apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I hope nobody flames me for this, but my favorite wardrobe system has been IKEA Pax for a long time. If we had a place to put it, I'd have it with those gorgeous glass/aluminum doors.

Ikea's Pax: one sliding door wardrobe and one single door unit would just about be wall-to-wall. Put a little wood along the edges painted the color of your walls, and it will look like it's built in. I noticed that Gliss 5th is also particleboard, so if you're looking for cheaper - Ikea seems to be the perennial answer.

Oops. I am such a loser for not thinking of mousing over the "Distribution Network" link...thanks for not mocking me. :) I guess I was in a hurry and looking for "Stores" or "Retailers" and Molteni never answered my e-mails, probably because my question could have been easily addressed by the site!

Anyway, so yes, less expensive attractive closet suggestions would be great! Thanks!

another vote for ikea pax. we've had ours for two years and it still looks and works great (have the glass/aluminum sliding doors). it seems like most of the schmancy wardrobe systems are particleboard/laminate anyway, so it wasn't worth it to us to spend 3 times as much as we did at ikea.

My husband and I used California Closets to fit out two condo closets for us. It ended up being a lot cheaper than I expected. He's particularly happy with the end result as we got the laundry hamper that as his idea.
I researched some of the other closet companies here in Vancouver, but I found CC to have the best quality and finish at their lower price range. I am already planning to use them again in our new house once we moved in.

Personally I have been eyeing the Lumeo from Ligne Roset, it's very customizable however it's not exactly "cheap". ;)

As preparation for sticker shock, you should estimate that a system like the Molteni wardrobe will run you no less than about $1400 per horizontal foot. It rises rapidly from there given all of the bell, whistles, and custom options.

Jesse Italia makes wardrobes and closet systems with a similar Italian contemporary vibe but for about 30-40% less. They are fully customizable as well. Here is one example, but they have many styles, colors, and interiors choices:

http://www.jesse.it/ing/products/night-collection/plurimo-wardrobes/sliding-doors/breeze.html

Ordering a custom system is usually a lengthy process. Estimate about 4-6 months from order to installation as everything is custom manufactured in Europe and shipped over. If you need something even quicker, here are a couple of options on clearance at Usona:

http://www.usonahome.com/detail.aspx?ID=3211&ndx=-1&categoryid=83

http://www.usonahome.com/detail.aspx?ID=3221&ndx=-1&categoryid=83

I considered all of these options, but ended up using Ikea kitchen cabinets with brown/black doors and floor to ceiling curtains for my bedroom storage. I managed an entire wall of storage (about 14 horizontal feet) for just over $1000:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28955208@N05/3455293186/

Thanks to everyone so far!

RichardinLA, that is brilliant, beautiful, and very similar to the aesthetic I am hoping for! What do you have behind the curtains? A shelving system? Drawers? Are the kitchen cabinets a good size for clothing items or are other things stored in there?

Thanks carignane - glad I could help! Right now I have rolling wardrobe racks for clothes behind the curtains but there are a variety of options depending on how "finished" you want that space behind the curtain to be. You could use a closet organization system like this one from West Elm to add drawers and storage and clothing racks:

http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODa385&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1ACCCST&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1ACCCST

http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODa388&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1ACCCST&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1ACCCST

or you could use a much nicer system like the Plurimo Walk In closet system from Jesse Italia (featured on the left side of this first image):

http://www.jesse.it/ing/products/night-collection/plurimo-walk-in-closet.html

The walk in closet system is essentially all of the wardrobe interior elements without the doors or frame. Custom cladding of your finish choice is mounted to the walls and then the shelving, racks and storage are mounted to the cladding to give it a very seamless look. There are no unsightly mounting racks like you might find with a system from the Container Store, for example.

As for the Ikea kitchen cabinets, they come in 2 depths: 12" and 24". Mine are the 12" so I use them mostly for books, dvds, and folded clothes. If you wanted to use them for clothing storage, I would go with the 24" depth and outfit them with the clothing racks from the Pax wardrobe system. The advantage of the kitchen systems over the Pax systems is that they have many more customizable options to help you get as close to a built-in look as possible. I also prefer the door choices that are available with the kitchens. It took many trips to Ikea before it finally dawned on me that cabinets are cabinets. It doesn't matter what part of the store you find them in!

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask here or on my flickr page.

Another vote for IKEA PAX.

Even if you don't care for the doors that are available, you could have a local craftsman create doors that will fit your units for FAR-FAR less than the Italian system...
...tho I suggest that if you are considering the IKEA door/drawerfronts - consider using non-IKEA handles/pulls so that it's not instantly identifiable as IKEA.

My boyfriend and I have Ikea Pax and we love it. However, it's a nightmare to purchase and put together. Also, be careful how you store in the apartment. All the pieces are fragile. If you go this route, really plot out how you want the inside organized before you put on the doors.

How about a great made-in-the-USA product, sustainably sourced and made by craftsmen? Me, I love Henrybuilt.

http://www.henrybuilt.com/main.php?jumpTo=showroom

(under "whole house", then "wardrobe/closet")

I too have Ikea Pax and contrary to lipstick1's comment I found it very easy to rearrange my interior fittings after putting on the doors. In fact I really like that you can do that, or add new fittings if you feel like it.

Nothing much to add except that I too love a minimalist bedroom, so much easier to relax when your eye's got fewer distractions!

I hope you find the right answer at the right price. :)

If you're looking for a cheaper option...I used Smart Closet Solutions, and they were amazing! They did a custom renovation of my non-walk in closet for under $1,000 total.

http://www.smartclosetsolution.com/

They're based in Brooklyn, and I seriously doubt you'll find better quality at their prices.

Another vote for CALIFORNIA CLOSETS.

Ordering a custom system is acutally not a lengthly process. California Closets works with North American vendors, so there is no waiting for European shipments that come from across the globe, leaving a high carbon footprint. A Design Consultant meets with you to determine your exact needs, drawings are made, the order submitted, and when they install, it usually only takes a day or two if you are installing a larger walk-in. I was impressed that the installers wear booties on their feet to keep my floors clean, and never left a mess behind. Only a beautiful system that organizes me and keeps me sane!