Designing a Closet Using IKEA’s PAX System or SEKTION Cabinets

In this article:

• Why you need a team of IKEA design experts for your IKEA closet design
• What are reasonable expectations from an IKEA closet design?
• Advantages and disadvantages of a custom PAX closet design
• Advantages and disadvantages of a custom SEKTION closet design

The Pros and Cons of IKEA’s PAX System and SEKTION Cabinets for Closet Design

We love creating custom IKEA designs. However, it’s important to note that IKEA is a mass-produced brand.

At IKD, we help homeowners get what they want from IKEA by providing a detailed design package with diagrams showing how to perform innovative IKEA cabinet hacks and by using cabinets creatively. For example, we use side panels to create custom cabinetry and partner with brands like Semihandmade and Rev-A-Shelf to achieve built-in designs with optimized storage for every room.

However, we are designers, not magicians, and it’s important to note that using IKEA comes with limitations. This fact is particularly apparent when discussing IKEA PAX closet designs. While SEKTION is more customizable, these closet configurations come with limitations, too.

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PAX or SEKTION: Two Choices for IKEA Closet Design

When designing an IKEA closet, your choices are PAX and SEKTION; each option has pros and cons. With either choice, your design relies on pre-built products to achieve the ultimate design goal, though SEKTION is more customizable.

With PAX, you can use IKEA’s PAX planning tool to lay out the closet yourself, but you’ll run into problems similar to the home planner. For instance, the software doesn’t plan well around architectural challenges, it takes a while to master the program, and you’re limited to the items IKEA believes you should be using in your PAX closet.

IKD customer Mary left a Houzz review discussing her frustration with the PAX closet planning tool and maximizing closet storage using the PAX system. IKD made the process easier.

Since IKEA sees SEKTION as a kitchen design product, no SEKTION closet planning tool exists. You may be able to create a design using the IKEA kitchen planner. Still, SEKTION hacks are essential in a closet design, as is the ability to mix elements (i.e., combining SEKTION and PAX), and the planner tool doesn’t allow for these options.

Our professional design software and broad knowledge of IKEA products let us achieve custom closet designs that satisfy our customers’ storage needs and individual styles.

Setting Expectations for Your IKEA Closet Design

There are some closet design elements we simply cannot achieve with IKEA products. While we welcome closet inspiration photos from all sources, companies specializing in building custom closets from scratch will have the upper hand – but the price and wait times reflect that.

We get as close to the desired design as possible with the materials available to us. This may mean using fillers to achieve a built-in look and having dead space in the closet corners.

In short, we may not be able to achieve this:

But we can achieve this:

Keep reading to learn more about what you can achieve with a PAX closet system or custom-designed SEKTION closet system.

Pros of Using the IKEA PAX Closet System

PAX is designed for use as a wardrobe

PAX is easier to outfit with accessories made for organizing clothes. IKEA has KOMPLEMENT shoe pullouts, clothes hanging rods, drawers, etc., designed to be used with PAX combinations.

PAX has Corner Cabinets

Although it usually means sacrificing 4 1/8″ of corner space, PAX has add-on corner cabinets that make closet corners usable.

PAX Cabinets Offer Three Color Choices

The PAX wardrobe line comes in white, beige, and dark grey, making it easy to complement multiple aesthetics.

Cons of Using the IKEA PAX Closet System

PAX Cabinet Size is Limited

With PAX, you can choose from three cabinet widths (39 3/8”, 29 ½”, and 19 5/8”) and two cabinet heights (79 1/8″ and 92 7/8″). Unlike SEKTION cabinets, hacking PAX into different sizes is impossible.

PAX Door Configurations are Limited

Because of the limited cabinet size, PAX door sizes are limited, too. Your width options are 19 1/2″ and 9 7/8″. You may wonder if custom doors are an option, as they are with SEKTION cabinets, but that brings us to con number three.

Finding Custom PAX Doors is Challenging<

It’s not impossible to find custom PAX doors (and we can certainly design with them), but many reputable brands we partner with, such as Semihandmade, don’t make PAX-compatible custom doors.

Pros of Using SEKTION Cabinets in Your IKEA Closet Design

The Cabinet Boxes Can be Modified

When we design built-in closets, we use the SEKTION line of cabinets because they offer more versatility. Our closet design packages come with clear instructions for trimming and assembling SEKTION cabinet boxes to fit the width and height of your closet.

Shelves and MAXIMERA Drawers are Easy to Personalize

The same shelving and MAXIMERA drawers that fit SEKTION kitchen cabinets can be used to organize your new closet, as can many Rev-A-Shelf accessories. This allows for more personalized organization.

SEKTION Doors and Drawer Fronts are Customizable

With SEKTION cabinets, you can use the door and drawer fronts available through IKEA or opt for custom fronts from a seller like Semihandmade. These options open a world of stylistic possibilities.

Cons of Using SEKTION Cabinets in Your IKEA Closet Design

SEKTION Cabinets are Outfitted for Kitchens

The interior closet organization systems that work with PAX don’t work with SEKTION.

While we can customize shelving and drawers to work like KOMPLEMENT, clothing rods and other accessories must be sourced from other vendors. There are also no tall corner cabinet units available in the SEKTION cabinet line.

SEKTION is More Challenging to Install than PAX

Since SEKTION closet designs involve more cabinet boxes and customization, they will be more difficult and (if you aren’t DIYing) more expensive to install.

SEKTION Cabinet Frames Come in One Color

While we can customize SEKTION cabinets to fit specific aesthetics using panels, door fronts, and drawer fronts, the interior will always be white.

IKD Can Design Your Closet Using PAX or SEKTION

Our customers love IKEA for its attractiveness, affordability, and customizability, but any mass-produced supplies have limitations.

PAX closets can never look built-in, and the product line has limited size, color, and layout options. SEKTION is more versatile with cutting cabinets to fit and using custom doors to achieve a built-in look, but IKEA’s closet organizers won’t work in the cabinets, and SEKTION is more expensive to install.

Inspired Kitchen Design is here to create a beautiful IKEA closet design for you; just be sure you don’t confuse a custom IKEA closet with a custom closet.