2×2 cubes and one 2×1 unit. As we already owned 4 separate KALLAX 2×2 cubes and they seemed to be exactly the same width as the internal doors, we thought it might be possible to stack them. With one additional 2×1 KALLAX they almost matched the height of the internal doors. Sliding KALLAX bookcase doors in closed position First, still a work in progress but let us show you how it looks from the dining room, when the units are pushed together to close up the doorway. And the units pushed apart to enter the living room. We can access the storage cubes from both sides — from the dining or living room — which is so very useful. What I like most is, when viewed from the living room, when closed, it looks almost like a built-in unit. IKEA item used: 2×2 KALLAX units x 4 1×2 KALLAX units x 2 Other materials: 3M mounting tape...

Martin Cooper

Search This Blog