This Brilliant DIY Transforms A Popular IKEA Item Into Built-In Closets

By now, you've likely seen the IKEA PAX wardrobe make the rounds on social media, and for good reason. The customizable wardrobe system can be utilized in all sorts of hacks to improve storage and organization around your home. From garage organization to kitchen pantries to putting a PAX on wheels for rolling storage, there seems to be no end to what PAX can do. There's even a hack to hide a Murphy bed in style using a PAX cabinet. This ingenious DIY goes even further, transforming the innovative wardrobe design into a seamless built-in closet for a flawless, high-end look.

The PAX system provides the perfect interior frame for a DIY built-in closet. By building a simple frame around it and finishing the built-in with matching molding, your IKEA cabinet will look like a luxe feature of the room's original design — only you will know it's a DIY dupe. Before you begin, head to IKEA's website and use their PAX Planner to design a wardrobe that perfectly fits your stuff and your space. You'll need to consider your unique wardrobe design, as well as the measurements of the PAX frame, before you can start on your built-in project. You'll also need a little construction DIY know-how for this hack, but it's easier than it looks. If you are using the PAX wardrobe to fill a nook or alcove in your space, measure it as well to make sure the wardrobe will fit (and consider how much extra framing you'll need to build in order to fill out the alcove). Keep in mind, though, that you don't need an existing nook for this project.

The key to a seamless built-in look is to account for the baseboard and crown molding heights so the wardrobe can fit inside the two. First, build a base for the wardrobe so it can rest above the baseboards, and cover with an MDF board before assembling the PAX frame on top. You'll need to build framing around the rest of the wardrobe and attach MDF panels to the outside so it can be painted to match the walls. If your PAX wardrobe has drawers, be sure to follow this hack to turn your IKEA PAX into an ultimate organizer and ensure your cabinet doors close on top.

Once the frame is complete, caulk the built-in exterior before priming and painting, and finally attach the baseboards and crown molding (if applicable) around the top and bottom for a flawless finish. There are so many ways to elevate the look even further — add trendy closet door handles and install molding to frame the doors, for example. For a dreamy Victorian-meets-modern look, consider color drenching the walls, built-ins, molding, and even the ceiling. Just keep these color-drenching tricks in mind for small spaces. By incorporating these finishing touches, no one will ever suspect your bespoke built-in closet is from IKEA! This built-in DIY isn't just for bedrooms, either. Following the same steps, you can add built-ins around the fireplace in your living room or flank the television in a media room. You could even leave off the doors for custom floor-to-ceiling shelving.