IKEA Pax fitted wardrobes

[username299]

I'd appreciate some help please as I'm thinking about getting two fitted pax wardrobes.

I've given it some thought and what I'm thinking is:

Shoe storage
Drawers
Shelves
Hanging rail
Storage at the top

I've read some tips and one was to have as many drawers as possible. I was thinking three in each wardrobe.

I was thinking shoe storage in one wardrobe. I usually hang everything up but the shelves would be for jumpers and T shirts. I'm thinking shelves in one wardrobe.

Does that sound feasible? Any tips? Anything missing? Have you got a wardrobe and regret not getting something?

Should I just get both wardrobes the same? One line of shelves, three drawers, shoe storage, hanging rail. What about longer items like coats and dresses? (I don't really wear dresses but may hang up a long winter coat).

No idea about handles.

My only top tip is to not get the large wire basket drawers. They're shit. They come off the runners, the temptation is to stuff too much into them (which really doesn't help with the runners issue) and things do get dusty in them.

They're also quite tall so that top shelf isn't ideal for things you want to access every day.

Have you used the pax planner tool? That's good.

Great tip. Thanks. I've been reading up and apparently if you get hinges you'll have a wire basket at the bottom. However I would like shoe storage at the bottom.

I have looked at the Pax planner and can't see clearly the different finishes and I can't get to an IKEA. I'm thinking white oak.

The planner let me see what was available. I want the top shelf for stuff I don't use very often such as vacuum packed clothes and suitcases.

We got the same xtra tall ones which adds to storage so definitely recommend that. We went with shelf at the top, wardrobe rail and two shelves at the bottom. Then I just bought containers to fit what I needed. They are good quality and a fraction of the cost for fitted.

That's good news. I'm thinking the maximum height as I have high ceilings.

Get lights fitted! Game changer. I had laundry baskets put in ours for the kids, which I love. Didn't bother with finicky little divider boxes etc. Otherwise I went for a mix of hanging space with rail, big drawers with glass fronts so you can see what's in them, for junpers and tops, and some skinnier wire drawers to chuck thinner shoes in (like ballet flags and trainers) at the bottom. Plus cavities with no fronts at all where I keep rolled up duvets, sleeping bags, spare pillows and any old junk I want to shove away. They are the deep size - just fantastic.

My DDs are the pale oak and DS are the darker wood.

I use the top shelf of mine for out of season storage as they are not really suitable for everyday use, I swop the stuff over twice a year

Yes! I'm looking at getting lights. The ones that come on when you open the door. I'm now thinking of just having drawers and no shelves, except at the top. As the drawers are apparently quite deep.

I have a lot of Pax wardrobes. Every bedroom and in a playroom for storage. A couple of tips, look at the instructions for how they are put together so you can avoid those hinges. I have 4 drawers at the bottom below a shelf and then a hanging rail above. The lowest "drawer" cannot be an actual drawer due to the hinge position, I have their very old plastic drawer but these days that is the wire mesh basket. Anything used at the bottom cannot have the runner underneath which the drawers have. The wire baskets have runners at the top. So check the instructions for anything. This isn't just for you OP but others who may read this too. Don't forget the middle hinge on the wardrobe door. Mine is just above that shelf but I have had mine for years and I know the door hinges may have changed heights as we replaced the ones in the children's rooms about 5 years ago.

This is only for the hinged doors, I do not have any sliding doors. There are lots of videos on youtube of people showing their Pax wardrobes, many don't have doors.

You will probably want a shelf over the top drawer otherwise it is open to the hanging rail. Up to you.

Lighting is great and helps but the sticky clips are a bit shit to hold the wire from the front of the wardrobe to the back. You will need to drill a hole to feed the cable. The cable is really long which is great to be able to reach a plug socket.

They are also changing how the wardrobes are put together so the new ones have the back already attached and it is folded and sandwiched in between the two sides in the new 100cm ones, I am not sure if this is just for the tall ones or not.

If you know where your fittings are going it is easier to attach the drawer slides etc before you put them together. My suggestion is as this is your first Pax, construct one, and offer up the door so you can mark where the hinges go before adding in the drawers or any other fittings. Then the next one work out where the drawer runners are going and put them on whilst the sides are flat on the floor.

I cheated and got a guy from Task Rabbit to put ours together - we had three rooms to do each with a big run of triple Paxes. I just thought, stuff it. Best money I have ever spent. He was a Pax specialist, could do them in his sleep, and so it didn't cost much at all as in hours terms he just ripped through it all. I usually love a day of Ikea flat pack (cracks knuckles) but wrestling with the enormous doors and the fiddly hinges
..no thanks. When one of my DDs drawers later fell apart due to her stuffing 25 jumpers in ot and ramming it closed, I did order a new one and make/fit it myself at least.

Sorry - yes, the ones that come on when you open the door are fab. Agree with others poster (sorry am now writing this so can't look up very helpful username!) That the wires are a bit fiddly but it is definitely worth it. You can always get those stick on ones afterwards but they are forever running out of battery. I have them upstairs as forgot to put lights in our £££ joinery and groping around in the gloom for a missing shoe drives me nuts.

There's no way I'm putting them together myself. I'm looking at Task rabbit or a company that specialises in them.

I had TaskRabbit do my Pax the first time and she was phenomenally fast. It was incredible. I did it the second time and … yeah, I should’ve got TaskRabbit the second time too.

I’ve got the tallest Pax and have Skubb boxes on the top shelf. I placed them so I can just reach the handles.

A whole shoe closet sounds fun, I’d love that. If you usually hang clothes, why not start off with more rails than drawers – rails are much cheaper and you can reconfigure later if you decide you’d rather fold things (it’s really not hard to do the drawers yourself, it’s the frames and doors I struggled with).

Not Pax specific but I treated myself and replaced my random coat hangers with matching ones from IKEA and it’s really nice.

@Offcom Great ideas. All food for thought as I plan these. What seems so positive is the way they can be reconfigured to suit you. I'll check out those boxes.

I'd not bother with drawers, just have shelves so you can see your clothes then maybe get some baskets for your underwear.

Something to consider, thanks.