Lack of closet space is an issue we must all confront at some point. Our apartment's previous tenants dealt with the bedroom's tiny closet by installing IKEA Stolmen shelves floor to ceiling across one entire wall and then graciously left them to us when they moved out. We were happy to inherit them and even happier to use them, however, having to stare at all of our clothes all the time was not so nice...
So, back to Ikea we went to find a simple solution to hide our Stolmen wardrobe. Wes had used a tension wire and fabric curtain combo in a previous apartment to hide an exposed closet, but it was much narrower and not as tall. Our 11.5' wardrobe wall also has a window in the middle which we did not want to block out. We decided on the triple-rail Kvartal system with Anno Sanela flat panel curtains (in beige) to allow varied levels of access to our closet without losing any light.
The installation was actually very simple but did require 2 people. Also, the panel curtains are incredibly simple to measure and trim to the desired length with a regular X-acto knife. They were a bit squeaky so we greased the rail using bike grease on a Q-tip and now they slide with ease, without the noise. You'll notice there's a paint line behind the curtains because we painted after installing everything. We simply taped a line using a level and now it looks like we have a white built-in closet in our deep blue room.
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It looks great! Lucky you have two windows or it would be sadly dark in your bedroom. You can afford to cover that second window, though.
I have a whole wall of elfa drawer/shelf units that I covered with curtains and a very long IKEA curtain rod, but I prefer your system; it looks more elegant and is more functional. I think I am going to have to steal your design idea.
beautiful!
hmmm... it's a shame to lose that window... how does it look when you leave the panels open in the center?
I would second sunan's comment by saying that if you got a simple white dresser that mimics the stolmen (and isn't see-through) one could leave the panels open to the window. But it looks really good, either way.
Looks great!!
I'v'e actually been thinking of doing that to cover my clothes in the bedroom.
I hope what I'm about to say won't spoil your joy but I was worried that the curtains would wear and become dirty since one would always touch them in a similar place to open/close..
Did you think about this? Do you think it is a real issue or something that I don't have to think about..
Hi there, Kristjana -
The curtains haven't worn at all. The natural open fiber hasn't become discolored or dirty in nearly a year of use. I wouldn't worry at all. We recommend them 100%
Great work!
Also, as an alternate to KristinaXI's suggestion, you could line the inside fronts of the dresser drawers with a pretty paper so that the drawer contents don't show through.
I loved it, great simple idea :)
I know i am supposed to be looking at the closet but I could not get my eyes off of your window curtains.... what are they, plastic ? fabric? where did you get these... if I may ask ?
:)
I had that same problem, and idea actually, bought the equipment and everytihng. I was a little worried about how it would look. Guess I have nothing to worry about it looks great.
Nice work.
If you're worried about panels getting discolored from being touched, you could always buy a couple of extras. They're quite inexpensive. If the hanging panels aren't exposed to a lot of light they won't fade much over the years, so any saved replacement panels should match the older, non-discolored ones.
I'm also wondering if you could cutout a "window" in each of the center panels, then cover it with translucent paper or plastic. That would let more light in while still obscuring the view. Might pose structural issues though with the panels themselves. Another option might be numerous smaller openings - perhaps even some kind of design - cut into the panels, with translucent paper or plastic behind that. You might even use colors.
Was the track system easy to install? I'm purchasing a new home and would like to use the Kvartal system but I wasn't sure how well it would cover a large expanse of space. I've made up my mind now...thank you so much!
The Kvartal system is one of my favorite things from Ikea. VERY versatile and inexpensive....The way the panels slide on the rail is amazing...smooth and quiet....
...holy crap, I sound like Nadine on Twin Peaks.
Looks great! Good solution. What color is on your walls? I'm really liking the blue/slate tone...or is that just my monitor?
Kayla here -
The Kvartal system was very easy to install though it did require two people - one to hold the rails up while the other aligns and screws them into the ceiling. You'll need to buy the miter saw that is sold in the same area as the curtains (unless you own one) because the rail is cut down to the exact size of your space. This step is very simple - measure twice, cut once! I'd imagine this system would work beautifully no matter the length of the wall. The 6-panel expanse of our system is quite dramatic.
I did want to point out that in our space the curtains block very little light coming in from our "hidden" window - at the brightest time of the day, yes, you can see the shape of the window and a slight shadow of the things on the dresser but most of the day they are simply a floor to ceiling light filter. We would actually highly recommend them as window coverings when privacy is needed without sacrificing light.
The blue paint is Blue Echo from Ben Moore's Affinity line. It is a deep blue green (not slate as it may appear in one of the images).
I would really like to install this system in my apartment to hide a stackable washer/dryer. Do I need a drill? Do you think it's "safe" to do so in a rental?
Thanks!