It’s reveal day for my Ikea Pax Wardrobe hack project!
I’m so happy with how this unit came together and it’s been beyond helpful for storage. The customizations made were simple, but they made a huge impact on the overall design and feel of the wardrobe.
I can’t wait for you to see everything, so let’s just jump right into it. Here’s how to paint an Ikea Pax Wardrobe:
I put together a YouTube video for the entire process of how to paint Ikea furniture. You can also skip to the end for a walkthrough tour of the inside of the wardrobe if you prefer!
If you happened to miss the earlier parts of the project, you can check them out here:
I: Why We’re Getting a Wardrobe
III: How to Paint Ikea Furniture
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What I Used for the Pax Hack
From Ikea
– PAX Wardrobe Frames (2 at 92″ tall)
– BERGSBO Doors (4)
– KOMPLEMENT trays + accessories
From Hardware Store
– 120 Grit Sandpaper
– BIN primer
– Benjamin Moore paint in Tropical Pool
– Polycrylic
– Paint brushes + rollers
– Drill
Miscellaneous
– Peel and stick wallpaper
– Brass + leather 6″ handles
– Drawer dividers (mine were custom from this shop)
– Gold hangers
If you have the space to use a paint sprayer for this project, this is the one I use!
How To Paint an Ikea Pax Wardrobe
Most pieces of Ikea furniture are made of laminated particleboard, which means the surface is slick. Getting paint to stick can be tricky! Just follow these four easy steps for painting Ikea furniture to paint your project any color you want!
1. Lightly sand all of your doors and panels with 120 grit sandpaper. Any area that will be painted should be sanded. This will help the paint stick which is key when painting Ikea furniture. Wipe down thoroughly to remove all dust.
2. For arguably the most important step: priming. This step is non-negotiable and will be the reason your paint sticks. The trick for painting Ikea furniture is that not all primers are created equal (not every type will work on Ikea!). My go-to is BIN primer.
Apply a coat to all areas you plan to paint and let dry overnight.
3. Now it’s time to add color! The doors I chose had detail, so I started by cutting in all the corners, then I rolled on a coat of paint. A paint sprayer would be great for this project if you have the space!
I let this dry for a few hours then went back in with a second coat. Two coats should give you a good amount of coverage, but once everything is dry, go back in and make touchups.
Let your paint dry fully for at least 2 days.
Sealing Your Work
Now it’s time to seal everything. Apply 1-2 coats of Polycrylic, sanding lightly in between coats. Polycrylic can be tricky to work with, so if this your first time, I suggest practicing on a scrap piece of wood until you get the technique right. I also go over it more in my Youtube video on how to paint Ikea furniture.
Let sealant dry completely (I suggest another two days) before you try to assemble. The longer cure time you can give everything, the better!
The Wardrobe Reveal
After painting, wallpapering, and adding handles, the wardrobe came together nicely!
I kept the inside of the wardrobe white for a few different reasons. I love how colors pop against white, so I wanted my clothes to stand out when the doors were open. It also meant less time painting the project. I can always go back in to add more paint or wallpaper in the future, but for now I like it as is.
Can we get a little commotion for the wallpaper?! The pop of wallpaper might be subtle, but I think it’s those small details that help a DIY really come together.
After adding wallpaper to the back of the hutch makeover, I knew I had to bring that detail to this project too. And I’m so glad I did because I love seeing the flowers and birds peek out from behind the clothes.
Custom Drawer Dividers for Pax Wardrobe
One of my favorite things about the entire wardrobe is that I finally have storage for my jewelry! I have such a love for statement earrings (which you may remember from this Wish List post), and haven’t had a great way to store them until now.
I searched high and low for a good solution and even did a few mock ups for making my own dividers. Nothing I found was quite right, so I ended up finding an awesome Etsy seller who was able to custom make them for me.
Two full sets with shipping cost around $120 and they were so worth it. Now I can see all of my jewelry and keep it organized.
For a complete tour of the Pax unit, be sure to head to my YouTube channel. I share more about how the unit works inside and show you Ryan’s side as well. We went for different layouts and his side has a great solution for storing pants!
And that’s the Pax Hack! I’d love to know what you think!
Do you think it was the right call to change colors from yellow to Tropical Pool? Should I use the same wallpaper on the walls in my office? Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!
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