“Custom” Master Closet Reveal (IKEA PAX Closet System)
We created a “custom, built-in” master closet look with basic IKEA PAX closet system cabinets simply by adding trim and a few extra touches!
Hello beautiful friends!
Guess what? I’m finally revealing our master closet. This one sure has been a long time coming.
I mean we only started on it 3 years ago! And honestly, we’d been semi messing with it since we moved in back in 2004.
Here is the first post I shared about this makeover back in April of 2017. (<<< check out all the rest of the “before” photos there)
So I am beyond thrilled to mark this one off the list. Our bath/closet area was the last of the remodels to get done so it sure is a happy day here.
The closet started out being “our” master closet but turned into “my” closet. ;) We are building a closet for my husband on the other side of our bedroom. If you follow along with me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen it. I am sharing in my stories as we do the build. (By the way, we have a makeshift closet up in my office and we actually measured and planned to make sure this new built-in closet would be enough for all of his stuff…it is! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the master closet to myself.)
Along with sharing this new closet with you all, I want to also share how we used stock IKEA PAX closet system cabinets/drawers and made it look somewhat custom. Totally do-able!
And if you missed it, the bathroom part of this remodel that I recently shared can be found here >>> Coastal Bathroom Makeover Reveal
But just to refresh your memory a little bit…here is where we were…
…looking in from the bedroom.
That is the bathroom straight ahead, old linen closet to the left and the extreme left is going back into the master bedroom. (you can see we had already started “re-doing” by getting rid of the wood, flat panel door and replacing with this 6-panel door with new hardware—still unpainted years later :p)
To the right…(there was a wall and that little space there was the old closet…that wall came out)
You can see the rest of the “before” photos at the link I provided up above.
Master Closet Reveal (IKEA PAX Closet System)
You can create your closet from your room dimensions online with their PAX planner or go into the store to get them to do it with you. That is what we did. Then we tweaked it some and moved things around a little once we got home. As you can see below, we switched places with the purse cabinet and the clothes cabinet from what is shown here. And once we decided to make this my closet, we took out the shoe shelves on the cabinet to the right.
Now let’s see how it turned out…
Same view looking in from the master bedroom. (and showing where we will have a barn style door)
Looking to the left now…
Looking to the right now…(no more wall, all opened up)
See the cubbies at the top of each section?? I found these storage containers that were mostly a perfect fit. (source list at the bottom of the post)
Let’s “customize” and build in this IKEA PAX closet system…
Now that you’ve seen the closet reveal, I want to talk about some of the things we did to make it a little more “custom” looking. Or at least more of a “built-in” look. Plus, I also want to share all about the IKEA PAX closet system and how it all works together. And even a couple changes I’ve decided to change once living with it for a bit. (of course, right??! haha…just small ones though)
This is one of the things I did that I probably would not do again. Why? Because once you’ve filled them up, you can’t even tell it’s there.
I added textured paintable wallpaper to the backs of the cabinets to hide the line that goes down the middle. (it’s where it folds before you open it up to put the cabinet together)
Here’s a little better picture to show the texture.
I suppose I could’ve painted it a contrasting color or use something like grasscloth wallpaper (I considered it) but I wanted to keep it light and bright.
Yassss. You must do this or it will not look so great with all those black holes everywhere. BUT you will need some patience (and some tough fingers, lol) as there is A LOT to fill. IKEA sells these in packs of 100 I think. We bought many packs. ;)
You’ll notice in the further away photos how well they blend in and look seamless. Without them, you see lots of little black holes.
Definitely nicer with.
There was a gap between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling before we added the crown mold. What an absolute difference it makes.
So good.
I think my hubby did an awesome job on this crown mold.
All the way around the room for a seamless look.
We also had to repair the ceiling after the wall came out. We had to move the vent over to clear the crown molding and also added 2 recessed lights. (we hired that out and moving our light switches, but did everything else ourselves)
Trim on the bottom to continue that built-in look. (and lots and lots of caulk!lol)
Filling all the holes (where the cabinets are put together).
We had to add a piece of trim to hide the wall where this cabinet set. We could have covered that with the shoe cabinet to the left by putting a deeper cabinet in but we wanted to maximize space.
And by putting a shorter depth cabinet (the shoe cabinet) in here, it allowed us to utilize more of this corner cabinet.
Which is perfect for all of my long sundresses and such.
And my suitcase and tall rain boots.
We put in this little cabinet inside the larger cabinet to hold these two laundry bins…
And this drawer for belts and things…(you can buy all these inserts from IKEA for the PAX system)
Plus the top is perfect for storing boot boxes.
They also have these slanted metal shelves for shoes…(or hats, etc.)
I put two baskets (that pull out) at the bottom of the shoe rack for sandals and flip flops.
I’ve always wanted a “purse cabinet” because they always get so dusty and mangled up sitting around in my closet.
I knew I wanted to have one with a door to help keep the dust down. I’m so thrilled with the little one we managed to fit in. :)
And over in the corner of this cabinet, I can fit in a box or two of boots or other things.
And since our master bath is so small, this area right by the bathroom is meant to be another small dressing area…with mirror and extra plug for curling irons or hair dryers. (the outlet is on the left you can see it in other photos)
I used to have my jewelry hanging up on a corkboard in our bedroom but I’m thrilled to be able to free up that wall space and bring it in here.
These work great (and this is one of the areas I’m tweaking…)
I love being able to see through the glass top. Plus it keeps an open feel which I also love.
These roll-out shelves are perfect for jewelry. I put these small jewelry forms from IKEA in to hold things.
Second drawer which is a glass front drawer… (and one I’m tweaking…)
I added a felt liner so I could use it to lay jewelry in. But … I had originally planned to use this for something else.
So I am moving this drawer to the cabinet on the opposite wall and putting in two more roll-out shelves (like the one above it) to hold long necklaces, bracelets, more earrings, etc. It just makes more sense since this is a lot of wasted space with such a deep drawer. (so I will have 3 roll-out shelves here like the one on top, but no forms, only felt liners to lay things flat)
This drawer holds my lady things (that I removed for the photo because nobody needs to see that! lol). ;)
But I wanted to share these little felt compartments that IKEA sells for the drawers.
It sure makes using these larger drawers nice because you can divide all your things up (bras, undies, socks, etc) and still have them all in the same drawer (there are 3 more, so 6 total in this drawer…I love them!).
You might also notice we added gold bar hardware to the fronts of the drawers. I wanted to dress it up a little bit.
Okay, here is the cabinet opposite the one I just shared with you. This is the one that the glass front cabinet is going into.
So I will have 3 glass front drawers here. (the t-shirt shelf and shorts will go in those two extra drawers)
I kind of loved having them on this open shelf because I can really see what all I have there but the glass front shelf will also allow me to see it all too.
I might be a scarf hoarder… ;) (Yes, I needed 2 drawers for my scarves…need to buy me a gift?? You can never go wrong with a pretty scarf…I’ll make more room for it! lol)
I love how these roll-out shelves work. It’s nice to be able to see what you have and get to it all, as needed.
These baskets are perfect for holding bathroom essentials and extra things we need that can’t be stored in our small bathroom.
So to recap…here is what I’m changing.
And do you see that little block up there by the crown mold? We had to leave a space here so the barn-style door we are making would fit behind it when open. So my husband added a small framed in area there for the crown molding to attach to. (it’s a really small space and he didn’t really want to have to take the molding around the backside there….nightmare! haha)
That floor mirror is going back into our master bedroom once we finish in there. I’m going to paint the frame though.
The rug runner I’m using in the closet is the same pattern as the one I used in our recent Coastal Bathroom Makeover.
And found this little ottoman online. ( I can stand on it to get to the top shelves)
I love how it opens up for more storage.
So happy to finally have this closet!
Now to finish my sweet hubby’s closet built-in ….so I can have my office back!! haha (and that’s going to get a very needed makeover after that…I’ll be sharing all of that on here too, of course!)
I hope you enjoyed following along with this makeover. If you’ve been around here for a few years…thank you for your patience!!
It’s hard to keep up with work, life and blogging along with all this DIYing we’ve been doing for years. But I’m not saying it’s not do-able. It’s absolutely do-able! And if we can do it, so can you. :) Plus you can not beat the savings. (and hey, the sense of accomplishment that comes from doing it yourself too, right?)
Want the sources for our IKEA PAX closet system remodel??
- Flooring
- Rug Runner
- Gold Hardware
- IKEA PAX Closet System
- Ottoman
- Wall Paint Color – Pure White by BM (color-matched by Sherwin Williams)
- Textured Paintable Wallpaper
- Towels – Bath towel – here and Hair towel – here
- Storage Boxes
- Metal Baskets
If I missed something you might be interested in, let me know!
PIN it to save it!
More home DIY tutorials we have shared here:
- DIY Faux Shiplap (get the look, without the expense!)
- DIY Faux Board & Batten (simple and quick!)
- How To Make a DIY Wood Countertop
- Build Your Own Kitchen Island With Big Box Store Cabinets
- How To Install Laminate Flooring (tips and tricks)
- DIY Crown Mold (easy way to get that wide custom look!)
- Build Your Own Built In Bookcase – Tutorial
- Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinets
- How To Use Gel Stain On Your Stairs
- How To Paint Light Fixtures Without Removing Them
- How To Build a Permanently Attached Wall Coat Rack
- DIY Floating Shelves Tutorial
- How To DIY a Tile Backsplash
- “Custom” Master Closet Makeover (IKEA PAX Closet System) (you are here)
I hope you have a blessed and beautiful weekend! Get crafty…DIY something or just sit back, relax and enjoy.
I’ll be doing a little bit of all three of those.
See you right back here next week!
xoxo
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So happy for you! Thank you so much for sharing. You never fail to inspire me. You are beautiful and creative and generous and smart. Blessed and a blessing!
Can you let us know the total cost of this closet?
Hello!! Yes, it was around 2100 total, wood trim, and all PAX cabinets and components, etc. :)
Thank you so much! I am humbled…truly…you are too kind. xoxo
Love, love your new closet, Nancy!! I know you are beside yourself. Very thought out design. I love IKEA, and the fact that you can take their cabinetry, and make it look like custom built-in, is brilliant. Enjoy, and I look forward to seeing all of your DIY’s. Have a great weekend!!
Thank you, Glenda! I am SO beside myself! So thrilled to be finally getting these last two major remodels done after all these years. Have a beautiful weekend! xo
Nancy this IS a custom closet! Beautiful job! Love all the storage and shelves. Beautiful job indeed!!
Thank you, Christina! So happy to finally have this space after all these years! Happy weekend to you! xoxo
Your new closet looks amazing, Nancy!
Thank you, Paula! xoxo
This is my dream closet. It looks amazing. Love it!!! Wonderful job, Nancy. Great tips.
Thanks, Mona!! I am so happy with it!! xoxo
Gorgeous and SO functional.
btw Nothing wrong with scarf hoarding! They are small, take up very little room but make a big impact on an outfit.
Thank you, Rebecca! And haha, yes, they do take up little room, thank goodness! But I agree, they really make an outfit! :) xo
This is gorgeous! How much do you think you spent on the whole thing? I would love to fit this into my remodel budget! And thanks for all the details!
Thanks, Jan! The PAX cabinets, drawers, and inserts were right at 2,000, and the wood trim, crown and base was $150. The PAX portion will give or take depending on the size of the room and the components you choose to put in. :) xo
Thanks Nancy! Not too bad. I think we can do it. :-)
Wow! So nice and you guys did a great job! Lucky you to have a hubby who can do crown molding. A great space!!!!!
Thank you, Vicki! Yes!! He’s gotten pretty good at crown…not his favorite thing to do though!! lol xoxo
Holeeeeeey crap!!!! That is one gorgeous closet! Super envious. That purse cabinet?? I’d trade my husband for one of those. 😬😇 (kidding! … kinda. I REALLY love that). LOL
Well done! Soooo worth the wait! 👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Aw, thanks so much, Polly! And haha…love that!! I really, really wanted a purse cabinet so I get it!! haha xoxo
I love it! I’m really jealous of this. I always thought that the pull-out shelves are a must anywhere, because you can forget what is in the back. Wonderful job!
Thanks so much, Judi! And oh yes, they are wonderful!! xoxo
What a dream closet. You do amazing work! Thanks for sharing. It is beautiful and most of all so functional!
Thank you, Bess!! I appreciate the kind words too!! Have a wonderful weekend! xoxo
I hope you have no plans to move anytime soon…lol! What an impact that has on your home! I would die for something like that! One question? Where would you put long skirts and dresses? I didn’t see anything there for that. This is something I’ve been wanting for my closet but really don’t know where to start. I don’t have time to read this right now so I may have missed something.
Wellll…probably will be moving in a couple of years. You know, right when we get every single thing finished so someone else can enjoy it all!! lol And yep, I did have a little blip on that. The photo where I showed were my suitcase is, that is a long section where I keep my sundresses, long dresses and such. I don’t have a ton of those so it works out perfectly! (it’s kind of tucked behind the shoe cabinet…so about the size of half of one of the large cabinets…plenty of space for my dresses) Do you have an IKEA nearby you?? They will help you design out the whole thing. If you don’t you can also use their online tool to create the space. :) xo
There is an IKEA down in Charlotte, NC which is probably about 30 miles from me. I hate going down there at any time because of traffic but I will if I have to. I sure didn’t know they had an online tool but I’m certainly going to find it!
It always seems every time we finished our home we would end up selling it. We were known as the Gypsy’s of the family and I hate to admit, moved more than anyone ever should! We bought this home just 7 years ago and I have let hubby know this is it! Our forever home, no if, ands or “butts” about it! It’s big and we still have a daughter and her two teens living here but once they’re gone I’ll have all this space for me!
Oh yes, they do! I have a link to the tool in the blog post. :) And yes, isn’t that the way? My husband and I moved around a lot in our early marriage years. (every couple of years for various reasons) This is not our forever home, however. I would love to get a rancher someday soon! Here’s hoping your hubby will comply and you get to stay in your forever home! ;) xo
Now THAT’S a dream closet. You and your husband do beautiful work. It totally looks custom.
I’m jealous!
Aw, thanks so much, Lizzy!! It sure is to me!!! :) Thank you…it was such a long time coming but oh so worth the wait! I think!! haha xo
I totally agree with what Lizzy above says!!! This came out great!!! I am JEALOUS too!!!! I love all that you do. Praise to the hubby too!!! He does great work.
Thank you, Addie! I am thrilled beyond belief with it!! I can’t believe it’s finally done! Happy weekend to you!! xoxo
Love, love this closet!! You so gave me some ideas and inspiration as I have a smallish linen closet in my master bathroom that backs up to my closet…..so, with a little thought and some figuring, I might be able to do something similar!! Won’t be as spacious as yours, but I think I could better utilize the space!! Thank you so much for sharing….you two did a wonderful job together!!
Thank you, Karolyn!! And oh yay!!! I absolutely love that!! Good luck with yours, so exciting!! xoxo
Beautiful, Nancy!! I am so envious. I’m probably going to have to share my new closet with my husband. I told him he could have 2 ft…. that’s it! LOL! Y’all did such a fabulous job. It truly looks built in and I don’t think anyone would know it was an Ikea PAX system if you didn’t tell them! As always, spectacular! xo, k
Thank you, Karen!! Yes, we had planned to do that too. But we have a large master bedroom (wasted space!) and decided to (you know this was my idea, right?? haha) give me this whole closet and build in a closet for my husband on the far side of the room. Which is his side of the bed anyway. So…it worked out perfectly!! Now to get his finished…almost there! :) xo
Well worth the wait to have done this yourselves…although the wait was probably difficult to live thru. :) It’s perfect!!! Thanks for all the inspiration. Once retail opens up here in Illinois, I’m heading to IKEA!!! Amazing!!!!
Thank you so much, Deanna! And yes, it really was difficult to live through at times. That makes it all the sweeter though. You are very welcome…so glad I could inspire! :) xoxo
It looks so freaking amazing! I think I would just be standing in there looking at everything for hours on end LOL. You make me want to tear out my wire shelving and redo my closet. It’s a good size but not nearly as fancy as yours LOL. IKEA has so many amazing options to choose from for storage. I know you’re happy to finally see this project complete! Have a great weekend! XOXO
Thank you, Christy!! OH, I bet you will get to yours eventually too! ;) And yes, I do just stand in there and look around sometimes…really…I can’t believe it’s done!! lol xoxo
You and your husband are quite a team! I love how you put so much thought into every bit of space, including verticals space! I know you have several corners but I’m curious about the size of your closet. It looks huge! We live 150 miles from IKEA and don’t know if I can use them (boo hoo). This is just magnificent.
Thanks, Cecilia!! I think so too. :) The size of our closet is 11.5 x 8. And yes, you can probably get it all delivered to you but I agree it is nice to be able to go in and see in person. We only recently got IKEA nearby us so we are really enjoying it. Have been wanting one here for a long time! xo
So fancy! Definitely looks high end, Nancy, never would guess it started as Ikea parts. You can enjoy all the results of your hard work now.
Thank you, Marcie! And yay, love to hear how others see it as it’s hard to be objective when you are right on top of it. :) xo
GORGEOUS!!!! Now you need to come to my house! :)
Well done.- looks amazing!
Wendy :)
Aw, thanks so much, Wendy! Haha, be right over! ;) xoxo
That purse closet!!!! So dreamy! Do you happen to know the approximate dimensions (length/width) of your closet?
Aw, thanks Sarah! It’s approx 11 x 8. :)
Hi! What did you use for the base moulding? We are looking at doing a PAX system and haven’t found any details about how tall the Ikea bases are and what base moulding would fit them!
Thanks!
Hi Caroline!
Here is the link to the exact molding we used. It’s not typically used for base molding but it worked perfectly for this for us!
Beautiful job. I’ve been planning my pax closet makeover for months, and it’s being delivered next Friday. Did you build a base to place the wardrobe on top of or did you place the units on the floor ?
Hi Cassie, yes we sure did put down a base for it. We used 1×2 so that the crown mold would fit. (we would have used 2×4 but then the crown mold would not have fit properly) It all depends on your ceiling height and what you are planning to do (crown mold, etc). Good luck, we love ours! :) xo
Hello! Such a beautiful closet, I’m in the process of making ours and love your laundry bins! Where are those from?
Thank you so much! It’s all from IKEA. Their PAX system. :)
Why didn’t you use one of the pull out pants inserts instead of hanging pants on the hangers?
I’ve actually been looking at those to add! The reason I didn’t originally was because this closet was going to be for my husband and myself but evolved into only mine. (we built him another closet) So, what I mean by that is, we really weren’t sure where things were going to end up (or what was going where) when we were building it. But yes, a much better solution. Stay tuned! :)
Girl I am having the same issue. I don’t know what options I want (I mean I WANT them all). The nearest IKEA is 3 hours from me though so I gotta get my s*** together to make it a one-tripper. I will stay tuned!
They have so many it’s easy to get overwhelmed! And yes, I hear ya! The closest one used to be 3 hours from me as well. So thankful we finally had one built right here…about time! ;)
Your closet looks amazing! Great job! Can you link the pull out hamper you used?
Thank you! It’s the Komplement pull out storage bag. I’m not sure they have it anymore? I couldn’t find it on their site.
Hi, your closet is so beautiful and I was wondering where did you buy the little cabinet you use for the laundry as well as the laundry bins?
All from IKEA! :) And thank you! xoxo
Greetings! I love your closet! We are in the process of designing an ikea pax closet for our master bathroom remodel, so I came across your blog. I’m wondering what you used as the pull out for the laundry hampers? Is it a pax product? Thanks in advance for your reply!
Thank you, Bridget! They are from IKEA..yep!
Everything is so gorgeous! Where did you purchase the grey storage boxes on the top shelves. They look more sophisticated than the white IKEA version.
Thank you, Michelle! Amazon! I have direct links to them in the post. (look for the list at the bottom of the page that says “sources for…” :)
I love your closet… great job! I have a question about the nook where you used the drawers with a glass top for your jewelry, etc. I’m really wanting to do a Pax island…. so just drawers, but hopefully attached to the ground in the middle of the closet. Your nook there is the only place I’ve seen Pax drawers not within a full Pax frame. Do you see any way to do that as an island in the middle of the room?
Thank you for your time!
Hi Traci! Thank you so much!
Okay, that section is actually inside a PAX frame. We just left the top section open.
BUT…you can totally do what you are saying. You would just need to finish the back most likely to make it look nice. We built another “closet” for my husband on the other side of our bedroom and actually cut one of the frames in two and placed drawers in each section (it’s under a window so needed to be short). Then built a wood top to go over it. It is sort of “island-ish” but against a wall, not free-standing. We haven’t quite finished the whole built-in but will be sharing it all soon. So be sure to check back to see it if you are interested in seeing how we did that. :)
Hello! This is so beautiful and helping me with my Pax design. One question I have is did you build up the bottom at all before you added the wood trim? Thanks!
QUESTION.. Do you have the pex Code for your design? I’d like to use yours to build off it with my space I have. Thank you
I’m sorry, Emily, I don’t have it anymore. I looked through my paperwork to see if I had it saved, I didn’t. So sorry!
Was it difficult to cut a hole in the Pax wall for the outlet? Can you share your process for this? Thanks so much! Your closet is beautiful!
Hi Beth! No, it wasn’t really but we didn’t do it, we had an electrician add that for us. :) And thank you! xo