My weekend didn’t fairly go as deliberate, as to date, 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 can be began very quickly, and till then, stressing about it isn’t going to perform something besides put me in a really unhealthy temper. And no one desires that. 😀 So all I can do is snicker 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 device, you may actually get a good suggestion of what the completed closet will seem like, however clearly, you’re caught utilizing the merchandise they carry. So you may’t do any fine-tuning of the main points. It wasn’t an issue on the time as a result of I used to be simply making an attempt to get a common concept 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 precise 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 flooring plan that appears like this…
So final Friday, utilizing these photographs, I figured how a lot plywood I’d have to construct every thing. To be fairly trustworthy, 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 understanding the worth of sanded cabinet-grade plywood today, I had some severe sticker shock. I checked out the entire plywood choices on-line at each Lowe’s and House Depot and determined that Lowe’s had extra choices.
Saturday, I headed to Lowe’s pondering that I’d load up all of my provides, lease the Lowe’s truck, carry them dwelling, 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 record, I had failed to find out how a lot I wanted of every thickness. Not every thing would should 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, after I was there, I discovered two different varieties of plywood that have been significantly inexpensive. They have been each labeled for inside/exterior use. One was simply over $35 per sheet, and the opposite was slightly below $50 per sheet. That may save me a substantial amount of cash if I may use a kind of as a substitute of the gorgeous 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 rapidly put collectively utilizing Ikea’s PAX wardrobe planner utilizing their restricted choices with none customizations. And I undoubtedly 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 ft tall, so I want an area within the room the place I can retailer not 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 course 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 tougher for me to achieve?
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 means I wished to lease the Lowe’s truck piled with 21 sheets of plywood after which get dwelling and must unload all of that myself once they have supply out there. 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, every thing. So I wanted to do much more detailed planning. Plus, I wanted to decide on kind of plywood I wished to make use of. I don’t have to spend an additional $20-40 per sheet on stain-grade plywood since my whole closet can be painted. (Spoiler alert: I ended up going with this plywood. I noticed it in individual, and it appears 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 may 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 coloration, which oddly, isn’t out there anymore. So that you’ll must think about these within the gentle pure coloration. I purchased two as a result of I wish to separate my bleachable whites from every thing 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 remodeling 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 remains to be excessive, however that’s the place I’ll dangle issues I don’t have to entry frequently.
The precise 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 large containers of laundry detergent, bleach, and so forth., for simple entry. My washer holds a fairly large reservoir of laundry detergent, sufficient for about 15 a great deal of laundry, so I gained’t have to entry these for every load. However once more, with me being so brief, I’d somewhat have these issues saved low for simple entry somewhat 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 somewhat than having all of them the identical top.
So with my finalized plan in hand, I meticulously figured the entire provides I’d have to construct every thing, 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 a further 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 the same setup, so final evening, I redesigned the PAX wardrobe with the modifications. In fact, 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 whole 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 containers, including the cubby for my step ladder, and so forth. It additionally didn’t embody doorways for the 2 cupboards flanking the closet doorway for the reason that 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 the same configuration plus customizations and trim/molding would price a grand complete of $3200.75, together with tax and supply.
I can undoubtedly 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 containers are made 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 could have 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 extensive, which can match the dimensions of my room a lot better.
Anyway, should you’ve been contemplating a PAX wardrobe, however you could have the flexibility to construct from scratch, that will provide you with an concept of the fee comparability between the 2. In fact, there are execs and cons to every. One profit (most likely the principle profit) of utilizing PAX is the time financial savings. It’s a lot sooner and simpler to place these collectively than it’s to construct from scratch. However should you’re planning on doing plenty of customizations with trim and molding to make it look custom-built when it’s completed, it is perhaps price it to simply construct the entire thing from scratch to economize.
So I’m on the supply schedule for Thursday. I’m hoping it is going to be early within the day in order that I’ll truly be capable to begin constructing on Thursday. But when not, not less than I’ll be capable 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 embellish 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 the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.
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