[ashleyist]

3/7/11: Updated at the bottom
I am replacing a 118" W x93" H pax wardrobe (2-39" and 2-19" units) in my bedroom that developed mold after it was installed on an exterior wall.

Since I don't have an interior wall in the bedroom that could accommodate a wardrobe that large, I'm wondering if the Fans could weigh in on my idea to put two 93x78's (2-39" each) back-to-back. I live in a Great Depression-era rental unit (plaster walls, hardwood floors)

I used L-brackets on the base and ceiling of my existing PAX frames to stabilize it and plan to use that tactic on whatever PAX I use to replace it.

Thanks in advance
--
3/7/11: Thanks for all your advice (and warm welcome, Chuck) thus far. I've had so much anxiety about this and your help is really making me feel good!

Harpy, that video is fantastic eye candy! I had been planning to use two same-sized wardrobes with sliding doors, but the Ikea self-hack is so much easier and cheaper. That idea would let me useuse a 118" wardrobe and recycle my old Lyngdal doors. Brilliant!

I wanted to add some additional information:

Phoenix42, here's the floor plan. I can't link to it directly but it's that 607 sq. ft. 1br, except you'll need to flip it mentally along the x-axis to get my layout. Also, there is a second window along the longer exterior wall in the bedroom. The bedroom windows are in the same corner and are 54" wide. There is also an old-fashioned ceiling fan in the center of the room.

	W definition W is a wall cabinet designation, as in W18, can be a stand-in for Wide, or when followed by a / stands for With.

	H definition H can be a stand-in for Height or when followed by *** can have an entirely different meaning.

[Chuck]

Welcome to IKEAFANS, Ashley.

First off, I'm guessing that you can't put the new wardrobes back up against the wall, for fear of having the same mold situation develop again. But what if you put a couple of 2x4's on the wall to give the wardrobes some breathing room, and allow for air circulation behind them?

The idea of the back-to-back wardrobes is good, but that is going to require at least 8 feet of floor space to execute - 24" for each wardrobe, plus another 24" for the doors to swing open.

If you do go the b/t/b route, consider using mending plates (small strips of metal with holes in them) at the top or on the side of the pieces to keep them together up there.pieces

[Harpy]

Here's an ikea video where they did that (they have this set up in the stores I've been in recently, too). Good ideas for making it work in a small room.

Small space | Walk-in closet room divider - IKEA

[Phoenix42]

A floor plan of your "Great Depression-era rental unit" bedroom would help visualize the options that you might have for placement.

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by Harpy

Here's an ikea video where they did that (they have this set up in the stores I've been in recently, too). Good ideas for making it work in a small room.

Mia mentioned in the video that you need to secure the wardrobes to keep them from tipping.

But one thing she neglected to mention is that the doors they used on the "front facing" Pax are Faktum - Pax is a metric sized line, and the standard sized Akurum doors available in the US won't fit on Pax.

	Faktum definition Faktum is the European equivalent of Akurum; that is, the fitted, frameless, component kitchen cabinet line, which when paired with door and drawer fronts as well as interior accessories makes up the full kitchen cabinet system.

	Akurum definition Akurum is the North American equivalent of FAKTUM; that is the fitted, frameless, component kitchen cabinet line, which when paired with door and drawer fronts as well as interior accessories makes up the full kitchen cabinet system.

[Chuck]

Which unit is yours, Ashley? We'll be there for dinner next Wednesday at 8pm. Figure on 20-25 people showing up. I'll bring a bottle of wine.

[ashleyist]

Oh, Chuck! Sorry, I didn't see your message. But I have a book club meeting on Mar. 25 if you're interested!

A coupla questions about the mending plates: Do they have to be installed on the horizontal top of the wardrobes? Or, can they be installed on the vertical side? My ceilings are 8', so we have to assemble the wardrobes upright. Maybe I'll have to get the shorter 'drobes?

Second, do you recommend the pronged plates or the nail-in plates? And how many? If you have a particular brand or plate to suggest, that would be welcome advice, too.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Chuck

Welcome to IKEAFANS, Ashley.

First off, I'm guessing that you can't put the new wardrobes back up against the wall, for fear of having the same mold situation develop again. But what if you put a couple of 2x4's on the wall to give the wardrobes some breathing room, and allow for air circulation behind them?

The idea of the back-to-back wardrobes is good, but that is going to require at least 8 feet of floor space to execute - 24" for each wardrobe, plus another 24" for the doors to swing open.

If you do go the b/t/b route, consider using mending plates (small strips of metal with holes in them) at the top or on the side of the pieces to keep them together up there.pieces

[Chuck]

" 'drobes", eh? That's cute! I like it - may I borrow it?


If you can avoid it, I would strongly advise AGAINST building 93" Pax units standing up; if you HAVE to do it this way, make sure you have at least one other person helping you. On the other hand, if your ceilings are truly 8' high, you should be able to assemble the units laying down, and then stand them up.

To test this out, take one of the sides and lay it down on the front edge, then stand it up (slowly) across that front corner - if the side clears the ceiling, the unit will, too. And don't take "defeat" lying down - if you don't clear in the one spot, move your side to another spot and try there - it's rare that floors and ceilings are consistent distances apart in every place.

Also keep in mind that you don't have to build the units in the area where they'll eventually live - it's not an easy thing to do, but you can slide/otherwise the assembled units from one part of the room to another if you have 8' clearance in the room.

As for the mending plates, you can install them on the sides - it just means they'll show, but you can do some cosmetic work to hide them.

Here's a link to the kind I was thinking of, though there are others that are a little wider, too. I'd go for the last one on page 2 or first on page 3, and use one on each side. Stanley Hardware :* Mending Plates


What book is it?

[PleasePressZero]

Originally Posted by Chuck

...But one thing she neglected to mention is that the doors they used on the "front facing" Pax are Faktum - Pax is a metric sized line, and the standard sized Akurum doors available in the US won't fit on Pax.

I see that there's now an asterisk on the page, stating exactly that.

I apologize for reviving a thread that was last active a year ago, but my question is related to the "create a walk-in closet" idea discussed above. In Ikea's layout, the row of PAX is not just secured to the wall at one end, but also has the two 19" cabinets against the back, at either end.

My idea is to just use a single row of tall cabinets (2x19", one on either side of a pair of 39"), with no cabinets on the back to create a nook. Instead, I would do something decorative on the back of the cabs (fabric, paper, etc.). I think it would be great to put drywall there and just paint it to match the rest of the room, but (1) that's beyond my experience and ambition levels and (2) I'm afraid it would add too much weight.

I would not be adding doors, probably just a curtain. The side of the first cabinet would be fastened to the wall via 2 (or 3?) spacer boards at various heights, since I live in an old building, with baseboards that come out almost an inch from the wall. The floors are oak. It's a rental, but I have no issue drilling into the walls, though the floors are off-limits.

Would fastening just one smaller cabinet to the wall this way add sufficient security (along with appropriate leveling and inter-cabinet fastening) to make this setup viable?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.