My Closet Setup: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly :-)
Hey divas
After a lot of thinking and a slew of requests, I finally decided to do a video on my closet setup. Ever since my closet made its YouTube debut a couple of years ago, I’ve received numerous questions and video request about more info concerning my setup. I thought about it and actually recorded a video about it towards the end of last year, but never posted it because I didn’t like the quality of the video. After that, I wasn’t sure if I would record another one because I’ve noticed how “funny” some people can be about videos like this.
I love looking at fabulous things, including other people’s closets for inspiration (I have a blog series called Closet Envy for goodness sake! lol). While scanning the internet for pictures and videos of fabulous closets, I’ve noticed a little trend, especially on YouTube. It seems like some people always get in their own feelings when watching other people’s closet tour or setup videos. The comments that some of these people leave are downright negative and really says way more about the person leaving the comment than the person that posted the video. Some comments attack the people that posted the video by calling them showoffs, greedy, selfish, or by leaving comments like ,”with so many people starving in the world, why do you have so much stuff?”
I’ve never understood the mentality behind these types of comments because one of the wonderful things about YouTube is that before you make the active decision to click on a video, you can clearly see the title of the video and know what it’s about. It’s not like you see a title that says, “The Joys of Raising Puppies” and all of a sudden wham!…you are bombarded with closet tours and setup videos. When you watch a closet video, it is because you made the active decision to click on the title that clearly stated what the video is about, so if you are one of those people that always complains about closet videos…guess what? Life can be pretty simple at times… Just don’t watch
I love an organized closet! I’ve noticed that a lot of people underestimate the value of an organized closet. An organized close saves you time, decreases your stress level, can give you mental clarity, and can make getting ready every morning a pleasant experience, so why not take the time to do some research and find find a closet organization solution that works well for you and your home?
The closet solution that I am going to talk about today is one that I use personally and have used for quite a bit of people professionally; it is the Ikea Pax System. I started doing research on the Pax system about 4 years ago, whenever I would randomly go to Ikea (I love hanging out at Ikea, I always leave with some sort of creative inspiration for organization). While at Ikea, I would check out their different closet systems and always make my way back to the Pax. When it comes to big purchases, I’m not one to feel pressure to make a decision right away. I like to do a lot of research when possible before making a decision, that way I can feel comfortable and not second guess myself.
When I realized that I wanted a closet system like the Pax system, I started calling and getting quotes from closet companies because I believe that when you can, you should always go for the best that your budget can afford. I knew that many of the higher end closet companies, use real solid wood and make the units custom for your room measurements. They also come and install it themselves and create custom units for your needs, but that also comes at a very custom price! When I got quotes, they ranged anywhere from $5500 for a basic plan to over $12k for a more custom experience. Well, that was way more than we were willing to spend, so I started getting more serious about researching the Pax unit. I searched the internet for real life customer reviews, like with any product there will be some negative reviews, but for the most part most of the reviews that I came across were positive. I also like reading the negative reviews on a product so that I know what to expect or what to avoid when possible.
Once I finally made my decision to go with the Pax system, the real fun began. Ikea.com has a fun online planner that allows you to configure a Pax Sytem that works for you. You can choose from various colors, heights, depths, doors, and closet interiors. Once you’ve designed the closet layout that works for you, you can print it out, take it to Ikea, and the Ikea worker will give you a print out of all of your pieces that are instock, you pay for them, and then either pick them up right then and there or schedule a delivery. It’s pretty easy once you know exactly what you want. The hard part comes during installation…more on that later.
The Good:
-With the use of the Pax Planner, you can design your own custom layout from the comfort of your own home. It also provides you with the cost and an item list that you can print out and take with you to Ikea
-The price is unbeatable. Granted, the quality is not the same as that from California Closets or higher end closet companies, but for the price, the quality is very good
-The Komplement interiors. The interiors used in the Pax system are called Komplement. The real fun and customization comes from the interiors that you choose to make your closet suitable for your everyday needs.
-Once installed correctly, the Pax System is very sturdy and durable
-The overall look is clean, attractive, and can be further customized to give a higher end look by adding molding or other components to give a built in look
The Bad:
-Assembly is not easy and it is for the most part a two man job and can take several hours to a few days depending on the size of your system
-The units are particle board, not solid wood which is why they are so affordable, but you must be careful not to scratch them during assembly
-Although you can create the look and feel of your own customized system, it is never truly customized because the Pax units only come in 3 sizes in width:19, 29, & 39 inches. This usually means that after you set up, you will usually have a few inches of empty space at the end of your unit. This can easily be fixed with some sheet rock to give it a built in high-end look or you can use the space to store things like an ironing board or umbrellas
-Ikea has a habit of discontinuing some of the best Komplement interiors
-Some of the Komplement interiors are difficult to install and not necessarily the best quality for the price
-If you do decide to get a few interiors from other custom wardrobe companies, be prepared to spend a lot more for them to make you interiors that fit into the Pax system
-If you do decide on getting doors (particularly hinged) it may not allow you to set up your interiors exactly the way you want because the door hinges can only be placed in certain areas, which may conflict with your layout
-I would only recommend the Pax system for a walk in closet or an open wall, not necessarily your typical two door closet unless you go with the 13 inch depth, which in a regular closet works very well
The Ugly:
-It is a beast to take apart so I would only recommend getting it if you don’t plan on moving for the next few years and if you don’t mind leaving it behind after you move. Many homeowners actually find that it adds to their property value when installed correctly to give a built in custom look. If you plan on taking it with you, I recommend hiring a professional to take it apart and re-install it where you go because they can be temperamental with taking down and re-installing
-The 29 inch unit does not have a door option at Ikea (unless you get two 29inch units together and choose a sliding door), so if you want doors and have a layout that involves different Pax widths, it may look very strange to have doors for all of your other units except the 29inch. You can get a custom door made from a glass or door company but be ready to shell out custom money!
Overall, I love my closet. It really makes getting dressed a lot more fun and calmer than when I shared a closet with my husband lol! Also, everyone that I have installed it for have raved about how much they love it and how much easier it is for them to get ready. I think that it is definitely a good purchase if you have the space and are planning on being in the same location for a few years.
I tried to make the video as well as this post super detailed, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask
Be inspired…
