You know when you change something, a routine or a rearrange your cabinets and think – why the heck didn’t I do this before? That’s where I am with this closet. I’m happy to report that we made it over in a weekend for just over $250 and that $250 was MONEY WELL SPENT, y’all. I won’t hear “Mommmmmm, where is my (insert very specific description of a dress here)?” every single morning anymore because Peighton can now see every single dress she owns at eye level. Basically, this closet organizer and entire closet makeover is a major mom win.
To be perfectly honest, we’ve played a game of musical bedrooms over the last year. Millie and P had separate rooms, then we moved them into the same room which happened to previously be our guest room awhile ago. The only problem with the new room was the major lack of closet space compared to the other rooms. Since the closet was completely non-functional, it served as random storage (see what I mean above) while the girls’ clothes were shoved into two dressers in two different rooms. Millie had a dresser in the girls’ bedroom while Peighton’s was in the playroom. Not convenient at all.
I knew right away I wanted to add the IKEA PAX closet organizer in this closet as the base and then build shelving around it for books (that’s a whole other level of disorganization). I opted for the Pax closet organizer because I liked the option of having shelves and drawers, I also preferred it’s size over closet organizer system I looked at. Plus, we had a great experience with the DIY Billy Built-ins a few months ago. We considered just building the entire thing on our own but the cost of materials would have been more than just going with the PAX so it saved us time and money in the long run.
If you are interested in organizing a small closet this post is for you! This closet was a standard size at about six feet in width – we were able to get a lot of function out of that space with our IKEA/DIY closet organizer that we built. Here’s how we did it:
DIY Closet Organizer from an IKEA Pax Organizer
We started by removing the old wire shelf then, filled and patched the holes. Matt put the Pax shelving unit together in the living room and together we were able to move it into the closet fairly easily – it cleared the opening without any problem.
Here’s what we purchased from IKEA:
IKEA PAX Wardrobe 29 1/2 x 13 3/4 x 79 1/4
IKEA Komplement Shelf (3) 29 1/2 x 13 3/4
IKEA Komplement Drawer (4) 29 1/2 x 13 3/4
To get the shelving unit to be flush with the wall we had to remove a portion of the baseboard in here.
Once we had the PAX organizer where we wanted it, Matt marked the baseboard on both sides so he knew where to cut. He used a knife to loosen up the boards and then used a hand saw to cut the baseboard and removed it from the wall. Then we were able to fit the shelving in seamlessly. At this point, Matt secured it to the wall with the anchors that IKEA provided.
The next step to building out this custom closet organizer was to build the shelves on either side of the Pax piece. Matt ran to The Home Depot and purchased a couple of pre-fabricated shelves that were the depth that we wanted and then he cut them to the fit the space. We started with the shelf on the top, it was the trickiest because we wanted the entire thing to look like one unit. In order to do that, the top shelves on either side of the IKEA piece needed to be level with the top of the IKEA shelf.
Matt cut some 1x2s to use as braces for the shelves. We used drywall anchors to secured them to the wall. He drilled pilot holes in the braces with a countersink bit so we could hide the screws easily. We continued this process with all of the shelves. We also decided to add in three closet rods in addition to the shelves.
To finish, Matt filled all the holes and caulked all of the joints so we could prep for paint.
I found this hardware from The Home Depot – I love the gold finish.
We’re so pleased with the way this DIY/IKEA closet organizer turned out. We went from a completely non-functional space to a tiny but mighty closet that serves a purpose.
All of Peighton’s clothes are now out of the playroom and fit perfectly in the drawers here.
She loves that all of her dresses are at eye level and are easy for her to select all on her own.
I love that there’s plenty of room for all of their books which means no more mile-high stacks of books on the dresser.
I found this napkin holder on clearance at Target and thought it was perfect to corral hair ties and bows. We keep just the ones that are used most often here and the rest in the bathroom.
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It’s really the little things that bring joy, isn’t it? I would never have imagined how much ease would be accomplished by resolving our closet organization issues. Now, the girls have such an easy time finding their things, and everything stays much tidier! Major mom win over here – and did I mention it was a budget project?
If you plan on adding a closet organizer of your own, pin the image below for inspiration!
If you like this you may also like:
Our customized IKEA Billy Built-in Bookcase
How I organized my entire Kitchen
Free Pantry Organization Printables
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Kristen from Pugs & Pearls says
June 18, 2018 at 7:21 amWow, wow, wow! What a transformation! Before and after pictures make me so happy! Great job turning that closet into something pretty AND functional!
Chelsea says
June 18, 2018 at 5:16 pmThank you so much Kristen!
Ashley says
June 18, 2018 at 12:27 pmSeeing closet organization projects has to be one of my most favorite types of blog posts. LOL Yours looks fantastic! 🙂
Chelsea says
June 18, 2018 at 5:16 pmThank you, Ashley! I enjoy them as well.
Caitlin says
June 18, 2018 at 2:16 pmLove this!!! My husband and I each have a closet about this size in our bedroom and this is exactly what we want to do to them! I do have one question. The shelves on either side of the Pax unit, are they pieces of wood you cut and painted or are they Pax shelves that you just braced with the 1×2’s? Thank you!
Chelsea says
June 18, 2018 at 5:15 pmHi Caitlin, those shelves (the top and the ones all along the left side) are MDF shelving that we purchased as a large piece and cut to size. Sorry, I should have mentioned that!
Kait says
June 19, 2018 at 1:25 amChelsea you and Matt need an HGTV show! Seriously! You make this project seem as easy as “oh hey I put a pair of underwear on today”. Do you understand that for dane and I this would end in years of therapy?! ?
Chelsea says
June 19, 2018 at 6:28 pmHAHAHA! Says the girl who can travel around the world with her husband! Matt and I once tried to kayak together and we almost left in separate boats!
Erica says
June 19, 2018 at 9:14 amI emailed this to Jamie because I definitely want to do this in Sadie’s closet!! Such a well written, clear, convincing post!! Thanks so much for the work you put into this because I guarantee we’ll be using this post to do this eventually in her room. 🙂
Chelsea says
June 19, 2018 at 6:27 pmAw, thank you, Erica! It was definitely a well-worth project. It just took about a weekend to complete and has been a lifesaver!
[email protected] says
June 19, 2018 at 11:21 amAmazing transformation! I really want to get (or build) a closet organization system for our girls’ closets. We did ours last year and it was life changing.
Chelsea says
June 19, 2018 at 6:26 pmIt is completely life changing! Saves us so much time in the mornings!
Lindsey says
June 19, 2018 at 1:20 pmLooks amazing! There are quite a few different PAX options on IKEA’s site, but none that have the drawers like yours in the post. Which one did you choose?
Chelsea says
June 19, 2018 at 6:25 pmHi Lindsey – we did the 29 in wide Pax Wardrobe with the 29 in Komplement drawers. I’ll update the post to add this.
Lindsey says
June 20, 2018 at 9:56 amYou are the best. Thank you!
Lisa @ Extra Black Olives says
June 28, 2018 at 3:52 pmThis looks so good! You’ll definitely get a good return on investment for future home buyers or renters. I want a closet organizer like this!
Tina Singh says
July 21, 2018 at 10:01 amThis is beautiful and functional. This is exactly I want to do for my daughter’s closet. Thank you for the pictures and step instructions as well. This will make my project much easier.
Chelsea says
July 21, 2018 at 10:45 amNo problem, Tina! If you do try it – I’d love to see after photos! 🙂
Tanya Ten says
December 11, 2018 at 8:51 pmChelsea, how the shelves were connected to the Pax side? Did you also use 1×2 on a Pax side? It looks so beautiful. I am looking for options for my daughter’s room. I wish I had Ikea close but they can ship those items.
Julia Henson says
April 7, 2019 at 3:51 pmWas this question answered? I had to same one!
Chelsea says
April 7, 2019 at 9:32 pmTanya and Julia – 1x2s were used on both sides to hold the shelves.
Erin Routh says
January 22, 2019 at 1:28 pmHi!! This is amazing!! When I look for the ikea pax wardrobe about 300+ come up. Do you have a link to the one you purchased? Please.
Chelsea says
January 22, 2019 at 10:01 pmHi Erin,
Here’s the link: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40211977/
Gina says
February 11, 2019 at 4:37 pmHow wide is your closet? Thank you:)
Nicole Ostrander says
August 19, 2019 at 8:36 amI am wondering the same thing.
Ashley says
April 14, 2019 at 3:28 pmLOVE this! This has inspired me to do something like this in all of the closets in the house we’re building at the moment. I am completely novice, so I’m just curious how you attached the rod holder to the pax system. Did you screw right through it from the inside? Is this also the case with the shelf holder on the opposite side? Thank you! Beautiful job!
Chelsea says
April 23, 2019 at 9:20 amHi Ashley, yes we attached them with screws from the inside of the rod holder. If that makes sense.
Brittney says
April 16, 2019 at 2:00 pmHow did you attach the rods to the Pax? I was told at Ikea that ‘you cant do that’ and that the Pax will break… which is probably a bunch of crap lol. But I was wondering how you installed the rods, and how it has held up? We are installing in our daughters closet this weekend, so I am prepping everything that I need to buy.
Chelsea says
April 23, 2019 at 9:19 amHi Brittney, I’m probably late to respond but yes we drilled right into the Pax. I don’t know why you couldn’t do it. Ours has held up great.
Brittney says
May 1, 2019 at 11:16 amWe actually postponed the install until this upcoming weekend, so thank you so much for getting back to me! We will drill directly into the Pax like you did. Thanks for the response!
Laura says
June 19, 2019 at 6:17 pmHi!
I know this is an older post but do you mind sharing where you found the wood closet rods? And is the PAX wardrobe in the middle or a little off center to make the shelves smaller and rods a little longer? Thank you so much, this is helping me transform my nursery closet 🙂
Cami says
July 14, 2019 at 12:29 pmI also had the same questions, and I too am trying to transform a nursery closet. Could you please share where you found the wooden closet rods? Thanks in advance! 🙂
Chelsea says
July 17, 2019 at 4:43 pmThe wood rods are just dowels from Home Depot – you can also find them on Amazon. A closet rod is typically 1-5/16 in diameter. To hold them up we used these rod holders: https://rstyle.me/+K6ct-STp_HUC_rgthkeH4A
I think we have the PAX shelving/drawer unit centered but I can’t remember for sure
– we’ve left the house so know I can’t measure. But it’s totally customizable so if you need more hanging space you can make the shelving shorter. Hope that answers your questions!
Meagan says
July 18, 2019 at 12:51 pmHi!
Just wondering, did you nail on the backing to the PAX system that IKEA provides, or did you leave it open to the closet wall?
Thanks in advance!
Chelsea says
July 24, 2019 at 11:54 pmHi Meagan, we didn’t use the provided backing. Hope that is helpful!
Sara says
July 25, 2019 at 12:05 pmAMAZING! This post is just what I needed to be inspired to turn my daughter’s closet (aka where she shoves all her toys) into a functional space. I am stealing this plan 100%, thank you!
Megan says
September 13, 2019 at 7:32 pmIt really sucks that you linked the 14in deep pax wardrobe frame because I purchased everything you linked and it’s the wrong frame. I built the frame, mounted it to the wall, built all the drawers and the drawers are too deep