I’m excited to be sharing this project, but when I say that my husband and I were genuinely embarrassed to show you all the before picture, it is not an exaggeration. However, I have a feeling I’m not the only person who was living with a closet like ours. It was mostly organized, and I know that’s hard to believe when you see the pictures below, but it’s true. The pants were with the pants, all of my shirts were in order from sleeveless to long sleeve, and if you look closely you’ll see my sweaters folded on the shelf. My husbands ties were hanging on a rack he installed before I moved in, thinking it would help him keep those organized, and candidly it was my least favorite thing about this closet. Don’t mind the ugly laundry organizer shoved in the center. I banned it from our bathroom where my husband was originally keeping it and he had no where else to put it. Also, it makes for a more dramatic after shot.

I loathed the white wire racks and shelving installed. Not only are they hideous, but they’re almost absolutely useless in a closet this size. I knew for a long time that they needed to be removed and a better storage system installed. I did a ton of research before I got busy with this project and explored all my options. I considered building my own shelving system and I also looked at closet systems from California Closets, the Container Store, Home Depot, and IKEA. I took to Pinterest during my research and I knew I was very attracted to closets like these below.

These closets are from the Pax system at IKEA and I chose the Pax over my other options because IKEA’s website features a super convenient and user friendly Pax Planner. I was able to input my closet’s odd, L shaped dimensions and arrange the Pax System components in various ways to build the closet of my dreams. Because my closet was a little too narrow to fit a Pax system on both sides, I opted for an additional closet system from IKEA called the Algot opposite the Pax. And you’ll notice in my after photos that the Algot is on the left side and the Pax is on the right side.

To get started I needed to first clear out my closet completely of all of the clothes, shoes and whatever else I was hoarding in there. I decided it was a perfect time to go ahead and do a complete wardrobe clean out, a much needed Marie Kondo style closet cleanse. I went ahead and filmed it and you can dins that video on my youtube channel, here if you’re interested in that. There are definitely some tips in there for you if you’re in need of closet clean out yourself.

The next step was to remove the moulding and baseboards on the side of the closet that I was installing the pax. Unfortunately for me, I had to remove all of the moulding and baseboards in the closet because of the way it was overlapped when it was installed, so it took me a bit longer than I anticipated. And because I want a custom, built in look this was definitely a step I couldn't skip. However, if you rent or are not very handy with work like this, it’s something you totally can skip. The pax system is beautiful and functional on its own.

And here is where I made a mistake.

I’m not too proud to admit it and I want to share it with you all so that if you decide to take on a project like this yourselves, you won’t make the same mistake as me. I’m a huge instruction reader, but somehow in the midst of taking care of a 5 month old, worrying about nap times and doing this project, I skipped a very important section in the instructions.

Do not build this pax system outside of the closet and try to move it into the closet. Build it inside of the closet or room where it will be utilized.

And I cannot stress that enough. Below you will see where I built it inside my very messy bedroom before I realized my mistake and had to take it partially apart and move it into the closet. I was so frustrated that I even damaged part of it. Luckily now that it’s together and clothes are in it, you can’t tell it was ever damaged. IKEA furniture is inexpensive because it’s often made with particle board. And it will stand the test of time as long as you do not put it together and then take it apart. It isn’t made to be broken back down once it’s put together. So as long as you don’t make this same mistake, you won’t ever have to worry about it “falling apart,” like some people ignorantly claim IKEA furniture does.

Once I moved it into the closet, it was a matter of just putting the pieces together. Because I designed the entire wardrobe on IKEA’s website already, it was super easy to do. I did however have to call on my husband just because these panels were so tall and heavy, there was no way I could hold them and screw them together at the same time. It even mentions in the instructions that you need two people to do this.

Once it was complete I totally did something I don't recommend unless you can absolutely without a doubt promise not to get paint on your clothes. I took a risk and started putting clothes back into my closet. The chaos in my bedroom was overwhelming and my with a small child, we need as much organization as we can get. But like I said, I absolutely do not recommend this. For the record, I did not get any paint on my clothes, but I definitely came close a few times!

You’ll see below that I started framing my wardrobe in. I had some leftover plywood in my garage already that I cut down on my table saw into strips to cover the front. And then I used 1x3s to cover the gaps between the wardrobe and the wall. It wasn’t very pretty but I knew that some caulk and paint would fix it right up.

I used a nail gun to fasten these boards in, but you can do this the old fashioned way with a hammer and nails; it will just take you longer. In order to achieve that polished, built in look I made sure to cover my nails with some wood putty. Once it dried, I sanded it down nice and smooth. I also sanded all of the edges of my boards to make sure everything was nice and smooth. I could have used a palm sander, but I just used a sanding block and did it by hand. This helps keep the dust to a minimum and in a more localized area, which made clean up a lot easier.

I cut down two of the baseboards to fit alongside the new built in closet and nailed them back in. I did the same with the quarter round.

I added some lovely antique brass handles I found on here Amazon which were way cheaper than some extremely similar looking ones at Home Depot, half the price and of better quality. I wanted something extra wide so I went with the 10 inch wide ones and I’m obsessed with them to be quite honest. Our home was built with a ton of builders grade products, and all of the fixtures are chrome, so I was jumping at the opportunity to add some gold or brass somewhere in our home that wouldn’t clash with an already placed chrome piece.

Once everything was installed I used Benjamin Moore’s Super White in semigloss to paint the trim and touch up the moulding and baseboards. Then I installed some under cabinet lights I found on Amazon. The amazing thing about these is that they aren’t hardwired and they don’t run on batteries you have to constantly replaced. They are motion censored and you can recharge them with a USB cord once they run out. So far I’ve only had to charge them once in 5 weeks. That’s pretty amazing. I love that I can run into my closet to grab something quick without having to manually turn on any lights since these come on automatically. In the picture below you can see them on without the main ceiling light on. Also, they are attached with a magnet so I can mount and dismount them easily when I have to charge them. I highly recommend these!

I also got my hangers at IKEA. You can find them here for only $4.49 for an 8 pack.

I installed the Algot system opposite of the Pax and you can see it pictured below. It’s quite simple as far as closet systems go and definitely something to consider if you’re trying to be extra budget friendly. I love the low hanging clothes rack for my husband’s work pants. And I designed it to have that super high shelf to house shoes I don’t wear often like high heels. The shelves are perfect for bags or stacks of pants. And I needed a place to keep my long dresses, jumpsuits and coats, so the high hanging clothes rack is perfect for that.

Once I hung a mirror I found at Home Goods, changed out my ceiling light fixture, added a chair and a rug I already had stored away, I was done! I’m super pleased with the outcome of this project and hope this post was helpful to you who may be interested in doing the same. Also, check out my youtube video below where I do a full explanation and tour of the closet.

Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment, let me know if you plan to do this in your own closet.