After seven years of sharing a cramped closet, Mike and I needed a different arrangement. Shoes covered the floor, the hanging organizers were not enough, and clothes on the upper wire rail hid what was below. We could tidy it, but the organization rarely lasted more than a week.
We priced a closet refit, but the quotes were high and the plans still left us sharing the same tight space. Instead, we bought an IKEA PAX wardrobe with KOMPLEMENT fittings for my clothes. Mike kept the original closet, giving each of us our own storage.
I was not compensated to write or share this review. This is our experience with the wardrobe purchased for this makeover.
Bedroom changes made room for a new setup
We had also replaced the bedroom’s worn carpet with Pergo XP flooring. That was part of the broader room refresh, alongside the new wardrobe and a matching dresser.
Choosing the wardrobe interior
I wanted lighting, shoe racks, drawers, and hanging space. We kept the fronts uniform across the wardrobe and chose the finish I described at the time as Cocoa.
The appeal was choosing the interior around what I owned: places for shoes, folded sweaters, jeans, tops, and hanging clothes. Our configuration cost less than the closet-remodeling options we had priced; I did not record an exact total.
Mike’s experience with assembly
The assembly directions relied on pictures. Mike did not consider the project a beginner job, but said the step-by-step sequence worked, the holes lined up, and the unit came together as intended. Follow the complete instructions supplied with your particular frames, doors, and fittings.
Separate storage, with lights inside
I grouped like items together and even tried arranging the hanging clothes by color. The interior lights came on when I opened the doors, making it easier to see everything.
We bought the matching dresser for the other side of the bedroom. The painted furniture it replaced had served us for 15 years, but this change gave us the organization we had been missing.
Other wardrobe and closet ideas
The reference images below show different storage approaches: open shelving with wire baskets, translucent wardrobe doors, and a wood-toned arrangement with hanging rails and upper compartments. These were additional inspiration images, not photographs of our finished closet.
Tamara at Nest by Tamara took a plain IKEA armoire in another direction with a painted stencil design.
Our own solution worked because it separated two people’s clothing instead of trying to fit more into the same closet. I barely needed to enter the old closet afterward except to use the hamper.
For current wardrobe choices, sizes, and compatible fittings, check IKEA. The photographs here document the products and finishes used in our original makeover.
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