I am an interior designer and I love to do things by myself and very often I use IKEA products.

This time, I made a tufted headboard for the bed in my son’s room. We moved to new apartment and I had to furnish the rooms for all of my three kids.

I wanted nice interiors for all of them, but at the same time we could not spend too much. Also I dislike wasting things that could be used or reused if slightly changed. So this IKEA hack merged the best of my abilities.

Materials for tufted headboard:

• IKEA FJELLSE bed frame (discontinued in some countries)
• Table top
• Curtain fabric
• Denim fabric
• Water based paint
• Spray on adhesive

FJELLSE bed frame | IKEA.com

I bought IKEA bedframe FJELLSE, second hand, so it was half price (app. 48 USD). We had our own mattress. Assemble the bed according to IKEA instructions.

Making the headboard

First, I painted the bed frame with water based paint. Set aside and let it dry.

Then, I moved on to the headboard. I used a table top to form the base of the headboard.

On the table top, I drilled holes where I wanted the buttons. After that, I sprayed adhesive onto the desk and glued on the foam. This helps so that it does not move while working on it.

My plan was to wrap it with a grey Manchester curtain fabric, which was previously used in my dining room.

How to tuft the headboard

For the tufting, I made my own buttons from denim. The denim was cut off from the old jeans of my younger son. I always do shorts when they make holes on the knees

What I did was to first spread the fabric over the headboard. Then I started attaching the denim buttons, through the holes I had previously drilled.

After they were in place I started to slightly pull and staple the fabric onto the back of the desk to get the shape.

When the tufted headboard is done, I attached it to the FJELLSE frame. The tufted headboard slots snug between the frame and the mattress.

I hope you like my IKEA FJELLSE headboard hack

~ by Tereza Scarlett. Follow me on Facebook.

So, I was searching for a new bed and came across this fabulous one from West Elm, with an oatmeal linen upholstered headboard.

Source: Modern Bed – Linen Weave – West Elm

But at £1200 (without the mattress) it was way above my price range.

I wondered if I could create a similar look with a much cheaper product and ended up buying the TARVA king size bed frame for £125.

TARVA bed | IKEA.com

It took a while to get around to it, but I found some Colron coloured Beeswax for £10, a remnant of oatmeal linen for £18 and a pack of 100 dome shaped upholstery nails in pewter for £2.

I used:

• IKEA TARVA king size bed
• Colron beeswax in Jacobean Oak
• An old double duvet
• A remnant of oatmeal linen
• Dome head upholstery tacks (pewter)
• A sewing machine
• Scissors
• A staple gun
• Iron and Ironing board
• Hammer

Here’s how I did the hack …

1. First, stain the whole bed frame with the coloured beeswax. You can ignore the centre parts of the headboard, which you’ll cover with fabric.

Upholstered headboard how-to

2. Measure the height and width of the front and back of the headboard. Measure, sew and trim an old (too hot and barely used) duvet to these dimensions.

Lay the sewn and trimmed duvet over the top of the headboard, so it drapes neatly down front and back.

Staple all duvet edges to the TARVA headboard. Now you have your upholstered base on which to put your fabric.

3. Lay your fabric over the headboard and measure from the horizontal base of the front where you want the fabric to start, to the horizontal base of the back where you want the fabric to end.

4. Turn under your fabric (that will lie on these horizontal edges) and sew to give a neat edge. These edges will lie horizontally across the base of the front and back (not the sides, which have the tacks.)

5. Measure what the width of your fabric will be on your upholstered headboard, allowing enough overlay onto the wooden sides for you to put upholstery tacks in.

Iron your fabric, turning the fabric sides under and pressing to give a neat fold. I didn’t bother to sew these sides as I was going to nail them.

Add the domed tacks

6. Lay your fabric onto the headboard and carefully start hammering in the domed tacks. I started with all the corner ones back and front to make sure the fabric was lying correctly.

Then, I added tacks to the middle areas of the edges. To get the fabric to lie correctly going over the top of the headboard, I had to do a little pleat (facing towards the back) of the fabric, which I secured with a tack.

I didn’t bother adding tacks all the way along the bottom edges either. Just one at each side and a couple in the middle to keep the fabric lying smooth.

Here’s the finished result. It’s not quite as fab as the £1200 bed, but for around £150, I’m pretty pleased!

~ Ruth H.

This is our hack of a cherry wood closet, with PAX frames at its core. What’s surprising is it has a secret passage leading to a hidden existing walk-in closet.

In order to make space in our bedroom, we decided to go with IKEA PAX system.

However, our larger wall had a door leading to a walk-in closet.

Therefore, we put PAX modules on each side of the opening and connected them with a “fake” module allowing access to the walk-in.

Pax-based cherry wood closet – closed

Pax-based cherry wood closet opens to secret passage to walk in

IKEA items used for our cherry wood closet:

• PAX modules and any PAX-compatible accessories you want
• Hinges (but not the doors)

Other materials and tools:

• Veneered particle panels
• Veneer Edge banding
• Veneer to cover bottom of the modules
• Contact Cement
• Cutter
• Sanding paper
• Shellac (or varnish)
• Track saw (optional)

PAX based cherry wood closet – instructions:

1. Instead of using IKEA doors, we cut new ones in some American Cherry Wood Veneered panels. (We bought one of the cheapest IKEA door and used it as a template).

Tip: We used a track saw but you can get the panels cut to your specs by your retailer.

2. We covered the exposed edges of the veneered panels with real cherry pre-glued banding. (hours of sanding and buffing).

3. Then, we drilled holes in our doors to reuse the original IKEA door hinges.

4. We covered left and right sides of the PAX modules with additional cherry panels.

5. The panels leading to the walk-in were made deeper to form a corridor. We made additional panels for more storage over the “secret passage”.

6. After that, we glued a cherry veneer sheet to the base of the PAX modules to hide what was not covered by the doors. That veneer was not pre-glued so we used contact-cement.

7. Now, on to the finishing.

American Cherry Wood has very interesting properties. It darkens as soon as it is in contact with light.

Any finishing product makes it instantly dark and reveals interesting contrasts. We tried a dozen of products on prototypes and the most stunning was a real Shellac (see picture). It is a natural product, dries very fast and the color is wonderful.

8. We decided not to install knobs on the doors. IKEA push buttons work perfectly and allowed us to keep our design very clean.

Additional insights from our cherry wood closet:

• Cut adjacent doors in the same panel for a perfect match

• Choose your panels by yourself (insist to the salesperson)
• Buy panels that are from the same production batch: for two consecutive panels in the pile, the pattern should match!
• Never leave cherry exposed to light before you finished them as the color will change very fast (a few hours) and your panels won’t match anymore.
• Our others wood furnitures were not made from cherry. The MinWax dye company has a color called “Cherry” that gives regular wood the color you get when you apply a clear coat to cherry.

~ by Jonathan Gaudreault and Nathalie Turgeon

This is my loft storage hack for the awkward space, where the sloping ceiling meets the wall.

I can’t put anything there, but I wanted to find a way to add in more under-eaves storage.

IKEA items used:

• IKEA MALM — 1 x single and 2 x doubles

Other materials and tools:

• Birch wood front for each drawer
• Carrera C Marble on top
• Colour Deco Blue on MALM base

IKEA hack for loft storage:

I’ll let the pictures tell the story. I wanted to show how I refurbished my loft bedroom using IKEA elements in the process.

In the project, I went with the IKEA MALM chest of drawers. The chests are integrated under the eaves, in my attic bedroom.

Related: The best under-eaves wardrobe hack yet

I also cut the inner wall to get the chests in as deep as possible. It was nothing hard, just time consuming. As I was already replacing the windows, it was necessary to open up the walls and ceilings anyway. If not, making built-in furniture is a big job, if you want good results.

I live in Norway and based the design on natural Nordic design. In Northern Europe, design is all about natural materials and the minimalist look. So I added a few natural elements to the IKEA MALM chests.

I opted for all birch wood drawer fronts to replace the particleboards that come with the MALM. The birch panels are cut in an angle at the top to get a descent grip when pulling open the drawers.

Related: How to hack a classy bespoke loft wardrobe

I had to get a guy who had a CNC Cutter to fashion the custom birch drawer fronts. All I did was to provide him with one original MALM drawer front panel. He entered the correct measurements into his computer and the CNC cutter did the rest. It was not expensive and he billed me for a couple of hours of labour and a couple of plywood plates, totalling $500. 

Then, I treated the drawer fronts with a decor wax with white pigments to keep them from turning yellow.

Loft storage finishing touches

On top of the chest, I used Marble Carrera C top pieces which cost me about $500.

I’m very happy with my loft storage solution and wouldn’t do anything different.

So far, my visitors find it a unique piece. I love the design yet still a very functional piece of furniture.

~ by Peik Helly-Hansen, Norway. Follow me on Instagram @peikhellyhansen

I love all the Ikea hacks I’ve ever done, but none have brought a room together as much as this one. I knew I wanted to do an upholstered bed frame for my son’s first “big boy bed,” but definitely didn’t want to fork over the cash for an expensive bed for a three year old.

So I decided to use the cheapest, basic IKEA Bed Frame, the NEIDEN Frame, and DIY the upholstery. I saw a different upholstery tutorial and the maker used blankets from an Army surplus store, so I decided to check that out myself.

I was picturing Navy fabric, but the beautiful grey-green color caught my eye. If you don’t have a local Army Surplus store, I found options on Etsy or you could always use felted wool by the yard.

before

After! An affordable upholstered bed frame

The project took an afternoon, about 3 1/2 hours (not including assembling the bed). The total cost of the hack was about $200, $100 for the bed frame, $25 for the batting, $60 for the blankets and I had some plywood and construction materials on hand, so I spent an additional $10-15.

Related: Professional looking FJELLSE upholstered bed hack

IKEA items used:

• NEIDEN Bed Frame

NEIDEN bed | IKEA.com

Other materials and tools:

• 3/4” plywood, I used pine
• 1” x 3” pine lumber – 8ft
• Extra loft batting, I used the entire roll of 90” x 108”
• Scissors
• Staple gun
• Drill
• Rotary cutter (I prefer over scissors)
• 1 1/2” wood screws
• Felted wood, I used 2 vintage army blankets

Upholstered Bed Frame step by step:

1. Screw plywood to front of existing headboard.

2. Use the 1”x3” lumber to build a “box as shown in photo.

3. Cut batting and wrap side rails and foot of bed. Use the staple gun to secure in place. Careful to keep the corners and edges as clean as possible. I took several photos below to best show my wrapping technique.

Related: How to make a West-Elm inspired upholstered headboard

4. Cut and wrap the headboard with batting. I used the remainder of batting to wrap the top edge and corners with an extra layer. Use the staple gun to secure in place.

5. Cut and wrap the head board with fabric or blanket. Fold the corners and trim to keep as clean as possible. Again, I added detailed shots to try and show how I folded and tucked the fabric.

Related: From plain to luxe upholstered bench

**I did not finish the back of the headboard, since I knew it would be hidden.

6. Cut and wrap the side rails and foot. Secure in place with staple gun. Again, play around with folding and tucking at the corners to get the cleanest look.

DIY upholstered bed frame bonus tip

The hardest part of the hack is making the corners look nice and clean. It took careful attention, trimming and a lot of staples to keep it smooth.

If I had enough supplies on hand, I probably would have gone ahead to finish the back of the headboard. Though I’ve never once thought about or noticed that it’s not finished, it’s just one of those things that irk me on some level.

The perfectionist in me aside, I am so thrilled with how this upholstered bed frame hack turned out!

See the full tutorial of the upholstered bed frame on my blog.

~ by Lauren Koster

I had the desire to create a unique product in steel. My product of choice was the MALM chest of 2 drawers. I wanted to make it look like a vintage metal cabinet, with a hint of old New York style.

Final result of my vintage metal cabinet

The project is not an easy one — the bending and cutting of the iron plates requires some practice. But it can be done in about 5-6 hours, however, spread over several days, as lacquer and glue must harden.

IKEA items used:

• MALM chest of 2 drawers

MALM chest of 2 drawers | IKEA.com

Other materials and tools:

• Steel 1,0 mm sheets
• Glue

DIY vintage metal cabinet – the process:

First, I assembled the MALM chest of drawers.

Metal sheets in 1mm is cut to measure

Then, I got the metal sheets cut with an angle grinder (or with fibre laser if you have it). I had this done at a workshop.

All the plates were then coated in a special liquid to age it and accelerate the dark oxidisation effect.

The metal plates being bent into shape

Next, all plates were curved on a bending machine. This can also be done without a CNC machine if you do not have access to a workshop.

All corners are welded

After that was done, I welded every corner and glued all the plates to the IKEA MALM chest.

It’s starting to look a lot like a vintage metal cabinet.

Side plates are glued on with mounting glue

The cabinet is test assembled before spraying on clear lacquer

Finally, I sprayed all surfaces with 2 to 3 layers of Clearcoat.

And it’s done!

What to pay special attention to?

The light emitted from welding can cause damage to the eyes. So always wear a welding helmet like those of professional blacksmiths.

My friends love it and the one comment I get is, “Can you make one for me?”

See more of the vintage metal cabinet hack on my blog.

~ by Andreas

In our bedroom, we wanted a good amount of open storage with built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves. But on a budget! So we turned to the IKEA BILLY.

The project was completed with all the work done on weekends over a period of 4 months.

IKEA items used:

• 4 x BILLY Bookcase 31 1/2x11x41 3/4″
• 3 x BILLY Bookcase 31 1/2x11x79 1/2″

Other materials and tools:

• 2×4 lumber
• Metal wall fasteners
• 1/2″ pine boards
• Wood filler
• Wallpaper
• Nail gun
• Miter saw
• Paint

Floor to ceiling bookshelves hack instructions:

First things first, I designed the layout in Adobe Illustrator.

Then, I built boxes (frames) out of 2x4s on the floor as a base for the bookcases to sit on and allow HVAC flow from the floor register below the bookcase. I used a miter saw and a nail gun.

Related: A BILLY library like no other

First, I attached the boxes to the floor and wall with right angle metal fasteners.

Then, I attached larger BILLY Bookcases to 2×4 boxes on the floor and to wall.

Next, after completing and securing the lower bookcases, I ran 2x4s across the top of the larger bookcases as a platform for the smaller, top bookcases.

As before, I attached the top bookcases to the 2x4s and to the wall.

Related: No doubt about it. BILLY is made for built-in bookshelves

With the BILLY bookcases all secured to the frames and walls, it was now time to dress it up and give it the built-in look.

I used 1/2” pine boards for trim covering the front surfaces of the bookcases and to provide a continuous, seamless look.

After that I primed and painted the book cases and shelves.

I filled rear channel and extra shelf dowel holes with wood filler.

The last step was to wallpaper the rear wall of the bookcases.

And finally, it’s done.

We’re taking our time to fill up the many, many shelves.

~ by Bernard S.

I recently did a series of mini IKEA hacks. The first one is a cane headboard and it only takes a few hours to make.

Below is a list of materials and a few brief steps. It is very easy and looks gorgeous in the bedroom.

Materials:

• IKEA IVAR
• Cane webbing

Tools:

• Scissor
• Stapler

DIY cane headboard

Step 1

When working with cane webbing it needs to be wet, so you can fold it.

Soak the entire webbing in water for at least 30 minutes.

If you don’t have a bathtub that is big enough, you can do one end at a time. After soaking, pat dry the cane with a towel so it is not too wet.

Step 2

Cut the cane webbing to fit the IVAR frame. Do ensure you have enough material to fold around the edges of the frame.

Step 3

Use a staple gun to fasten the webbing onto the back of the frame. Pay special attention to the corners to get a neat tuck.

Step 4

Hang up on your wall with screws.

And admire your DIY cane headboard.

See the full tutorial on Caroline’s blog.

~ by Caroline

You may also like these hacks with rattan

#1 BILLY with cane wicker doors

Kathryn has always loved cane furniture and missed out on the IKEA STOCKHOLM 2017 cabinet when it was released two years. Since then, she has been searching for a similarly affordable alternative without success. So went this BILLY arrived in her home, her second chance had come. See more of Kathryn’s cane furniture doors.

#2 Rattan doors for the EXPEDIT (or KALLAX)

This is an old hack of mine. I had an EXPEDIT TV shelving unit and wanted some BRANÄS drawers for it. However, for some of the cubbies a door was better suited, so I had to do a small hack. I hacked the rattan doors for the EXPEDIT but it will work for the KALLAX too. See more the EXPEDIT rattan doors.

An alternative to the ELVARLI for an easily reconfigurable open closet system

Earlier this year, I had a roof leak that completely trashed my master bedroom closet. It required demolition of the old particleboard partitions and shelving, replacing water-damaged drywall and insulation, etc. 

I also had some spare 12″ deep IVAR shelving pieces left over after I downsized my library. It seemed like a no-brainer to recycle them into new fittings for the rebuilt open closet.

IKEA items used:

• 12″ deep IVAR shelving
• TARVA chest

Other materials and tools:

• 1×3 boards, nails, and screws for attaching IVAR to the wall
• Drill
• Corner braces with mounting screws
• Minwax Tung Oil
• US Futaba oval closet rods and mounting hardware
• Hacksaw
• Shelf baskets

IVAR open closet hack

To complete the set up, I used the IVAR pieces I had and bought a couple more uprights and shelves. I also added hanging rods to mount between the front posts of the uprights.

It was then I realized that with all the weight of the hanging clothes at the front of the IVAR unit, I had to fasten it very securely to the wall to avoid a tipping hazard. 

For this purpose I nailed 1×3 boards to the studs across the wall top and bottom. And then fastened the uprights to the boards using #10×2″ screws. I was careful to level and shim each section as I went along during assembly. 

Related: Hands down the most stunning walk-in closet

The horizontal boards also spaced the IVAR far enough out from the wall to clear the base trim. This eliminated any need for cross-braces to prevent racking.

Adjusting the height

Note that I had to cut down the IVAR end units to adjust for the height of the ceiling and the beam in the middle.  I thought that losing the top cross piece on the uprights might compromise the front-to-back connection of the posts, so I added metal corner braces to tie the posts to the top and middle shelves with rigid connections. 

The whole assembly feels very solid and I’m not worried about it going anywhere. I think it would be a good idea to install the braces even if you don’t cut down the uprights.

Ordinary round closet rods were too wide to mount on the IVAR posts. So I used 30x15mm oval aluminum rods made by US Futaba (available online with free shipping from walmart.com).  They come in 8-foot lengths and are pretty easy to cut with a hacksaw.  The end brackets attach with screws and fit perfectly on the narrow sides of the IVAR posts.

Note that the 12″ IVAR shelves are shallow enough that they don’t block access to the deep, narrow return on the left side of the closet, where I installed a wardrobe lift above the bump-out over the stairs.  I couldn’t have fit a deeper closet system like PAX here because of the odd shape of my closet.

To complete the open closet fittings, I installed another hanging rod and a few more shelves on wall standards on the short section of wall opposite the IVAR unit, to the right of the door. 

I’m not presently using the laundry hookups on that wall as my house has a separate laundry room downstairs too. But I didn’t want to block them off, either.

Open closet complete

Finally, this is what the IVAR unit looks like loaded up. Shown here with a new set of 13×15″ strap baskets that perfectly fit the narrow IVAR shelves.  (I ordered these from walmart.com as well, but you can find similar baskets in other online stores too.)

I also incorporated a TARVA chest I already had into the closet.  All of the pine IVAR, TARVA, and shelf board pieces were finished with multiple coats of Minwax Tung Oil finish.

Overall, I’m very happy with the way this turned out.  I wouldn’t have bothered with a closet remodel if I hadn’t been forced to do it. Clear-finished pine shelving not only looks a lot better than the fixed painted particleboard fittings that were there previously, but it’s also designed to be easily reconfigurable if storage needs change in the future.

~ by pondscum

This project started when I wanted to replace a coat rack and garden seat with a closet. I decided to build my own wood frame but use the IKEA PAX sliding doors over it.

This PAX sliding doors series includes:

• Making the door finger brackets reversible
• Hacking the soft closing device for lighting

The Project:

In a corner of the hallway, I decided to replace the coat rack and garden seat (not shown) with a cupboard using IKEA PAX sliding doors. The space is +/-1650 x 560mm.

IKEA items:

• PAX sliding doors kit, 200x150cm, 80222417
• 2x AULI mirror kit for above, 60211274
• 2x KOMPLEMENT soft closing devices, 20202323

Modifications:

1. The top IKEA rail fixes on top of their PAX cupboards and is about 10mm longer than the inside measurement (1500-18-18mm). To fit it inside my woodwork, I cut 5mm off each end.

2. As standard, the right-hand door is on the inside. To be difficult, I wanted the left-hand door to be the the inside one. This is perfectly OK* – just be careful when fitting the stick-on brushes, etc. (pages 18, 26 & 32 of the IKEA document).

*If you are fitting the soft closing devices, note that the finger bracket (Komplement document, page 10) for the outside door is not reversible, so when 1 door is fully open, you lose about 8cm passage width, compared with the standard arrangement. Maybe one day, I will fix that! (Update! I fixed it. See it here)

Related: How to install IKEA sliding doors to existing closet space

3. End stops/bumpers (Komplement document, page 4): I used the original ones and just cut off the clips which hold the door in its closed position (these clips are not necessary with the soft closing devices).

Installing PAX Sliding Doors on wood frame:

1. Choose planed timber for the frames, keeping in mind the height of any other doors nearby (living room door in my case).

I used 30x90mm timber for the floor (gives a good height for the lower rail in my case).

These were fixed to the floor tiles with adhesive, screws and plugs. Be careful when drilling in the tiles, and don’t hit any pipes, etc.! I used 45×45 timber for the walls.

Installing the top rail

2. As I am not using the IKEA PAX cupboard, the top rail fits on the lower edge of the MDF panel above the doors. The dimension (height) of this panel above the floor frame is 1930mm.

If you are patient, you can confirm this by assembling one edge of a door and measuring all the bits. In my case, I went to the local IKEA store with my tape measure!

This distance is critical: less means that the guides on the lower edge of the doors risk jumping out of the rail, more means that these guides will bind (in this case, you could shim the lower rail).

3. I drilled 7 holes in the top rail, and used 4×60 chipboard screws to attach it to the upper panel. It was easier to prepare this before fitting the panel in place. In the photo, the panel is flipped and held conveniently in place for this operation by the new woodwork.

Constructing the side and front panels

4. The front and side panels are 18mm MDF. When fixing the timber on the walls, I allowed for the thickness of the panels beside the living room door frame and on the right-hand side (to align with the existing wall). The side panel was fitted first, then the upper front panel (adjusted for height), then the left-hand filler panel.

5. The filler panel to the left of the sliding doors was adjusted to give +/- 1500mm from the right-hand edge to the groove in the filler panel. This groove is to accommodate the IKEA edge profile.

I used a circular saw for the groove. In my case, this measurement is 1491mm, which gave a good closing position for the doors, relative to the edge profiles.

Assembling the PAX sliding doors

6. Fitting the mirrors into the door metalwork was not going well, until I used a ratchet cargo strap to squeeze the bits together (both ways, X & Y) so that the screw holes lined up. Not sure if even 2 people (IKEA minimum requirement) could do this without the strap!

7. For the edging of the doors (brush and flexible flap), in my case, the brush went on the left-hand edge of the left-hand/inside door and the flap was fixed on the right-hand edge of the right-hand/outside door (not like in the IKEA instructions!).

Adding lighting

On the top rail, I fitted a 1m strip of 24V leds, turned on by Legrand furniture door switches, which are operated by the fingers of the soft closing devices. The 24VDC supply is in the connection box.

An interesting hack here would be to incorporate the light switches in the soft closing devices. It’s not obvious how these things come apart. Maybe someone will invest in a set and play about!

Inside the cupboard

I added some shelves behind the filler panel, and there was a nice space for the modem below. As I didn’t want to use the 235cm door and didn’t want to add swing doors in the upper panel, I fitted a half-depth top shelf, under which is the coat rail.

Next in this PAX sliding doors series:

• Making the finger brackets reversible
• Hacking the soft closing device for lighting

~ by Richard King, Belgium

First posted on August 8, 2016. Updated on August 5, 2019 to include current information.

PAX wardrobe built into the wall for guest room and craft supplies storage

We had an incredibly small and awkward nook area with an angled wall in our basement guest room/ office. That made it almost impossible to put in a bed and proper desk. Plus it had no closet or good space for shelves.  

We had a double bed for guests jammed into the nook with 2 BILLY bookshelves crammed with clutter for storage pushed up against the opposite wall.

But I wanted a built-in closet for storage for all of my papers, craft supplies, and bits & pieces that look very messy when in view.  

I was inspired by the other IKEA hackers who had made PAX units look built in. The PAX wardrobe built into the wall was the plan for our awkward alcove.

Materials:

From IKEA: $621CAD total

• 2 PAX 100x38x236cm
• 4 BERGSBO 50x229cm
• 4 KOMPLEMENT 4 pack soft closing hinges
• 10 KOMPLEMENT 100x38cm shelves
• 1 ice cream cone (not essential, but highly recommended!)

Not IKEA: $220CAD total 

• 2×3 lumber   
• 200cm 1/4 inch depth MDF moulding from Home Depot – placed at the bottom of the PAX units to get rid of the gap before baseboards were installed
• Wood screws
• Drywall sheet and screws
• Drywall tape and mud
• Sandpaper
• Shellac primer (BIN Zinsser shellac primer)
• Latex paint (Benjamin Moore Aura)
• Paint rollers (large and small)
• Angled paint brush
• Flexible, paintable silicone caulk

Things I used that I already owned:

• Mitre saw – to cut MDF moulding and baseboards
• Hand tools
  • electric drill/screwdriver
  • brad nailer
  • laser and spirit (bubble) levels
• Exacto knife to cut drywall

PAX wardrobe built into the wall – instructions

The little nook pictured below was ~150cm wide at the back and ~206cm wide at the front. The area behind/ beside it could be accessed from an unfinished closet for plumbing etc.

before

​I had an electrician come in and move 2 electrical outlets and wires behind the wall. This is so that I had safe room to remove the drywall and fit two 100cm wide PAX units. By that point, it looked like this:

Installing the base​

I used the 2×3 framing lumber to build a small platform for the PAX wardrobes to sit on. And I also drilled them into the studs on the wall behind so that the wardrobes could “rest” against the lumber and stay in position without shifting backwards. 

The platform lifted the PAX units above the framing left from the small diagonal wall so they would sit flat without shifting. 

The nook was ~45cm deep, so I could only fit the 38cm deep wardrobes.  

In the photo below, you can see the original framing of the diagonal wall. I did not touch or change that at all. It was safer to just work around what was already there.​

​​Once both wardrobes were in place, I fixed them to the lumber behind the PAX units so they would not move at all.  

Framing the PAX units

I built a frame with 2×3 lumber to place on top of the units, right against the ceiling. 

Then, I screwed the frame into the wall studs at both ends. Also through the top of the PAX wardrobes so it was firmly fixed in place.  

The frame was set back slightly so that when the drywall was screwed on, the front would be flush with the front of the wardrobes.  

​The drywall sheets were screwed to the frame. Then taped and mudded.  

Once finished and sanded, I caulked all of the joints between the wall and the wardrobes (and between the 2 wardrobes) to get a fully seamless finish.

Painting PAX​

Meanwhile, I primed the BERGSBO doors and the front of the PAX units with a shellac based primer. It is the only one I have found that will adhere to the IKEA laminate finish without scratching or peeling.  

I used an angled brush to paint the inside corners of the door panels. Then, I used a tiny paint roller to do the whole door. This method seems to give the most smooth and seamless finish with no brush strokes visible.  

Once dry, I gave the doors one full coat (same method) with a water-based latex paint (Benjamin Moore Aura). It needed some minor touch ups once hung on the PAX units. 

I painted the entire room with the same paint, including the front edges of the PAX units, then hung the doors.  

The small platform that the units are on gave me enough clearance to put 8.25 cm baseboards under the doors, continuous with the room baseboards.  

I had to put the MDF moulding into the front of the PAX units to avoid having a gap behind the baseboard. The MDF was painted the same colour as the wall and caulked to fill any gaps. Then the baseboards were put on top.  

The final product of our wardrobe built into the wall is seen below. It’s just awaiting handles.

After! PAX wardrobe built into the wall

Project time frame ​

In total, this took me a week. That week included binge-watching 2 seasons of the Great British Bake Off, a camping trip, and other activities, so it wasn’t exactly a full time job!  

I was able to do it mostly by myself. But I had someone help me to lift the PAX units into place and to hang the doors.  

It was also part of a bigger room remodel. So that time included painting the entire room and placing new baseboards.  

Some things, like letting drywall mud dry completely overnight between layers, can’t be rushed.

So it will inevitably take at least several days with lots of time to do other things.

Things to note

The trickiest part is making sure that the PAX units are level and secure. Our floors were quite level and it was tricky enough. This would be a massive part of the task if your floors and walls are old and uneven. In that case, it might even be worthwhile to pull up the flooring and put down a levelling compound before starting the build.  

However, I would always spend a lot of time on this step, as it means that the units will not shift or crack the drywall over time as they settle.  It also meant that I did not have to adjust to get the doors level – we just put them on and they were perfectly spaced already.  

I would also recommend using the highest quality paint that you can get/afford.  

Painting IKEA laminate is also a tricky task, and any paint that doesn’t cover it evenly and smoothly will be very obvious.  

It is much less work to be able to use a single coat of a smooth, high-coverage paint, and the finished result looks very professional. Brush marks will also be very obvious on doors, so purchase a tiny paint roller and roll out any brush marks.

I am very happy with it. And it is amazing how much bigger the room looks with the odd nook gone and the clutter out of sight!

~ by Melanie

Old existing wardrobe in condo makes ways for fabulous PAX and ELVARLI closet.

We had actually made an offer on a larger condo and ultimately did not reach a deal with the seller. Updating our closet to be more useful was our consolation.

We wanted to make better use the closet space.

Besides that, we wanted to increase the desirability of our condo from a rental perspective. New rentals these days have terrible closets and ours will be a sales feature, in the future.

This is the “before”.

And here’s after!

IKEA items used:

• PAX Doors and Rail
• ELVARLI Closet System

Other materials and tools:

• Reciprocating Saw
• Hammer Drill
• Concrete Anchors
• 1/2″ Inch PVC couplings
• Construction Screws
• 2x4x8 Lumber
• Drywall repair stuff

PAX + ELVARLI closet – how we did it

First thing was to remove interior closet walls as necessary.

Our walls were 2″ of plaster on either side of a 1/4″ piece of concrete lathe.

I used a reciprocating saw to cut the walls out. They were extremely heavy. And I had to break them into smaller pieces to remove the material from the work area.

The next step was to repair interior walls where needed.

We used a combination of the expensive rigid corner material and joint compound to make the cut out look intentional.

Then, we repaired the parquet flooring by mining parquet strips left over from the builder. We looked for pieces that would cover the holes left by the wall removal.

One day, we will sand it down and lacquer it but not today …

The next thing we did was to install the ELVARLI system as determined by careful measurement.

We measured the closet and rendered the anticipated layout in Sketchup prior to ordering the parts.

After our trip to IKEA to buy the goods, we installed ELVARLI according to instructions and the plan.

After that, we installed a new bulkhead.

We cut two 2x4s to identical sizes and used concrete anchors and washers to mount them to the ceiling.

We used 3 masonry bits.

2x4s can be crooked, which is very annoying.

The next step was to mount the PAX rails to the bulkhead.

And assemble the PAX doors.

Finally, add in all your clothes.

How long and how much did it cost?

It depends on the tools and the effort to remove the inside components. I borrowed many of the tools from our local tool library so they were free — you may have to rent or purchase.

Timelines:

• One day to shop at IKEA and haul all the stuff home
• 1 weekend to remove the existing closet walls
• 1 weekend to repair and paint the inside
• 2 evenings to assemble the ELVARLI closet system
• 1 weekend to rough mount the bulkhead, rails, and PAX door frames
• 1 weekend to secure the rails, build the doors, mount the doors, test and ensure complete operation of bottom guides.

What was the hardest part about this hack?

Building up the courage to mount the bulkhead into the ceiling concrete. And figuring out how to treat the bottom guides.

What to pay special attention to?

How confident are you in the way you mounted your rail? Mine failed the first time so I re-did it with longer and a lot more screws. Much better.

Looking back, would you have done it differently?

I would have used a 2×6 or 2×8 for the bulkhead so the doors were closer to the floor. There is a bit of a gap at the bottom using a 2×4.

But all said, we love how efficiency was drastically improved with the new closet. And the build looks amazing!

~ by Mike and Lisa

I decided to use the MALM chest of 4 drawers as the solution to an integrated drawer in a walk-in closet.

The MALM’s minimalistic and flat frontage made it a great choice for a project like this.

It was much simpler and cheaper to hack the MALM unit than build something bespoke.

IKEA items used:

• MALM chest of 4 drawers, Oak veneer, 80x100cm
• IKEA VIKEDAL mirrored doors to form the access to the walk-in closet area. One is used as a door, whilst the other is hung on “Z” brackets to form the illusion of a door (to create symmetry of design but also to throw light in to the room).

Other materials & tools used

• 3”x2” pine timber
• MDF skirting board
• Plasterboard
• Wet & Stick self-adhesive paper drywall tape
• Fine fill (dry-wall skim)
• Decorators finishing caulk
• Primer Undercoat
• Dulux “Mint Macaroon” EasyCare matt finish paint
• Crown brilliant white satinwood

Tools:

• Saw (handsaw or chopsaw)
• Screwdriver/drill driver and screws
• Bucket (used for both the self-adhesive tape activation and mixing the filler)
• Wall trowel / filler knife
• Sandpaper
• Paintbrush, rollers, etc.

Integrated MALM drawers hack instructions

Preparing the MALM drawers:

1.1. Install MDF on either side of the unit to meet the top piece. This will act as the edge of the unit that will be integrated with the MALM drawers.

The closet space – before

1.2. Create a sturdy frame in 3”x2” timber, the same size as the footprint of the MALM unit, and attach the bottom.

This should raise the MALM unit from the floor enough for the skirting to pass seamlessly. (You may need to raise higher depending on the size of skirting board used in your room.)

Studwork in, starting to plasterboard and the MALM unit fitted

1.3 Lightly sand the drawer fronts and any other front-facing elements of the MALM unit.

1.4. Paint the drawer fronts and other front-facing elements of the unit with a suitable undercoat.

Creating the overall closet and installing MALM drawers in to the wall

2.1. Build stud walls using 3″x2″ timber. Ensure you leave enough room for your door casing for the door to hang within. (For my project, as I was using the VIKEDAL flush-mount door, this was simply a case of leaving a gap the width of the door).

2.2. Whilst building the stud wall, build in the MALM unit (as prepared earlier) and fit the stud-work to the top and sides of the unit. (This will make it really sturdy).

Note that you will need to ensure that the MALM unit protrudes exactly as much as the plasterboard so that you can get a flush look. Also check that the drawers still run freely and the unit remains square.

2.3 Once the studwork is all installed, run any cabling that you require (for lighting or power supply. Consult an electrician if necessary).

2.4 Install plasterboard on both sides of the stud wall.

Plasterboard completed. (You can also see the “z” brackets for the false door)

2.5. Install the door casing for the entrance to the closet.

Preparing the surface for paint

2.6. Tape all joints of the plasterboard, including taping around edges of the MALM unit (I used “Wet n Stick” self adhesive paper tape – it’s more expensive but much easier for novices)

Plasterboard filled, sanded and base coat applied

2.7 Skim over the tape and screw holes of the plasterboard with dry wall filler, also known as “fine-fill”. This should take at least two coats, but you may choose to do more after sanding depending on the finish. (Multiple thin coats will get a much better result than thick coats.)

Plasterboarded plus skirting board fitted

2.8 Once fully dried, sand the filler using fine sandpaper. (No harsher than grade 120 grit.)

2.9 Repeat 2.7 and 2.8 as necessary until you are happy with the finish. Pay particular attention to where the MALM unit meets the plasterboard – you want this to be seamless.

Painting the drawers and closet front

2.10 Paint the whole thing (walls, MALM unit and MALM drawers) in desired finish. It’ll need to be a tough paint as you will need to do the drawers and walls in the same finish to get a seamless result. (I used Dulux Easy Care matt emulsion due to its hardiness).

Close up of the integrated MALM drawers

2.11 Connect / install any lighting or power sockets as appropriate (using an electrician if necessary).

2.12 Hang the VIKEDAL door to the door casing using the standard hinges.

2.13 With the second VIKEDAL, install “Z” hanging brackets to the rear and wall, and align with the Vikedal door. This should then look like two doors, but only one opens in to the closet.

All done!

2.14 You can then install rails, shelving, etc inside the walk-in closet. (We maximised space by running them down each side, which is why we needed to only have one opening door).

Points 2.3 and 2.11 are optional depending on your circumstances and may require expert help from an electrician.

How long did it take?

In total it took approximately 4 days to complete the entire project but that includes the wider walk-in closet and the need for drying times (between coats of filler)

How much did it cost?

Cost of MALM unit (with Family discount) £40 and VIKEDAL doors including hinges £90.

Overall cost of building materials (for entire creation of the walk-in closet, including internal shelving and rails, c.£100)

What was the hardest part of this hack?

Ensuring the drawers and plasterboard / filling are perfectly flush. If they are even 1mm off then this could impact the overall look as you’d see the join.

What to pay special attention to?

You need to ensure the carcass of the MALM unit is firmly fixed in place to allow no movement when operating the drawers. When fixing in place you also need to ensure it remains true and square so that the drawers continue to line up and fit properly.

Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

Seriously, I’m not sure I would. I took a long time planning it and am very pleased with the result.

I would have liked to have completed it sooner. (We had a 5-month gap between starting and finishing the project due to a serious cycle accident at the start of the year, just as I’d started to build it!)

The end result is just what I imaged — the illusion of seamless integration with the wall. The drawers truly look like they’re part of the wall.

~ by Chris Moores

By installing a mirror in the background and adding some lateral lights we turned a boring writing desk into a ready-to-party big beauty vanity, full of storage.

IKEA items:

• HEMNES desk with add-on unit
• LEDSJÖ LED wall lamp

Related: Good morning makeup vanity

Other materials:

• Marble vinyl sticker
• Grey fabric
• Grey paint
• Mirror
• Knobs
• Double sided mounting tape

IKEA beauty vanity – DIY

First, the desk.

Lightly sand the surfaces of the desk you want to paint and wipe off the dust.

Then, paint the parts you want in grey. You may need to do two coats. (IKEA also sells the HEMNES desk in a grey and black brown version, if you rather not paint)

Let it dry.

Then, wrap the table top with marble vinyl sticker. Be careful to wrap the corners nicely.

Secondly, the add-on unit.

If you wish, paint the small drawers and stick grey fabric onto the backer board, for a more uniformed look.

We omitted the slanted shelf for documents on the left section and the removable shelf in the middle and right section, as they weren’t useful for this purpose. But if they work for you, by all means, use them.

Next, measure the cavity of the add-on unit and get a mirror cut to size. Mount the mirror on to the backer board with strong mounting tape. We placed it resting on the raised edge, which helps take some of the weight.

HEMNES desk | IKEA.com

Related: Modern makeup table with 4 drawers

Wire up the LEDSJÖ lights and install them to the side of the HEMNES add-on unit. The HEMNES desk does come with grommets for wiring, so that’s really handy.

We rested the flat base of the light on the desk and again, used mounting tape to stick the light to the side wall.

For the final touches, change out the knobs with fancy ones. And we installed LOTS mirrors above the beauty vanity for full effect.

~ by Daniela | Instagram

Join two RAST chests and turn them into one 6-drawer dresser

I originally purchased the RAST 3-drawer chest back in January 2019. I added trim around the drawers and painted everything white. Purchased new knobs from Homegoods and used the dressers as nightstands.

Until I got tired of the white nightstands and needed a new dresser. Then I got the perfect idea from searching Pinterest. Why not combine the nightstands to make one big dresser?

Here’s what I did.

IKEA items:

• 2 x IKEA RAST chest of 3-drawers
• 4 x IKEA CAPITA legs
• IKEA FIXA drill

Supplies/Tools:

• Lattice
• Behr Premium Plus Paint & Primer in One. Matte – Coastal Blue
• Behr Premium Color Sample. Pure White – Matte
• Wood Filler
• Wood Glue
• Clamps
• 3 – 48 in. Wood Slabs
• Power Drill
• Painter’s Tape
• Drawer handles

Directions for 6-drawer dresser

Assemble the chests based on IKEA’s instruction manual.

Optional: Add lattice around the trim of each drawer (to give more definition). Lattice were purchased and cut at Home Depot.

Add wood filler to fill the gaps and spaces around the lattice strips. This gives the trim a smooth finish.

Sand down the drawers.

Paint the dresser frame and all of the drawers. 2 coats. Leave it to dry for 24 hours.

Add wood glue to one side of each dresser to combine the two. Clamp together and set it aside to dry for 24 hours. (Add more weight to the dresser)

Use wood filler to fill in the knob holes on the drawers. Let dry then sand.

Paint over the filled in holes.

Use painter’s tape as a template for drilling the new holes for the new handles. This was a cool tip I found on Youtube.

Just stretch the tape over the new handles and use a pen or marker to mark where the new holes need to be drilled. Place the tape in the middle of the drawer. Try to be as straight as possible. You do not want slanted handles.

Drill the news holes using the marked dot on the tape. Drill the screws in from the inside of the drawer half way that they stick out from the front. Place the new handles against the screws and tighten.

Now, for the legs

Add the wood slabs to the bottom of the dresser to create a base for more support. I used 8 screws for each piece. 2 screws on the edge, 4 in the middle, and 2 more on the other edge.

Add the 4 CAPITA legs to the four corners of the dresser. Use the screws provided with the legs.

Flip dresser over on its legs and add the drawers. Adjust the legs if dresser is not sturdy. Legs are adjustable by twisting them.

Add your clothes and your 6-drawer dresser is done.

To see the video on my YouTube channel follow this link.

~ by Ashley

Gorgeous transformation of the RAST chest.

I’ve been searching high and low for the perfect freestanding wardrobe.

I loved the IKEA PAX Wardrobe and I adored the Pottery Barn Sutton wardrobe, but they were both too pricey for me.

So of course I turned to IKEA! 

I transformed two IKEA RAST chests and some melamine boards into my own DIY custom wardrobe for under $200. See for yourself!

This is what one of the RAST chests looked like to start with…

I stacked two for more height and storage.

And here’s the finished product! Gorgeous, right?

Here’s a closer shot…

To find out exactly how I transformed the RAST chest into this gorgeous piece of furniture, and to get the full materials list, go to Home Made by Carmona.

Other IKEA RAST chest hacks recommended for you:

#1 Chic bedroom storage

We got the RAST drawers for our tiny bedroom because nothing else could fit. Before I even knew how I was going to hack the bedroom storage, I fell in love with these beautiful brass handles from Aliexpress. The delivery took a while but when the beauties finally arrived we started hacking. See the bedroom storage dresser hack.

#2 1 dresser, 14 ways to hack it

In fashion mags, they will take a piece of clothing … a simple dress or shirt and show you 6 ways to dress it.

Well, the RAST chest of drawers is kinda like that. Squat, square, and solid pine (which is a good thing).

On its own, it’s plain, almost dowdy, nothing to write home about. But when it is dressed up, my-oh-my, does it shine! See all 14 hacks.

#3 MCM shelving with RAST chests

Grace Lewis used 2 RAST dressers and nightstands to create a one-of-a-kind wall storage that exudes mid century modern vibes. Read more.

I have questions about PLATSA frames and MAXIMERA drawers (for METOD kitchen range). It’ll be very kind of you if you let me get some useful tips related to my question.

IKEA items used: 

• PLATSA: 80 x 60 x 180 and 40 x 60 x 180 frames
• MAXIMERA 80cm width drawers

Other materials and tools: 

• VEDDINGE doors

The width of the wall in my room is 321 cm and its height is 231 cm. I want to have an almost-built-in drawers in my room for a simple and modern look.

I’m considering the PLATSA range but the FONNES doors look rather cheap, in my opinion.

Recently, I learnt that the doors for the IKEA METOD kitchen range, e.g. VEDDINGE, actually fit the PLATSA frames.

Now, I’d like to know if I can use MAXIMERA drawers for PLATSA frames.

~ by Min (from Seoul)

***

Hi Min

The PLATSA is a fantastic range. Though I agree, rather limited on door options. (More doors please, IKEA!)

The size of the MAXIMERA drawer seem to fit, at least, according to the IKEA website. But to be sure, you’ll need to measure them in real life, as the size of the internal frame (with allowance for the drawer runners) is not listed.

It won’t be a straightforward swap, if that’s what you’re hoping for. From what I can see, you’ll run into some issues installing it. Let’s compare the two drawers for the two systems.

PLATSA drawers vs MAXIMERA drawers

The PLATSA drawers use the HJÄLPA (pictured above) as its drawer frame. As you can see, the drawer runners are on the top lip of the drawer sides.

And this is the MAXIMERA with runners at the bottom.

So, you’ll need to make all-new holes for the MAXIMERA drawer runners on the PLATSA frame if you wish to proceed with the MAXIMERA.

A possibly easier way to skin this would be to go with the HJÄLPA drawer without front and install the VEDDINGE drawer front onto it. I believe modifying the drawer front attachment may be easier.

Step 7 on the HJÄLPA assembly instruction shows the FONNES (or any other PLATSA drawer front) attached to the drawer frame via a press and click system. This won’t work with the MAXIMERA.

However, we are in luck. The HJÄLPA appears to have a bracket of sorts (which is supposed to be pressed into place on the FONNES drawer front). You may be able to add screws through this bracket into the VEDDINGE drawer front. Fingers crossed.

Like so:

Use short screws that won’t pierce through to the front of the drawer. And do make sure all your drawer fronts are level and line up nicely.

And that’s my suggestion for you, Min.

Hope it works out. Let us know how it goes and we’ll love to see what you do end up with.

Happy hacking,

Jules

Hacking may compromise the structural integrity of the item, so please be aware of the risks involved before modifying or altering any IKEA product. Alterations and modifications will also void any warranties or return policies you may have received from IKEA. IKEAhackers.net is not liable for any product failure, injury or damage resulting from the application of suggestions, ideas and hacks featured on this site.

DIY bedside tables from IKEA FLEKKE backrest and extension units.

After finishing my “Ultimate built-in action figure display case“, I entered the second phase of this project — placing the IKEA FLEKKE bed below those cabinets.

Upon assembling the bed I realized the bed didn’t looked good in that position. Because the room was actually about 30 inches bigger than the FLEKKE bed.

FLEKKE bed | IKEA.com

I felt like it needed something to fill the gaps between bed and walls.

But the problem was, most of the IKEA night stands won’t fit in on both the sides. As an option I could use a single nightstand, but it would look asymmetrical and there would be some gap anyways.

before

IKEA FLEKKE bed originally comes with a backrest, but I wasn’t planning to use it anyways because it wouldn’t allow for the opening of the glass doors on the BILLY built-ins.

So this backrest was a leftover.

Also after making the BILLY built-in project, I had few IKEA BILLY height extension units laying around. So I decided to make perfectly symmetrical night stands as an extension for the FLEKKE bed.

I was lucky enough because it was a perfect fit in my room and I had nothing to trim or cut.

IKEA items used:

• 2 x IKEA BILLY bookshelves height extension unit
• 2 x BILLY Extra shelves.
• 1 x IKEA FLEKKE bed

Other materials and tools:

• 12 x Furniture L-shape Bracket Connectors
• Black Preglued Wood Veneer Edge Banding

Instructions for IKEA FLEKKE nightstands

As the side support I took unused FLEKKE bed backrest pieces. And for the second side I used BILLY bookshelves height extension units without one of the side panel.

And for the bottom I used extra BILLY shelves. Everything was tightened together using Furniture L-shape Bracket Connectors inside the shelves.

The only thing was the edges weren’t covered. (Sorry, I forgot to make photos of uncovered edges.) That’s why I used Black Preglued Wood Veneer Edge Banding. I took an iron and glued the uncovered edges. At the end I got something like this.

Also I have to drill those night stands and added some plastic covers for wires for charging devices. Since these are a night stands after all.

And here’s the final result.

I’m very happy how it turned out at the end. Perfectly symmetrical and pretty useful. I think this hack makes this room look complete. )

I also have painted crown molding black. And replaced room light to a black one. In my opinion it looks pretty stylish now.

P.S. I was very lucky that everything fitted perfectly to my room and it was pretty easy and fast hack But even if it wouldn’t fit, I would trim the BILLY units to make them fit. So there is nothing I would do the other way again

Awesome and looks great!

~ by Asyle Instagram @as88v2

Let’s address the PAX wardrobe bulge and sag problems.

I did these mods, because in my opinion, there are two big problems with the PAX system: the back and the shelves.

1. The backer board is thin and not rigid. Over the time it deforms. It also doesn’t make the PAX frame very stable. (Others have mentioned their concern.)

2. The shelves, specially those longer than 50 cm, tend to sag in the middle.

Here are my quick mods to solve these 2 problems with the PAX wardrobe.

IKEA items:

• PAX module
• OBSERVATÖR cross brace

Other material:

• Aluminium C profile 20x20x1 mm (Internal dimension is 18 mm)

Tool required:

• Screwdriver
• Metal hacksaw
• Rasp

Here’s what I did the reinforce the PAX back and shelves

Instructions for back mod:

Assemble the PAX structure including the back panel. After this, place the PAX on the floor with the back facing up.

Fix 2 or more OBSERVATÖR cross braces using the supplied screws to connect them to the side of the PAX frame. (The screws must be fixed into the thickness of the side panel).

After this mod, the structure will be more rigid and the backer board will not deform by pushing outwards.

Instructions for shelves mod:

Cut the aluminum profile into piece 10 cm shorter than the shelves and remove the metal burrs with a rasp.

Insert the profile at the back side of shelves. After this the shelves will be more durable and will flex less.

This two little hacks are very simple to do but they radically change the resistance of the PAX wardrobe and will solve the main problems with the system.

~ by Alessandro

Next:

• See PAX wardrobes
• Buy OBSERVATÖR cross braces, $5.00 at IKEA

Other IKEA PAX wardrobe problems

#1 CAN I TURN REGULAR PAX UNITS INTO A CORNER WARDROBE?

I am thinking of purchasing a PAX wardrobe to fit on a little corner on my entry room. I really like the new design of PAX for the corner wardrobe, the problem is that the corner unit is very similar to a regular unit but almost 3 times the price!

See the answers.

#2 HOW TO MAKE SLIDING CLOSET DOORS FOR PAX?

I need a hack for PAX wardrobe system, I cannot afford IKEA’s sliding closet doors and I was wondering if there are any hacks that can turn a regular wardrobe door to a sliding door?

See the answers.

#3 IKEA KITCHEN DOORS ON PAX FRAME?

According to your experience, is it possible to use KUNGSBACKA IKEA kitchen doors on PAX units?

We have two PAX units in the entryway and would like to change their doors and use KUNGSBACKA ones. Our kitchen is KUNGSBACKA and we love it a lot!

See the answers.

#4 HOW TO SHORTEN PAX WARDROBES?

I moved into a new house with a huge open closet room with no storage. I designed my entire walk-in gorgeous closet using the PAX system, but now have realized my ceiling is too low. The ceiling is 78 1/4” tall. Can the PAX system be cut down? Would you cut the bottom or the top?

See the answers.

We hacked IKEA KALLAX units into a full size bed frame with storage to save space and money. Since we already had the KALLAX units, we wanted to use them up.

The bed is the perfect height for sleep and everything, with plenty of storage.

Related: This is how I made a waterbed frame from KALLAX units

The KALLAX shelves are easily accessible from all sides and you can reach the space in the middle from the sides or from the top for larger items.

Reaching inside from the top is a bit of a drag (you have to lift the mattress and some/all of the plywood sheets) so we only use it for long-term storage/seasonal items.

 IKEA items used:

• 3 x KALLAX 1×4 units 

Optional:

• 1 x VALBY RUTA rug (no longer available)
• 12 x DRÖNA storage boxes
• 1 x LIVLIG husky

Other materials and tools:

• Three plywood sheets 2×4 1/2 inch 
• Non slip rug pad 

Full size bed frame with storage assembly

Step 0: Assemble the KALLAX units.

Step 1: Position the KALLAX units in a U-shape, with the opening towards the wall where you want your head to be. Any floor surface is fine, but a rug or carpet will make it less likely to slide around.

Step 2: Cut up the non slip rug pads to fit on top of the units where the plywood will go, and place them there.

Underbed storage space

Step 3: Add the plywood sheets on top.

Step 4: Cover with a bedsheet to keep clean, and put the mattress on top.

Other useful information:

You can use a single plywood sheet instead of three separate ones (we had to have it cut so it could fit in our car). Alternatively, you can also use a mattress frame/bed slats or whatever you like to sleep on.

How long and how much did it cost? 

Initial assembly took about half hour. Total cost of the 3 KALLAX units, plywood, and rug pads is around $200.

What do you like most about the hack? 

Simplicity and effectiveness, easy to assemble and disassemble (good for moving).

What was the hardest part about this hack? 

Carrying the KALLAX units and plywood sheets up the stairs.

What to pay special attention to? 

Non slip rug pads keep the plywood secure on the KALLAX base.

Looking back, would you have done it differently? 

Use a better quality or treated plywood.

And that’s it. A very simple hack for a full size bed frame with storage.

~ by Ilya and Sarah