These IKEA built-ins were created by using a combination of wardrobes and bookcases. A place for everything and everything in its place. 
When we moved into our home last summer we quickly realized that our home was severely lacking in the storage department. We unpacked the bedrooms and living room and put everything else in the formal dining room. Now, many families actually utilize their formal dining rooms, but we never have. We eat in the kitchen dining area and so this space was just an open room for us.
We went back and forth about what we should use the room for and ultimately decided that it needed to be a storage room. The room where we kept all of our games, DVDs, and craft supplies. That’s a tall order for a single room. Especially when it is the FIRST room that you see when you walk into the house.
How to decide which items to purchase to make IKEA built-ins for an entire wall.
I spent hours designing a space that I hoped would work for our family. IKEA’s design program has a lot to be desired. It froze on me a couple of times and I had to start over completely. It also doesn’t have the capability of letting you mix and match items that should be in separate rooms. ie: I wanted to use bedroom wardrobes mixed with office bookcases, but it didn’t let me combine both items into my digital design layout.
When everything was all said and done, I had a hodgepodge layout of what I wanted, and my husband got started on the building process.
Every room is different, but I’ll share the products we used for our Ikea built-ins at the bottom of the post so that you can mix and match them to fit your space!
How to customize IKEA built-ins from wardrobes and bookcases.
When all was said and done we had 2 large wardrobes, 3 narrow wardrobes, and two narrow bookcases. We added doors and handles and Derrick finished the trim.
The wardrobes are deeper than the bookcases, so they are better for storing games and bigger items. You can also put solid doors on them vs. the half glass doors that were offered for the bookcases. This is why we did not use bookcases for the entire wall. The bookcases are shorter than the wardrobes, but you can buy an extension kit and that will bring them right up to where the wardrobes are. As you can see, our bookcases don’t come out as far as the center wardrobes, and I like the depth that it adds to the look of the room.
It took a couple of weeks, working here and there, for Derrick to put everything together and then I spent an ENTIRE DAY filling them up and organizing everything.
Here are the finished custom IKEA built-ins.
Items needed to make IKEA Built-Ins to cover an entire wall:
Wide Shelves and Narrow Shelves
Handles from Lowe’s
Dining Chairs from Walmart (out of stock right now)
CREATE poster. My own printable. I’ll share that soon! Frame from Michael’s.
With lumber, hardware, and trim, our grand total to make these IKEA built-ins was around $1300.00.
It was an investment for sure, but one that will pay off. This was a game changer for our storage problem and will be a selling feature someday if we move.
If you have any questions and making our IKEA built-ins I’ll do my best to answer them!
You might also like these organizational projects..
Built-In Living Room Storage with IKEA Bookcases
Maureen says
January 26, 2018 at 10:10 amBrandi,
This looks awesome and I am so happy for you! Keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to do something similar soon.
Maureen
Brandy says
January 26, 2018 at 10:33 amThank you so much, Mareen! It’s been a huge game changer for us!
Sara says
April 27, 2019 at 2:20 pmWhat is the name of the ikea cabinents you used?
Brandy says
April 27, 2019 at 10:39 pmHi! I used a combination of large and small PAX wardrobes with Billy Bookcases on the ends. Hope that helps! https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00214572/
Ashley Elizabeth says
January 26, 2018 at 3:36 pmBrandy! These IKEA built ins are popping everywhere for me! I think the universe is telling me a I need a few… 😉 Thanks for sharing with us at #HomeMattersParty! Have a great weekend!
Christine says
January 28, 2018 at 7:23 pmYou should be a designer for them. You did a much better job then that online system of theirs anyways. I hate that it won’t let you use different pieces from different rooms too.. Your built ins look amazing. All that glorious storage!
Brandy says
January 29, 2018 at 6:50 amThank you so much, Christine! And yes, it’s so annoying. I think a lot of people would like to mix and match items and I just don’t see why that isn’t an option on the design program. Oh well, it still worked out in the end. Just took a bit longer!
Keri says
January 28, 2018 at 10:35 pmThis system is to die for! We moved into a new house and it is seriously lacking in convenient storage. I am hoping to do something similar someday.
On another note, I gave up on trying to design an IKEA kitchen after the site froze for the fourth time. The struggle is real!
Brandy says
January 29, 2018 at 6:44 amKeri, YES. So frustrating! But at least you know that this wall can be done…if you kind of sketch it out yourself, haha. Enjoy your new home!
Jess says
January 30, 2018 at 6:49 amthis looks wonderful! How neat!! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Theresa says
January 31, 2018 at 9:32 pmLoving your new built ins & slightly jealous of you awesome space. Thanks for sharing this at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & sharing.
Jan says
February 1, 2018 at 4:36 amThis is pretty cool and I may need to show Hubby and see if he’d be willing to tackle something like this! I would love for you to share over at the new Let’s Party! https://themarkandjanshow.com/2018/01/31/lets-party-6/ … we look forward to seeing you there!
Christina Makri says
February 2, 2018 at 2:09 amYour design is so functional and the final result is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing at Sweet Inspiration Link Party 🙂
Karlie says
February 5, 2018 at 2:03 pmThis space is awesome!! We also don’t use our formal dining room and I recently turned it into a homework room for my girls. I definitely could use some beautiful closed storage to keep my baby girl from getting into things. Love this space!
Amber Ferguson says
February 6, 2018 at 7:55 pmFabulous post and just what I have been wanting to do in my craft room! I will be featuring you at Thursday Favorite Things this week!
Sofia says
February 22, 2018 at 10:46 amAbsolutely love tIKA wall of storage in diningroom.!! Have just e-mailed to my husband.
What brand and color is the grey you used. Very soothing, light, and clean.
Thank you for your fabulouse blog
Brandy says
February 23, 2018 at 4:31 amThank you very much! It is Sherwin Williams “On the Rocks” 🙂
Sofia says
February 22, 2018 at 10:47 amWow. Gotin a hurry. IKEA.
And color usedon walls
Tricia says
January 20, 2019 at 12:47 pmNo doubt…I could use all that storage. What an amazing transformation!
Sandi Magle says
January 20, 2019 at 1:25 pmAt this point, we have something from IKEA in every room of our house including a brand new kitchen. I can’t say enough wonderful things about their construction or hardware—and the adaptability of pieces for every room. You did a great job! And, when we had a house of growing boys–we did pretty much the same thing from scratch in our basement. Accessibility is HEAVEN in a busy, creative home. Grins!
Brandy says
January 20, 2019 at 7:24 pmYes, it is! Love having everything right there where we need it! IKEA is awesome, they are opening one 30 minutes away—-we had to go 3 hours for the supplies when we built this so this is very exciting!
Brittany Snyder says
January 22, 2019 at 7:15 amWow! The built-ins have me drooling from storage envy 🙂 This looks like it was a huge project, but turned out amazing! I love the handles you selected and the white makes the room so bright and airy, thanks for sharing!
Donna @ Modern on Monticello says
January 22, 2019 at 9:38 amThis is a great project and inspiration for my basement projects. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from Project Inspired linkup. Pinned this for later.
Kippi says
January 27, 2019 at 11:49 amWonderful! Totally jealous!!! Looks pretty and that mega storage is so nice. Happy Crafting, Kippi #kippiathome
Amber says
August 30, 2019 at 6:13 pmHi Brandy!
We are doing an office reno and are copying your system! We are pretty excited! How many of the wide and narrow shelves did you order and what where their dimensions?
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Brandy says
August 30, 2019 at 8:48 pmHi Amber, YAY for organization! We used 2 of the wide PAX wardrobes and 3 of the narrow ones. The 2 wide ones are on the end with the 3 narrow in the middle. All covered by doors. And then the Billy bookcases on the end. Here are links to the PAX wardrobes with the dimensions! Wide: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00214572/ Narrow: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40214565/