Redo Fitted Wardrobe

ChilliBob

Hey everyone,

I've been tasked with re-doing my daughters fitted wardrobes. Essentially the doors (non standard size) feel really flimsy and cheap, as do the drawers etc.

This is it now:

And with a bit of Gemini fakery, this is sort of what we're aiming for, but doors going up to coving - not that wasted gap!

This far I was considering Ikea PAX to do this, however, my room height and the coving makes this tricky.

Essentially Coving bottom to carpet = 229. Ikea PAX comes in a 201 or 236 varients. My idea was to use the 201 carcas, and put the doors from the 236 on it - which are 229!… However, that would assume the doors are not put on as usual - sitting above the plinth, but covering the plinth - not sure if that's possible.

Wondering if any seasoned Ikea hackers, or people who tend to take this stuff on themselves have any tips?

I've receently built a load of Tonstead units in my summerhouse which go across a whole wall with a 'built in' look' but that was starting from scratch and didn't involve any cutting down or hacking!

WIAWSNB

I don't follow. Your Gemini'd image has a plain panel along the top - surely that will take up any 'slack'?

I see no gap.

ChilliBob

Yeah, I'm keen to avoid that - the proportions aren't very good in the picture, it'd mean something about a foot high and nearly 4m long. Quite a waste, and I feel a bit too big for a filler bit. :/

rob7475

If you got rid of the coving, could you then fit the larger doors?

ChilliBob

Yeah, but only just, like with 1cm. However, that would make the room out of keeping with the rest of the house, also, as it's mitred onto the corner, I'd have to freestyle use some filler to remake the curve into a but joint :0

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81961591#Comment_81961591

I think that second pic looks perfectly fine. The top 'panel' is continued down each side, and looks to me just like 'wall', with built-in 'robes, which is just what it is.

Looks completely ok to me. But, your call.

ChilliBob

Cheers, I guess I'm just trying to see how it'd look in the room, I'm not 100% sure. Think I need to see these Ikea Pax things in the flesh and see how sturdy they feel.

Also tempted by a John Lewis Marlow one, better height, at 220, but far less options for internally configuring - which is very useful with children - shed loads of drawers and shelves are good for now, but as they grow will want to swap for hanging space!

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81962977#Comment_81962977

You also have the option of raising it slightly further from the floor, even continuing the room's skirting along it. A tad more ergonomic, too, with less backache :-)

Keep using AI to draw up representations.

Please keep us updated on the job :-)

ChilliBob

Indeed. Not 100% sure which way I'm leaning at the moment, but the options seem to be the following in my view, sure my wife would add some curveballs!

John Lewis Marlow - 220cm - need to make up between 8-10 cm - would probably add a plinth at the top - perhaps an architrave to match the door ones. (Skirts in the house are more like 18cm so would need a fair sized base to be made). https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-marlow-250cm-hinged-wardrobe/sage-green/p3830776

Ikea Pax - 201 - need to make up around 30cm - either make it up on the bottom (less likely) or the top (more likely). Top vs bottom…

Top - it's not structural - so I don't need to be so concerned with it being level and dictating the wardrobes being level, also strength isn't a concern. Keeps the wardrobe the height it's supposed to be - and with small children using it, being a foot higher off the ground is quite a big difference

Bottom - can use it to store their crap which they can reach easier - but will likely look messy, bonus point of the top solution - can store stuff you don't want them to grab!

Whether it's storage or blanking off I think it's the same pros and cons really.

I do think if Marlow looks nice (we're after that green colour) and I can figure out how to fit (bodge) Pax type drawers into it, then it could be a winner! - Edit - It looks like Pax drawers are exactly 36mm too small for the Marlow.. which is semi convenient - since 1/2 36 = 18mm - a pre-made size of mdf or ply.. So I figure I could make a ply upstand on each side to attach the drawers to perhaps :o

ChilliBob

Right everyone, having looked at the JL option and the Ikea option, sadly it's Ikea which wins. Essentially JL was too shallow so we'd not be able to do much inside really - which sort of makes us in a worse state!

New Plan…

Only the nook bit probably won't be shallower as per the AI take on things.

So, here's my plan!

* Strip out existing build, keeping coving in place (advise if you think that's never going to happen).

* Build a plinth from wood which is approximatly 100mm high (Exact height to be determined)

* Level plinth with shims like they do for windows, if required

* Build Pax wardrobe and put on plinth - the height from carpet to bottom of doors is to be about 175/180mm - which will allow me to put a 170mm Ogee skirting on the bottom to match the rest of the room. (As recommended above! Cheers!)

* The Pax will fall short of the coving by about 100mm - for this I was going to screw bits of wood to the top of the wardrobes and put in some MDF to take up this gap.

* Paint/decorate before adding doors - effectively any 'packing' wood to meet and be flush with the carcas

So yeah that's about the size of it.

I've measured from bottom of coving to carpet at each size and in midddle, looks to only be about 1mm out over the span (3.8m) likewise when measuring from walls top to bottom. Which was pretty surprising!

Concerns…

How to remove the existing strip from the coving? (Or, whether to bother? - the strip is slightly below the coving by about 2mm - perhaps I use this as an anchor for my strip? (it'll be bigger)

Other than the coving, I'm a little concerned how well the side infil will come away, looks to be filled around the skirting, possibly with 2 pack or similar…

Scribing is also a concern - for the sides and the top. It's possible I might get away with not doing it, but if not I sense I might find that tricky - seen some youtube tutorials from a bloke who also makes hats though!

This is just me thinking about the wardrobe side of the project for now, once that's clear in my head I'll plan the nook bit.

Lastlly, I saw on some other thread someone mentioned a self levelling lazer, I can sort of see how it could help, but struggling to see how you'd use such a thing to make sure the plinth is level? - I have a 900mm spirit level, obvs I don't have a longer one (sure only builders and tilers might!).

Any feedback much appreciated. Just learnt we're probably putting this on hold once we know what we're doing, until September - when my daughter (who's room this is!) starts school - so more time to work on it!

Cheers for reading, happy Sunday!

jennifernil

Are you planning to remove enough carpet to get plinth directly onto the floor?