Surf Shack Update: How we Maximized Space and Created Tons of Extra Storage in our Garage with IKEA PAX Wardrobes
Well I can finally say that we’re getting so close to being finished! Over the past year, I’ve demo’d the old shelves, painted, had the cement floors refinished; but most of all purged like I’ve never purged before! And man does it feel good! Here’s what’s left, and more of this will be going bye bye too.
The infamous Ikea Pax Cabinets finally came back in stock (well for like a day), so I raced over and grabbed as many as I could fit in my car. PS: they’re alot bigger than you think! I had to strap a couple to the roof, and let me tell you, that was a sketchy drive home.
They made it safely home and I snapped into assembly mode.
Before I started, I drew up several plan sketches of how I would lay everything out, which I highly recommend.
I settled on Option A: which was to install the cabinets along the back corner of the room (keeping space for a potential bathroom build in the back left corner).
But after putting up the first two, I changed my mind. Our house already has the tiniest closets on the planet, so any extra storage we could add in the garage, was pretty crucial. I mean I would way rather store winter jackets in the garage wardrobe instead of in our dining room:)
So I decided to get more cabinets and line the entire back wall with storage instead of leaving space for a future bathroom. I mean who knows when we’ll have the brain capacity for a full ADU buildout anytime soon.
Buuuuuuut, by the time I decided I needed more, they were sold out again! Haha go figure!
There were also only a few shelves and clothes bars available, but no drawers, so I swooped up what I could and started assembling the interiors.
Sadly, the wood doors I wanted are no longer in stock (well, if they are coming back in stock, who knows when and if that will ever be), so I went with the cheaper white option. I mean, the Repvag Doors are $175 each and the Forsand are only $60, so it ended up being a pretty big savings once I did the math.
But once I again I had to wait…. while the Repvag had an eta of never, the Forsand came back in stock in two weeks, so after I waited weeks for the remaining cabinets, got them, installed them, then waited a few more weeks for the doors to come in, I finally was able to install the doors.
While they’re not the wood ones I really wanted, they will totally do.
One side note though. After purchasing and installing the PAX Cabinets, I started doing more research, and alot of people actually recommend using the Ikea Sektion Kitchen cabinets as opposed to PAX. You have way more options for sizing and customizing your setup, not to mention so many more options for cabinet doors etc. I was under the impression that Semi-Handmade made cabinet doors for PAX, because I read that on a blog, but later found out that they’ve discontinued them.
But after all that, I successfully installed all of the doors. Still need to source handles. I was thinking of a light wood super thin scandinavian kind of handle. So I have my eye out for something like that, idk we’ll see.
And as I patiently await my Article leather cigar sofa for the space, and a coffee table and chairs, I moved some of our outdoor furniture in here temporarily it totally works for now.
This has officially become one of my favorite spaces in our home. Every morning and/or afternoon I come out here to do a morning meditation and just sit listening to the birds and wind chimes and sift through design books. It’s pretty magical, I’m not gonna lie.
So that’s where we’re at for now. Stay tuned for more as I get closer and closer to finishing our little Surf Shack.
PRODUCT LINKS:
IKEA PAX CABINETS, IKEA FORSAND DOORS, WOOD SURFBOARD RACKS, WOOD COFFEE TABLE, INDOOR/OUTDOOR RUG, SPIN BIKE, CHEVRON RUG, MEDITATION CUSHION, HAVSTEN OUTDOOR COUCH, OASIS BOOK, SURF SHACK BOOK, THE SURFERS JOURNAL
CLEVERMADE CHAIRS + use my code: BLANCOBUNGALOW for 10% off.
