Oooo. I love wall wardrobes. I had one in an old apartment and I have never been more organized.

I would urge you to consider custom built-ins. We researched possibilities for a similar project a few years ago, and came to the conclusion that we would pay almost the same amount for particleboard wardrobes (from IKEA and other sources) and considerably more for solid-wood armoires of the size we wanted from fancier stores. The cabinetmaker we went with made exactly what we wanted, in a custom stain. In this market, I imagine you could get a good deal.

definitely Pax, you cold paint it to match or add extra moldings, here is a great example:

http://makingitlovely.com/2008/12/16/my-organized-closet/

or the IKEA Stranda painted white

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyndarthemerciless/3217708365/
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40022180

I'm looking to do the same... I like your solution.

i recommend the pax system. i have it in my home and it works great!

You could always use the IKEA PAX cases and have custom doors and drawers made by a local craftsman if you don't want to go 100% custom...

Given your parameters you may wish to consider a minimalist contemporary design where the wardrobes "disappear" into the background by resembling a paneled wall. The Italian furniture company, Poliform, manufactures a number of different styles of very minimalist wardrobe cabinetry, plus they make a well constructed, durable product. Several other European cabinetmakers such as Ligne Roset, Bo Concept, and kitchen cabinet fabricators make somewhat similar designs. Though not a perfect substitute for seamless Poliform cabinetry, Ikea wardrobes can be adapted to resemble paneling.

If you must have a victorian style wardrobe, you may have to seek out a local custom cabinetmaker to design and create what you want.

Good Luck

Meet with a cabinet maker to discuss custom built-ins. It will be worth it. We had the same issue and I found that regardless of what "off the shelf" solution I looked at -- it wasn't taking full advantage of the space the way custom would. I have an estimate and a drawing of the custom built ins and am just waiting until we have more money saved before we go ahead.

Also, something to keep in mind (which was a MAJOR factor in our decisions), some of the pieces of the Ikea PAX, etc., would not fit up our staircase (also a 100 year old house). Not sure if you have this problem in your home.

An antique armoire is a much better choice than Ikea, both for your decor and for longevity. I bought Ikea for my kids' rooms, and the wardrobes started looking tatty after a year or two. In contrast, I have a 200-year-old armoire that's still going strong.

BWT, if you wanted to make your existing closets work, you can buy hardware for pull-out clothes racks that go front-to-back in a closet, instead of side-to-side.

Go custom. You'll be happier in the end.

We have friends with a c. 1850 stone house, and they installed modern Euro style closets (like Ikea but better quality and nicer wood), and it looks gorgeous!

If you would like more of a historic look, have you considered antique armoires?

Not sure how useful it is to ask for advice here without any indication of the budget. If I had $20k left over, I would go with poliform, b&b italia or some other italian company. For $1-2k, poliform may or may not sell me a door...

I live in a place that the recession hasn't really hit, so good quality antiques are still at mind-blowing prices here, so I live for cheap alterations to Ikea things. I also live in a Victorian home that has been converted into apartments and modern isn't my thing.
Search craigslist and local antique markets first. It is spring, so garage sales and estate sales are a good place to start. Other than that, the shown Ikea wall unit is great and I am a big fan of their Leksvik series. Its solid pine, so you can sand it and change the stain. The stain it comes in is perfect for a slightly rustic antiqued look. I would say that the Leksvik is one of the highest quality series at ikea, but it also gets more complicated to put together. Try changing the door knobs on the largest sized wardrobe to antique ones if the good antiques you find are too expensive. You can get some high quality custom or antique hardware without breaking the bank.

You might give Scherr's a call -- I know they will do custom doors for Ikea kitchen cabinets, and they may well be able to create custom doors for a PAX wardrobe as well.

does anyone have recommendations on carpenters/cabinet makers around boston? we have lots of ideas for possible custom built-in projects (window seat, bookshelves, and now this post inspires me to think about wardrobes) and it's always nice to hear others recommendations and experiences.

sorry, i don't have anything to add to the original question, except to say that i like the shelves idea.

We did the PAX system in our 1910 house. However, for budget and practical reasons, we opted for curtains on a cable track instead of doors. We used a dark brown cotton curtain (2 panels) but I'm thinking you could go with more traditional drapes in your case. This solution works great for two people because you avoid open doors or sliding panels getting in the way.

I went with Poliform in my bedroom. Its absolutely beautiful and it is ridiculously expensive. I cannot afford to do that in the TV room.