IKEA Pax Reach In Closet

Tis the season to get organized and Barry’s IKEA Pax reach in closet is finally complete! If you were here for the eight week bunk room makeover you know this closet was supposed to be part of that. But the supply chains had different plans and we had to postpone some of the final touches. After weeks of checking stock levels at IKEA and multiple trips, we finally ordered the last few components online and finished it. Do you want to see how it all came together?

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You all know I have a serious love affair with IKEA, mostly because they offer affordable solutions that can be tweaked to fit a multitude of scenarios. And for closets, the IKEA Pax is hands down my favorite option! I used the Pax system in my small walk in closet and ever since, Barry has been patiently waiting for his closet makeover. Well, he finally got it! But before I show you how we did it, let’s take a look at the before.  

This is a fairly average reach in closet measuring  80.5 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 92.5 inches tall with a door opening of 58×80 inches. One of the biggest issues with this closet was the amount of space being waisted between the hanging clothes and the floor and the ceiling. Shoes were often tossed in the bottom and piles of folded clothes were left toppling over on the self making it difficult to not only find things but also annoying to put away.  

IKEA Pax Reach In Closet Supplies 

2 -IKEA PAX Small Frames (19 5/8×13 3/4×79 1/8)
23 – Komplement Shelves (19 5/8×13 3/4)
1 – Komplement Drawer (19 5/8×13 3/4)
2 – Komplement Pull Out Tray (19 5/8×13 3/4)  
2 – Komplement Dividers 19 5/8×13 3/4)
2 – Komplement Drawer Liners
1 – Komplement Valet Hanger
6 – Pudda Baskets
Wooden Hangers
Clear Basket Labels 
Gold Finger Pull
Closet Rod
Closet Rod Hangers
Closet Shelf
Paint
Drill & Driver
Nail Gun (I would buy this one if I didn’t have one) 

Closet Planning

Visit IKEAs website and check out their Pax Planner. This is a great tool that allows you to build a closet with your dimensions and customize the components. Then you can add them to a shopping list that will tell you where to find them in your store. You can even place an order online now and just go in to pick up your order. I learned this trick during our 5 trips we made…..long story, but it was not all for this closet. 

Reach In Closet Layout

Because our  reach in closet has “wings” on the side and is only 24inches deep, we could only use the shallow IKEA Pax frames to allow clearance to actually get items in and out. We also had to work around the sliding closet doors. If your closet has French doors, you have a little more freedom with options because you don’t have to worry about clearing the door opening. Because of all of this we chose to position both Pax frames on one side of the closet with only shelves on the unit in the corner.

Since the second Pax has more clearance, this is where we added the pull out trays and a drawer for accessories. IKEA does make specific drawers and shelves for shoes, but as I learned when planning my closet, these take up a lot of space and you won’t be able to fit as much. So if you have a lot of shoes, shelves might be the way to go.   

For the other side of the closet the easy method would have been to add another larger Pax frame and hang two closet rods and call it a day. However, only the 22 7/8 inch deep frames accommodate closet rods and that would have been too tight of a fit to actually get clothes in and out. So we decided to DIY the other side reusing the shelf and supporting wood we removed. 

I painted the shelf and the wood supports to match the IKEA frames and used the nail gun to attach them all. The supports on the back wall and the side wall all went into studs. Just make sure when attaching the supports to the IKEA frames you use nails that won’t poke through the other side. I used 1 inch nails for that part. 

For the closet rod we chose metal because in my experience the wood rods bow over time with weight. However, if you have a short span, this will be less of an issue. Ours spans about 40 inches. Depending on the length, you might have to cut the rod down. Barry cut ours with the miter saw and multipurpose blade. If you do this, wear eye protection and maybe even a mask because it does shoot sparks. We attached the closet rod with these brackets which we drilled into the wood supports.

IKEA Pax Finishing Touches

Because our ceilings are only 92.5 inches tall, we could not use the 92 7/8 inch high Pax frames and take the closet all the way to the ceiling. So I picked up 6 of the IKEA Pudda baskets to put on the top of the closet for items that could be folded or that are used less frequently. To make access easier, I labeled the bins as well. I found these clear basket labels in store at Walmart but they are not sold online. These are similar though. 

I also added a gold finger pull to the drawer in the middle to dress it up a little. I just used the drill and added some holes. The best part is, the holes are drilled in the back of the drawer so if we ever want to remove it, you won’t even see them.

I know hangers don’t seem like a big deal, but they can make a huge impact. Not only do wooden hangers look nicer than plastic, but they provide good spacing and prevent you from cramming your closet too full. The IKEA Bumerang hangers are the best deal I have seen for wood hangers. There are 80 in here now and there is room for another 20ish.  

Along with the rest of the room, the closet doors also got a makeover. If you missed that, you can get the full tutorial here. 

I really love designing closets that make our lives better and keep us organized! We only have two closets left in the house that I haven’t touched but I would say there is a solid chance they involve a trip to IKEA 🙂 

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This post, IKEA Pax Reach In Closet, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.