When I moved to a new apartment, I gave the bedroom a complete makeover including a new PAX wardrobe. More accurately, half of the wardrobe is new. I bought the essential parts from IKEA and sourced the rest from the Norwegian version of Craigslist, finn.no.
I already had KOMPLEMENT drawers installed in my 100 cm wide wardrobe when I discovered that the KOMPLEMENT drawer (in the lowest position) was in the way of the PAX door hinge placements.
IKEA’s recommended solution is to use wire baskets. But I didn’t like the wire baskets and I can’t saw straight to pull off this hinge hack.
Then, I found the PLATSA STRAUMEN doors and thought they might do the trick. I went to IKEA to measure, Googled with no luck, and also asked Jules for input, and decided to give it a go.
This is the plan:
And this is what I want: ÅHEIM mirror door for PAX on the left and PLATSA STRAUMEN mirror doors on the right.
Items used:
- 1 PAX 100 x 58 cm (39 3/8 x 22 7/8″ ) wardrobe module with shelves and drawers
- 1 PLATSA STRAUMEN mirror door 60 cm (23″)
- 1 PLATSA STRAUMEN mirror door 40 cm (15″)
- 5 KOMPLEMENT hinges
- 10 HÖGBO hinge screws
- Screwdriver, permanent marker and a drill
- 50% Optimism and 50% Stubbornness
How To Install PLATSA Doors on PAX Wardrobe
I had already bought some used KOMPLEMENT hinges, so I ordered one 60 cm and one 40 cm wide STRAUMEN door, both 180 cm (70″) tall.
The width was perfect, I just needed some small adjustments on the hinge screws. Also, the height was great, I had to move a shelf two (existing) dowel holes up so the bottom of the doors has something to stop against. That left a gap above the drawers which I decided to fill with a pull-out shelf.
I’m quite pleased with the final result.
I have the other (ÅHEIM) mirror door hinged on the 50cm PAX (on the left), so I can open two doors to see how I look from behind when needed.
Challenges faced:
The PLATSA system has smaller and more holes than PAX, so the KOMPLEMENT hinges have larger screws than the holes on the doors, and the hinges will not match the PAX holes when attached to the door.
I had some leftover screws from mounting HÖGBO doors on my BILLY bookshelves, and they fit in the STRAUMEN door holes nicely.
Installing the hinges
As for the placement of the hinges on the PAX, the only major problem is that I’m alone and unable to measure, so I had to use the least recommended method: Trial and error.
Basically, by lifting and swearing, I nudged the lower hinge into place and attached that, then, balanced the door carefully with my free hand, put a dot in the holes where the top hinge should be placed, and drilled the holes. When the top and bottom hinges were attached, the rest was easy. But I really recommend getting a friend with measuring capabilities to help instead.
The holes on the top hinge hit just in the middle of the existing holes. I only needed to make new holes for the top and middle hinges.
The final result of the PAX PLATSA Doors Wardrobe
Me happy.
~ by Ellen S.