Wednesday 2 July 2008

product review: IKEA Pax wardrobes

IKEA Pax wardrobes: a home for all your pretties

For four and a half years, I had no wardrobe. I actually DIYed one myself out of IKEA bookshelves I had and their Komplement interior rails cause I was so desperate and so over those mobile racks that fell apart if you put more than say three pairs of pants on it. I thought I was so clever. It was rather hideous but did the job. So in our money-spending mode, we figured we'd do it properly and got a quote from our lovely carpenter who did our bathroom, exterior and other odd jobs around the place. The quote? $2600. I actually think this is a good quote, but I still couldn't justify it when I knew IKEA had super-tall versions and lots of cool interior fittings. So I did some measuring, drawing, computer 3D workshopping (they have an online wardrobe planner here) and came up with $1300 - including the $130 it cost to get it all the way up here! In case you were thinking of it yourself, here's a little info...

The good: The price is definitely a positive. The smallest frame-only size will only set you back $79 (50cm wide, 201cm high, 35cm deep). But for the best space for your $$$, go the biggest versions you can - 236cm high, 100cm wide and 58cm deep. Also great: the variety (size, colour, doors, handles), the online planner and the fact there are so many cool interior wardrobe storage devices from pull-out shelves and pants hangers to dividers for smalls and lockable drawers. Everything can have a home! And even better: they're really easy to put together. I promise you! I was 9 months pregnant with an incredibly sore back but I could still put most of the frame together myself. I just needed Steve's help putting the last side in place and then he moved them into position on the wall and attached them to it and to each other so they won't topple over! (And thanks to Mum who helped me put the first one together. And yes, I was careful doing the rest by myself!)

My version: nice and tidy behind closed doors (the cheapest, cause, well, they're doors and I like simple). Also great: I got the handles on sale for just $15 all up!

The really good: The add-on extension hanger. If you don't have the space (or budget) for a huge wall of wardrobes but need maximum hanging room, double the space in one robe with this nifty extension. It simply clips onto the top rail and screws into the cupboard wall. The real genius though is the fact you get to determine how much space you want. Need full-length hanging space plus two rows for shirts and jackets? No probs, just slide across to where you need (as seen in the first pic of this post).

Komplement Add-On Hanger, $15

The bad: Not too much, but I did find the doors incredibly hard to hang. Usually Ikea's non-written instructions and illos are gold for putting things together, but this was one time I felt they needed to be explained as there are two parts to hanging the door: attaching the hinges and adjusting the hinges so the doors are even. But the illos don't tell you what's what so I spent a whole lot of time wondering what the heck the adjustment instructions meant and had to Google it (thank God for Google). But this could just be me!!! Oh, and the extra-high frames might not be the best for short people!! Even Steve struggles to reach the top shelf easily and he's 6 foot 3 (erm, not 5 foot 3 as previously posted)!

The annoying: Having to drill the holes for the handles. Although this comes with a positive in that you get to choose your handles and where you place them, it's a huge annoying drama getting them to line up. As you may have seen from my previous post, I stuffed it big time. But again, this could just be me and you might be awesome at measuring and getting things even - things that are obviously not my strong points! One other silly thing: IKEA don't supply you with the screws to attach the wardrobes to the wall. They give you EVERYTHING else - even little rubber circles so the doors don't damage the frames when they close - but no screws for the wall. And they weren't just missing from the pack - they just don't supply them! So we scavenged around our tool box to find the right ones (they just tell you what you need. How bizarre of them!)

Just a little off the mark!

The cheats: Well, one, really. Ikea have great Komplement boxes for storing bits and pieces in. They're $35 for three small square ones or $50 for three larger ones. But I found pretty much the same thing (and same size as the small version) in Lincraft for just $4 each.

IKEA Komplement box, $35 for three

All up, it was a very cost-effective and space-saving way to store our clothes! Am thrilled with the result (except my stupid extra hole in the door which we have yet to fix properly).

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Grr stupid spam!


WOW Good Job!!! They look great! I would have got so frustrated! And for 1/2 the price you really can't complain!! I am absolutely going to Lincraft for those boxes - are they big enough for a magazine lying down?

Nicky
(www.snobnicky.wordpress.com)

Bespoke Letterpress Boutique said...

Excellent review!!

I love ikeas wardrobe systems, so many bit and pieces of goodness to organise our lives! We recently did our two very little wardrobes. I desperately wanted to do an ikea system, however they just didn't have draws skinny enough to fit our spaces, it would have cost us about $700 all up.

We ended up doing an elfa system from Howards Storage World, which cost $2100 for almost exactly the same thing. If only ikeas draws were just a tad skinner, it would have saved us a packet!!

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