This Closet Makeover Has One of the Fanciest IKEA Hacks I’ve Ever Seen

I’m not too proud to admit it: I frequently get serious cases of closet envy. No, not envy of what’s inside the closet — envy of the closet organization itself. My mid-century home has a lot of wonderful features, but storage-rich closets are unfortunately not on the list.

The hardest closets to manage are the ones in my bedroom, where my husband and I split three shallow closets with mirrored bifold doors (a feature I personally hate, though not everyone does). While these closets are serviceable, they’re definitely not ideal. It’s easy to lose track of things in the far reaches of the closet space beyond where the doors open, and the basic shelving means I don’t have exactly the right storage methods for my needs.

I’ve been thinking a lot about giving these closets a more practical transformation, and my research resurfaced a gorgeous closet makeover we featured on Apartment Therapy a few years ago. When I saw the before photo, I immediately remembered this project: The after wasn’t just impeccably organized, it was also so pretty that it barely even looked like a closet.

This transformation looks completely pro, but here’s the best part — it’s totally not! The two savvy DIYers behind the redo scrapped the old wire shelving and used IKEA’s PAX system to create the semi-custom walk-in closet.

I think what makes this IKEA hack look, well, not like an IKEA hack is the striking deep green paint color that was used for the cabinetry (it’s PPG’s Night Watch). Also key: the luxe new knobs added to the drawers, which come without any hardware at all. In total, the DIYed closet cost $1,500, which was less than one-third of the price professionals quoted these homeowners to do the same project. How impressive is that?

As I consider how to upgrade my own closets, I’ll be thinking about this smart project (and its daring use of color!). Check out the whole transformation here.

In the same closet-envy boat as me? Check out these smart ideas for IKEA hacks that add bedroom storage. Don’t forget to follow our tips for painting IKEA furniture to get the best, longest-lasting finish.