How to Create a Custom IKEA Closet + Best Organization Buys

A few months ago, we decided to give our master closet a bit of a makeover… as in we pulled out every old grimy wire shelving in there and started completely over. But although I would love to have someone from California Closets (or insert another fancy custom closet maker here), our family is on a budget, so today I’m going to share how we redid our master closet using the IKEA closet builder.

For more DIY and custom building projects on Driftwood and Iron, go here.

STEP 1: PURGE YOUR CLOSET AND TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR WARDROBE

One of the most exciting parts about building a customized IKEA closet is that you can make it completely tailored to what you need. If you’re obsessed with shoes but have a more simple wardrobe, why not ditch the extra rails for more shoe racks? Do you have more clothing that needs to be folded or hung?

A big recommendation I have is to have a purge of your closet before you make your selections. After you’ve removed anything to be donated or thrown out, you have a more realistic sense of what categories you actually need and how much room you’ll need for each. (You also may see a trend in the items you tend to buy and then never wear so you can avoid that in the future)

STEP 2: MEASURE THE WALLS & CHECK THE DEPTH OF YOUR CLOSET

Make sure you check the bottom, middle and top of the wall to see if any of your widths are different. (You’ll find that there’s no such thing as a square room when the house is a bit older) Always check the depth of the pieces you select to make sure there’s plenty of room to walk, etc.

Pro Tip: If you “think” everything will fit, grab your painters tape and stick it on the floor to mark out where everything will go

STEP 3: USE THE IKEA CLOSET BUILDER TO BUILD YOUR VISION

You can access the IKEA closet builder here.

Once you’ve figured out the types of units you will need to fulfill your needs, it’s time to get designing! The IKEA closet builder actually isn’t too bad — you can input your closet’s dimensions and either pick something pre-made by IKEA, or you can build from scratch. Personally I’m a fan of building from scratch because I can be super specific with colors, finishes, and the other bells and whistles.

Here’s a sample mock up of two of the pieces I created for our IKEA closet (the one on the left was part of mine, and the one on the right was for my husband):

STEP 4: REMOVE ANY CURRENT SHELVING, FILL HOLES AND PAINT

You will need:

Drill (I’m in love with this one)
Scraper
Spackle Patch and Repair
Drop cloth (these from Amazon are huge and you can fold them up to reuse)
Painter’s Tape
Paint of your choice — we went for Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster
Roller and paint brush

Our wire shelves were beyond gross — I’m pretty sure they were the original ones installed when the house was built in the 80s, so they felt grimy and we weren’t sure if they were originally a dirty beige, or if that happened over time.

I recommend removing all of your shelving, filling holes, and painting before picking up your closet units. Why? Because you’d be surprised how you may change your mind on your layout once you take a look at a clean canvas. If you’re a pro at planning and don’t need the extra time with a blank slate, it also gives you a moment to double check your measurements.

Painting Tip: To get a clean line with painter’s tape, lay down the painter’s tape and paint a thin coat of the original color over the top and the seam of the painter’s tape. When it’s completely dry, paint the new paint color over it. You’ll get a clean line every time because the original color will ensure the tape has no gaps.

STEP 5: CUSTOMIZE FURTHER TO YOUR TASTE

Add a cool light fixture, rug, art, and displays. As you’re putting things away, maybe add some extra organizers for your drawers to help you keep the room organized.