Cost Difference Between an Ikea PAX Closet and A DIY Built-From-Scratch Closet (Plus, Why I Haven’t Started Building Yet)

My weekend didn’t fairly go as deliberate, as to this point, this week hasn’t, both. A part of that is because of poor planning on my half, and a part of it is because of circumstances past my management. I’m not going to emphasize about it, although. The construct for my walk-in closet will likely be began very quickly, and till then, stressing about it isn’t going to perform something besides put me in a really dangerous temper. And no one desires that. 😀 So all I can do is snort at this comedy of errors and wait patiently.

Listed here are the errors on my half. First, I’ve been working off of closet mockups that I did some time again utilizing IKEA’s PAX wardrobe designer. With that design instrument, you may actually get a good suggestion of what the completed closet will appear like, however clearly, you’re caught utilizing the merchandise they carry. So you may’t do any fine-tuning of the small print. It wasn’t an issue on the time as a result of I used to be simply making an attempt to get a basic thought of the structure of the closet, and that is what I got here up with. Should you’ve been following for some time, you’ve already seen these.

The best wall of the room will look one thing like this…

After which the left facet of the closet will look one thing like this…

After which the wall with the doorway on it would look one thing like this…

Put all of that collectively, and it creates a ground plan that appears like this…

So final Friday, utilizing these photographs, I figured how a lot plywood I’d must construct all the things. To be fairly sincere, the sheer quantity of plywood this undertaking will take shocked the heck out of me. I wasn’t anticipating that quantity in any respect. And figuring out the worth of sanded cabinet-grade plywood today, I had some critical sticker shock. I checked out the entire plywood choices on-line at each Lowe’s and Dwelling Depot and determined that Lowe’s had extra choices.

Saturday, I headed to Lowe’s considering that I’d load up all of my provides, hire the Lowe’s truck, convey them residence, unload them, and get began constructing. However there have been 4 points.

First, in all, I had figured that I wanted about 25 sheets of plywood. However on my listing, I had failed to find out how a lot I wanted of every thickness. Not all the things would have to be constructed out of three/4-inch plywood. Some issues would require 1/2-inch plywood, and nonetheless different issues would require 1/4-inch plywood. In my pleasure to get began, I had fully failed in my planning.

Second, once I was there, I discovered two different forms of plywood that have been significantly cheaper. They have been each labeled for inside/exterior use. One was simply over $35 per sheet, and the opposite was just below $50 per sheet. That might save me a substantial sum of money if I might use a kind of as a substitute of the beautiful sanded cabinet-grade plywood that ran from $65 per sheet to $89 per sheet. So at that time, I started affected by indecision, as I typically do.

And third, it was whereas I used to be standing in Lowe’s wanting on the plywood choices that I noticed I actually wanted to make some tweaks to my plan since I used to be going off of the designs that I had unexpectedly put collectively utilizing Ikea’s PAX wardrobe planner utilizing their restricted choices with none customizations. And I positively wanted so as to add some customizations.

For instance, this room goes to be a closet and laundry room mixture. Someplace within the room, I want to create space for a laundry hamper. The place would that go within the room? Additionally, I’m solely 5 toes tall, so I want an area within the room the place I can retailer no less than a step stool, if not an simply accessible step ladder that may keep on this room. The place will that go? And do I really want drawers on the bottoms of the sections the place the hanging garments will go? I’ll have a 72-inch island in the midst of the room with a number of drawers. Do I really want extra on the facet of the room, particularly if these drawers would require the hanging bars to be moved up, making them harder for me to succeed in?

And fourth, as I stood there these stacks of plywood, I counted out 21 sheets of three/4-inch plywood to see precisely what that appears like. I noticed then and there that there’s no approach I wished to hire the Lowe’s truck piled with 21 sheets of plywood after which get residence and must unload all of that myself after they have supply obtainable. But when I used to be going to pay $79 for supply, I wished to buy each single factor I wanted in a single buy and have all of it delivered at one time, together with the entire trim boards, molding, all the things. So I wanted to do much more detailed planning. Plus, I wanted to decide on sort of plywood I wished to make use of. I don’t must spend an additional $20-40 per sheet on stain-grade plywood since my total closet will likely be painted. (Spoiler alert: I ended up going with this plywood. I noticed it in particular person, and it appears to be like very nice with a sanded end that may look good as soon as painted. It’s simply shy of three/4 inch thick.)

So I spent the remainder of my Saturday and Sunday afternoon finalizing each single element I might consider for this closet. First, I chosen laundry hampers. I ended up buying two of these half moon woven hampers (affiliate hyperlink). I bought the sunshine shade, which oddly, isn’t obtainable anymore. So that you’ll must think about these within the gentle pure shade. I purchased two as a result of I wish to separate my bleachable whites from all the things else.

With these gadgets bought, and with the measurements in hand, I wanted to discover a place to retailer them. So I spent a while transforming the hanging garments facet of the room. In order that facet went from wanting like this, with a bunch of drawers I actually didn’t want…

…to wanting like this, with an area for laundry hampers tall sufficient in order that the lids will open, a devoted slot for the step ladder, and the hanging bars for the garments I put on recurrently introduced down decrease in order that they’re simply reachable for me. The hanging bar on the far left part continues to be excessive, however that’s the place I’ll hold issues I don’t must entry frequently.

The best facet of the closet stayed just about the identical besides that I added two 14-inch-deep drawers proper subsequent to the washer the place I can retailer the massive containers of laundry detergent, bleach, and so forth., for simple entry. My washer holds a pretty big reservoir of laundry detergent, sufficient for about 15 a great deal of laundry, so I gained’t must entry these for every load. However once more, with me being so quick, I’d relatively have these issues saved low for simple entry relatively than in a excessive cupboard that may require me to make use of a ladder to entry them. I additionally tweaked the drawers within the heart part to incorporate two rows of shallow drawers and two rows of taller drawers relatively than having all of them the identical peak.

So with my finalized plan in hand, I meticulously figured the entire provides I’d must construct all the things, together with the drawers, and positioned my order. I ended up shopping for 21 sheets of three/4-inch plywood, 6 sheets of 1/2-inch plywood for the drawers, and 9 sheets of 1/4-inch plywood for the drawers and backing for the cupboard sections. Plus, I ordered the entire trim boards and molding to complete it out fully.

And since I used to be buying a lot, the person on the Lowe’s Professional Desk who was serving to me place my order had me arrange a Professional account, which gave me a reduction of $257.43. I additionally utilized for a Lowe’s bank card, which gave me an extra 5% off of my buy.

The grand complete for all of my provides, together with tax and supply, got here to $2235.14.

The price of constructing a closet from scratch vs. the price of an IKEA Pax wardrobe closet

I used to be curious how that in comparison with an IKEA Pax wardrobe with an analogous setup, so final night time, I redesigned the PAX wardrobe with the modifications. After all, I nonetheless couldn’t get the entire particulars that I wished, just like the 14-inch-deep drawers or the part for my step ladder. However I obtained fairly shut.

The entire for the PAX wardrobes got here to $2410. However after all, that doesn’t embody any of the customizations, like including crown molding, baseboards, trim boards on the entrance edges of the wardrobe bins, including the cubby for my step ladder, and so forth. It additionally didn’t embody doorways for the 2 cupboards flanking the closet doorway because the PAX doorways wouldn’t work with my configuration. So I must construct these myself anyway.

As soon as all of these prices are added, a PAX wardrobe with an analogous configuration plus customizations and trim/molding would price a grand complete of $3200.75, together with tax and supply.

I can positively see the enchantment in utilizing a PAX wardrobe system, however there’s no price financial savings there for people who find themselves capable of construct from scratch. Plus, with a PAX system, the backs of the wardrobe sections are mainly thick cardboard, and I’m fairly certain the bins are fabricated from MDF coated with melamine. I don’t personally have an issue with that, however I do know that portray melamine is much more tough than portray plywood.

Additionally, with the PAX system, you’ve restricted decisions relating to the sizing. They solely supply three widths, so if these don’t match the measurements of your room, you simply must make it work. In my value comparability, I used to be evaluating the 39-inch-wide PAX wardrobes to those I’ll construct at 46 inches large, which can match the scale of my room a lot better.

Anyway, should you’ve been contemplating a PAX wardrobe, however you’ve the power to construct from scratch, that provides you with an thought of the price comparability between the 2. After all, there are execs and cons to every. One profit (in all probability the principle profit) of utilizing PAX is the time financial savings. It’s a lot quicker and simpler to place these collectively than it’s to construct from scratch. However should you’re planning on doing loads of customizations with trim and molding to make it look custom-built when it’s completed, it is perhaps value it to only construct the entire thing from scratch to economize.

So I’m on the supply schedule for Thursday. I’m hoping it will likely be early within the day in order that I’ll truly have the ability to begin constructing on Thursday. But when not, no less than I’ll have the ability to get began on Friday. However regardless of the timing, I’m not going to emphasize about it. That is presupposed to be enjoyable, proper? 😀

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.