After staring at a blank white wall for over two years and paging through loads and loads of advertisements about way too expensive walk-in closets, the idea simply hit me to step right out of the box and go IKEA.
I needed a closet system that would fit wall-to-wall and had a certain degree of flexibility and adaptability. And better yet, it can be upgraded according to my savings account. 😉
The solution: a combination of white Expedit bookcases, with a few white doors, some drawers, a hanging clothes rail that my father added, and ….. a really cool shoe storage system (all the girls who’ve seen this want to make their walk-in now).
If I want to, I could even add sliding doors later (PAX for instance) and even better – should I ever move, I can adapt my dressing to a completely new environment.
My Idea for an EXPEDIT-KALLAX Cube Closet
Materials:
- EXPEDIT shelving unit (5×5 cubes)
- EXPEDIT door inserts x 4
- EXPEDIT shelving unit (2×2 cubes) with drawer inserts
- EXPEDIT shelving unit (2×2 cubes) with door inserts
- EXPEDIT shelving unit (1×5 cubes) x 2
- Red LEKMAN boxes x 5
- EXPEDIT cube divider insert (for the shoe rack, discontinued)
- Clothes rails
(Update: The EXPEDIT is no longer in production. Check the KALLAX range for similar items to create a similar cube closet system.)
I started with the large 5×5 unit in one corner of the wardrobe space. Then added another 1×5 on the other end. Then, stacked another 1×5 to bridge the top. Below that I used a 2×2 Expedit. On the left of the wardrobe, I also replaced an old small wardrobe with two 2×2 Expedit units with doors.
I can’t believe how easy (and cheap) it was to fill out my entire closet space with a neat and organized open shelving system, with space for hanging clothes and small items like socks and underwear.
This is how my Expedit Kallax cube closet looks! I left the backs of the cubbies open but you can also close up the backs to prevent items from falling through the shelves.
For the clothes rod, use one that has a little lip to hang off the top of the shelf, as the EXPEDIT (or KALLAX) can be somewhat hollow inside. Here’s one on Amazon to show what I mean. Fix the rod as near to the top as possible, screwed into the chunky horizontal panel of the shelving unit, which is where the “meat” is. The length of the rod is also adjustable so it was easy to get the rod to fit from one shelving to the other.
Unfortunately, the cube divider insert to create this super cool shoe storage is no longer in production. But all is not lost. I suggest dividing the cubby in half with the KALLAX insert with 1 shelf. You’ll still be able to fit two pairs of shoes per shelf, or maybe even three if they are thin sandals or flip flops.
To continue with the theme, I used Expedit bookshelves on the other side of the room. I stacked the 2×2 cubes for my books and other displays. So far this cube closet system has worked really well for my bedroom storage and clothes organization.
~ by Sofie Herregodts, Belgium