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See how an interior designer hacked a basic Ikea Pax wardrobe into a lush, inky blue walk-in closet

Dominick ReuterAug 10, 2021, 02:17 IST

Erin Kestenbaum

Ikea offers several storage systems that can be ordered in sizes that fit almost any space.
In the hands of a design pro, the basic off-the-shelf style can be transformed into something unique.
Here's how one Ikea hacker turned a Pax wardrobe system into a Vogue-worthy walk-in closet.

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Erin Kestenbaum is an interior designer and photographer based in Connecticut.

Erin Kestenbaum

Kestenbaum was inspired by this walk-in closet in Jenny Wolf's Brooklyn townhouse.

Vogue.com

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The Ikea Pax wardrobe system provided the base for the project and solved several problems.

Erin Kestenbaum

Using Ikea's planning tool to order the right-size components was just the beginning.

Erin Kestenbaum

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An older house means uneven floors, so they carefully added shims to level everything out.

Erin Kestenbaum

They made a template and cut holes for small puck lights that were ordered from Amazon…

Erin Kestenbaum

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… and used paintable wallpaper to cover the seam at the back of the cabinet.

Erin Kestenbaum

Then they added the baseboards, crown molding, and trim.

Erin Kestenbaum

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Using the same poplar board as the trim, they cut out fronts for the drawers.

Erin Kestenbaum

To make the shiny Ikea finish into a paintable surface, Kestenbaum used a shellac-based primer.

Erin Kestenbaum

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Once everything was properly primed, she used a spray gun to get the professional look.

Erin Kestenbaum

Some high-end hardware gives the drawers an even sharper look.

Erin Kestenbaum

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The results speak for themselves.

Erin Kestenbaum

Kestenbaum says aspiring Ikea hackers need to think carefully through how they want the end result to look, and work backwards toward an Ikea base.

Erin Kestenbaum

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This project was a clear success...

Erin Kestenbaum

... but Ikea hacks don't always have to be so ambitious.

Erin Kestenbaum

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Start with a coat of paint and some fresh hardware, and soon enough you'll be hacking like a pro.

Erin Kestenbaum

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