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Design DilemmaBedroomsStorage
ciaran_l

Can't decide whether to go bespoke or ikea pax wardrobes...

ciaran L
3 years ago

I'm slowly getting round to doing up the rooms in my first house which I bought last year.

For my master bedroom, I had decided I wanted to go floor to ceiling and wall to wall fitted wardrobes with sliding smoked mirror doors. (To fit the wall in the photo below)


The size of this wall is 3.93m wide and 2.58m to the ceiling. In my mind the full wall as a smoked mirrors will look great, and the quote i've had seemed to be around the expected amount £3690 for the doors and all internals made and fitted (hanging space, shelves, and drawers.) This was for 5 internal sections with 5 doors, with my plan to have a drawer unit in the centre with a TV hidden behind the middle door.


However, i've also been looking at IKEA PAX system, which obviously don't tie in exactly to my sizes, but after planning it out, I could have it such as the photo below


With the 930mm left in the middle, I could get a bespoke drawer unit that the TV could sit on top of...

A couple of compromises would have to be made with the PAX system;


Firstly, it won't go all the way to the ceiling (200mm gap)

2. I can't get smoked/grey mirror (Had thought I could use a tint film to fix that)

3. The door panels are in sections (I prefer the one piece look - but not the end of the world)

4. Obviously it has the gap in the middle

5. Internal woodwork colour is limited (I planned to go grey with the bespoke items)


Just looking for help and advice on what you would do, obviously if going for the PAX system, even with a bespoke unit in the middle, the price would be under £2000 which is a fair difference, but i'm really stuck on what to do.... Is it worth the compromise for a 50% saving....



Look forward to hearing the responses..


Thanks



Featured Answer
  • Katie Duke
    3 years ago

    You could look at a compromise position which would be to get the doors you really like (which presumably meet you requirement for full height etc) and the relevant track and then just build something else behind including bits of IKEA systems that work for you. We did this with our wardrobe, doors and track from B&Q, then got a joiner to build shelves and hanging rails behind. Our wardrobe is only about 45cm deep (probably about the minimum you can get away with for a hanger to fit). We put a Malm chest of drawers (40cm deep) behind the right hand door with a hanging rail over). This solution isn't as neat as a fully built in and bespoke number but it has given us plenty of storage in the best configuration for our requirements and the size of room - which is modest.

    • Comments (18)

    • PRO
      Sandra Lawson Interiors
      3 years ago

      Depending on width of the gap between Pax wardrobes, you could add a shelf with mirror above to create a dressing table? Mirror can be on a cut-to-size order from local glaziers and would nicely break up the wardrobe wall. Adding a light round or above mirror a must. With savings on using Pax system you could afford a bit of bespoke for dressing table and buy a cute stool too. Good luck!

    • ciaran L
      Original Author
      3 years ago

      I think the space between the two I would have as a drawer unit with a shelf for a TV (I know there is a lot of debate on TVs in bedrooms, but it's sometimes nice to chill in bed with a film. But yeah, I know myself the saving could be spent elsewhere in the house, as I still have plenty of work to get on with haha!

    • MS
      3 years ago
      last modified: 3 years ago

      i have Ikea pax sliding mirror door- 2 cupboards of 2m. happy with them except one door has come out it’s track at the bottom and I need to get Ikea to come and sort it as they have a 10 year guarantee. I like that I have slowly been able to customise the internal aspects as I see what I am storing in the cupboards. But they are made of chipboard and if one drawer or shelf gets knocked it’s not the prettiest, but all pieces can be replaced so that is a plus. I would also love for them to be fitted rather than freestanding- it just looks nicer.

    • Victoria
      3 years ago

      To avoid the Pax not going all the way to the ceiling build it on a frame level with the top of your skirting and run skirting across the front, will make it look built in. They do different widths and you could get gap down to 43cm and have half of the gap each side and cut a door down to use as a filler panel.

    • ciaran L
      Original Author
      3 years ago
      last modified: 3 years ago

      I had thought about getting the gap down to that, but if doing that it would mean not having the TV. Not that I should make such a big point of that really, but there will be no where else in the room it can go (I know TVs don't belong in a bedroom though haha)


      Putting it on a frame sounds a good idea though!

    • ciaran L
      Original Author
      3 years ago

      I should also add, whatever route I go, I want to keep it symmetrical

    • Katie Duke
      3 years ago

      Should have added - I like symmetry too so this a four door set up. The section behind the middle two doors is less deep as it's the chimney breast. I can see from your pic this isn't a problem I your room. We have got loads of shelves in this section for folded clothes and shoes but you could easily put a wall mounted tv here with shelves/drawers above and below.

    • Sonia
      3 years ago

      I’ve got fitted wardrobes and I love them. They weren’t cheap, £3400, but I don’t regret it. I used sharpes and the fitter did a fantastic job. However my sister had a local carpenter make a fitted wardrobe with sliding doors, a cupboard and shelves in her living room and under stairs storage for the same price (minus painting) so a local carpenter may be another option? Here’s mine

    • ciaran L
      Original Author
      3 years ago

      A thought that has popped into my head, anyone with PAX sliding doors, if you have yours hard up against a wall, can you confirm there is still space to get your hand onto the edge of the door to open it?


    • mattweeksdj
      3 years ago

      if you can afford it in would personally get bespoke and then you do not have to make any compromises. We recently had a small bespoke wardrobe fitted after having the same dilemma. The cost on the doors sounds a little excessive though. We got ours online which we could customise, had them delivered and then arranged for them to be fitted into the shell

    • PRO
      Nordikka - Bespoke Furniture & Steel Doors
      3 years ago

      Bespoke if you can , you will maximize the storage space. Our Danish system is made to mm max h 2750 . Door width up to 1800 . www.nordikka.co


      Family Home Harpenden · More Info


    • Alastair Morgan
      3 years ago

      If you fit the frame flush to the wall and have sliding doors it is possible to adjust the door to one side ever so slightly to open it. However, if it was me, I would space the wardrobe out slightly and fit a filler piece of wood.

      Make sure to get the IKEA Pax wardrobe frames fully square and level or the doors may have to be adjusted to make them level which can result in them not opening fully. In turn this means that any internal drawers which you may or may not fit may catch against the sliding doors.

      You can find out more information about the IKEA Pax wardrobes here: https://www.amflatpack.co.uk/post/the-ikea-pax-wardrobe-system-explained

    • Misha M
      3 years ago

      Hi Ciaran
      Reading through your note, the compromise seems too much.
      What you want is vastly different from PAX. I've had PAX 'drobes before and they are perfectly fine but what you propose originally sounds wonderful. If this going to be your long term home, then worth the spend.
      As Sonia suggests, try a local carpenter...?
      best of luck.
      Misha

    • minipie
      3 years ago

      One further option is to use Ikea Pax carcasses and internal fittings (drawers, rails, lights etc) and then get a joiner to do doors and filler panels on the front. You could use 5 x 75cm Pax carcasses, the 230cm high ones. The joiner could do small filler panels to cover the excess at the sides (you need this excess to allow doors to open anyway) and the top.


      This way you save a bit and the only compromise is the “ikea” look of the internals - but on the plus side it’s all adjustable and you can use all the clever Pax fittings


      We did this in our master

    • Anne Hales
      3 years ago

      Actually, I think you have answered this for yourself by posting! If you can afford it, go for exactly what you want and enjoy it. If you have to compromise because of financial reasons, I’d do as minipie suggests.

    • T Da
      3 years ago

      I went with handmade wardrobes but incorporated Ikea fantastic drawers and shirt/trouser rails, which saved time and money but also look great.

    • ciaran L
      Original Author
      3 years ago

      Thanks for all the help and advice, i've decided to go with the fully bespoke, and they get started at the end of the month :D

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