DIYer's Clever IKEA Hack Transforms Awkward Behind-The-Toilet Space Into Storage Gold

As one of the tighter spaces in most homes, bathrooms often require creative layouts. Squeezing in all the necessary fixtures can leave you with a cramped, awkward room with inconvenient storage — and according to the pros, that is a major bathroom design mistake to avoid. One example of this is a cubbyhole cut into the wall above the toilet. While the extra space may be appreciated, it is inconvenient to reach around the toilet into the deep storage area, and it can be unhygienic to store items so close to the toilet. DIYer @katriedel had this problem and came up with a genius solution of using an IKEA PAX wardrobe to transform the odd empty space into functional storage with a built-in look.

The DIYer's storage solution makes the space more organized and allows the full area to be utilized. Plus, by using an IKEA PAX model with doors, the items are more sanitary by not being directly exposed to particles from the toilet. The doors also make the space look less awkward by filling in the wall behind the toilet and giving the bathroom a more typical shape. With IKEA PAX units starting at as little as $110 and doors available from $75, the project can be more affordable than a major bathroom renovation and take out the financial guesswork of a professional install. If you want to recreate this DIY in your home, you will need an IKEA PAX wardrobe, some 2-by-4-inch wood, particleboard, paint, a hammer, a power drill, and other DIY basic tools.

The IKEA PAX series comes in a variety of different sizes and styles, so the first thing you should do is determine which works best for your space. Measure the length, width, and depth of your space, and be sure to measure in multiple places to account for any misshapen walls. Then, use your measurements to see if any PAX models will fit. The PAX wardrobes are ideal for this because of their large and customizable interiors. With widths ranging from 13 inches to over 40 inches, heights of 79 inches and up, and depths starting at 7 inches, this popular IKEA item is easy to turn into DIY built-in closets.

If your cubby is a few inches larger than the IKEA item in any direction, you can still make it work by filling in gaps with wood and particleboard to achieve a seamless look. On the other hand, if your space isn't quite large enough to fit a PAX wardrobe, smaller IKEA cabinets — like the BILLY or SKRUVBY – can work, too.

@katriedel

IKEA DIY built in linen closet We used the PAX system in greige. I installed three drawers and one pull out shelf to make the perfect storage solution for our bathroom. #ikeahack If you like this, check out McGeeHouseKC on that other app 😉 This project has been mostly done for a few months now, but it took until mid October for all of the drawers to be back in stock at IKEA so I've waited to share until now! The primary bathroom linen closet was number one on my list of projects I wanted to complete in our house, so much so that we did it before we moved in. The space behind the toilet had so much wasted potential. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted a giant linen closet to go there. My dad tried to convince me to go smaller so it'd be easier, but I told him he was up for the challenge and to go big or go home! We finally decided on using an IKEA Pax Wardrobe system. This unit almost perfectly fit the space that we needed. The biggest challenges during this design were needing the doors of the closet to clear the top of the toilet and the fact that neither the ceiling, nor the walls, nor the shelf we were building on were level – typical century home problems. My dad used a two by four to create supports that were level for the closet to sit on. We trimmed down the bottom of the closet doors so that the toilet tank could be cleared. We used the trim pieces to fill in the spaces between the ceiling/shelf and the doors to create a perfectly custom linen closet for this space. To paint the Ikea finish on the doors I needed to first prime with shellac. I recommend the Zinsser BIN flat shellac based primer. I opted for a sage green paint, but when I first painted the gray walls made the sage look gray too, so I ended up repainting the bathroom to a cream. Now that I've been living in the space for awhile, I'm thinking of repainting both the walls and the cabinet to a slightly less muted green. I opted for the black handles to compliment the black medicine cabinet mirrors we installed in the adjoining room. I am SO happy with how this project turned out. I'm still trying to organize the space so we can best utilize it, but it's the perfect storage solution for our house (which has no linen closet elsewhere) As always, a huge thanks to my dad who can bring any project to life.

♬ original sound – Katherine

When you have your IKEA unit, clean out the space you plan to put it. It also helps to know how to remove a toilet from your bathroom for more working room, if necessary. Install the IKEA item as instructed, building it in the space. If the toilet blocks any doors or drawers from opening and you have some vertical space, build a wooden platform for the cabinet. Then, fill any gaps on the sides of the cabinet with 2-by-4-inch wood pieces for stability, cover them with particleboard, and caulk the edges for a built-in look. Finish with a coat of paint, and enjoy your newly optimized storage.