Don't care about the 2nd bedroom but would miss the closet

8 years ago

I have been looking at a condo that I like. The combined kitchen/living/dining area is small. There are two bedroom. I would not mind having the wall knocked out between bedroom 2 and living room to give the living area more space and light--an additional window. I would, however, very much miss the huge closet that would be go if I lose that wall. Would it be weird to put an Ikea Pax on the other shared wall (shared with bedroom) in your living room? Thanks.

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Comments (4)

talley_sue_nyc
8 years ago
Not at all! I think it's pretty standard to have a wall filled with storage. Or even just bookcases/wall units on part of a wall.

I've seen some really lovely setups, but even a simple Ikea Pax would be nice. It can become a focal point, even. Personally I'd go for lots of doors, so I didn't have to see all the stuff, but with openings at places for, oh, a bar setup, or a TV, or just a pretty display area.

But even if the wall is not a main, "focal-point" wall, I think it's perfectly reasonable to have a wall unit in the room, off to the side.

And nobody but you cares what goes IN that storage unit. Most people wouldn't want visible clothing hanging in the living room, but Pax has doors. So if you want to hang clothes, because that's what you need the storage for, it's completely fine. Hey--it's your house! There are no rules that say stuff like, "clothing can only go in the bedroom" or "all medications must go in the bathroom" or "food can only go in the kitchen" or "you can't put dishes in the bedroom." That's all baloney.
talley_sue_nyc
8 years ago
This Pax installation is sort of interesting! They cut a hole in the wall and dropped the Pax unit into it, so that it sticks out on the other side; then they turned that into a focal point.

http://www.ikeahackers.net/2013/01/stealing-space-from-the-outside.html

You could make your Pax expand into the other room. Heck, even turn one cabinet to face one room, and the other to face the other room.

There's lots of interesting stuff about Pax on that site; people put it up on feet (put it on a platform first); added molding at the top or the bottom; put a frame around it so it looks built in; used different depths (which looks very living-room-y).
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In the two places I've lived with such an arrangement, some investigation into the original floorplan has revealed that there's been either an addition or some remodeling going on. And people just took the easy way out and slapped a new room on right next to an existing room, without bothering to add a hallway or the like. In my grandparents' house, you had to go through their bedroom to get to the upstairs bathroom, which was, for a time, the only bathroom in the house, other than a toilet in the basement. The house was built in 1865 and the bathroom was originally a closet. It was the only space for a bathroom. That is, until my grandparents had 7 kids and took the smallest bedroom and made it into a bathroom. They also made a pantry off the kitchen into a powder room, to get a downstairs bathroom. My brother and SIL have a child with disabilities. They needed to either buy a wheelchair accessible house or modify the one they owned. They looked at many houses that had been remodeled for handicap access--SIL was appalled, really, at some of the remodeling. She said it was clear they just added a ramp where it was easiest and threw on extra rooms where it was easiest to expand the house, without any consideration of the flow of traffic through the house or how the rooms would open up to each other, or even trying to match the style/ finishes of the original home with what was going on in the addition. She mentioned bedrooms opening directly off the kitchen, or off the master bedroom, or just a section of the family room walled off to create a room. In one house, they punched through the dining room wall and added a bedroom/bath right off the dining room. And another where they enclosed a porch off the kitchen to make the accessible bedroom, so everyone entering the house walked through the accessible room into the kitchen, unless they used the front door. Which no one does in farm country. They ended up hiring an architect to add on a wing to their house--you can't tell where the old house ends and the new wing begins. They did end up with a dining room with no windows, but it has two sets of french doors opening into rooms with tons of windows and sunlight and you really don't notice. They paid extra to get the addition done right, but I think in the long run they have a house that doesn't *look* handicapped accessible and hasn't lost any resale value.
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So I went back to the condo today with a realtor. I think I could definitely live with the 2nd bedroom now. I would make it into a study. I was disappointed that there is no washer/dryer in the unit but it is right next to the apartment. Of course, that means there would always be folks outside my door. It was on the 20th floor so it had a great view but I was a little weirded out being on a balcony that high up. I was also curious about the windows. They looked old to me and in one window the seal was broken (foggy). I have no idea if/when that would be fixed in a high rise condo. Also, what kind of assessment would that be? It would have to just pots and pots of money. There is now an offer on the place (not mine) but now I know I could live there--preferably on a lower floor. The condo comes with doorman, concierge, gym, pool, dry cleaners and restaurant. It is close to the museum, the main library, and other amenities. Then, I looked at another building in a different area of the city. This building did not have garage parking--I would have to pay 300-400 per month to park. The apartments and the building were in much better condition but of course, the price was higher. This was a one bedroom but I really liked it! So much to consider.
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Exciting project! Lots to think about... Since it's over the garage, do you need to worry about fumes, insulation, fire codes, etc.? Additional soundproofing for when the garage door goes up and down (if anyone uses the door while another person is asleep upstairs)? Also have you looked into height, lot coverage & setback requirements? (Sometimes the setbacks for garages or single stories are different than those for 2 story structures.) Other items which you may already know, but just in case... - Building an adequately stiff floor over the long spans of the garage below without requiring posts below. - Heating and cooling of the new space, since the space below is (probably) not heated or cooled. - Where your plumbing lines / waste drain will run, and will that require tearing out any walls below And others I'm sure the pros will think of.
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talley_sue_nyc
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Oh--I might make it a point to not shove the Pax unit all the way into the corner, but to pull it out from the side wall a little bit, so it looks more like a deliberate free-standing piece of furniture, and not an attempt to jury-rig a closet.

See, in this one, the unit is up against the wall, and it really looks like a faux closet. If the unit is floating on the wall a little, it looks more like furniture.
http://nomorediytorture.co.uk/Gallery/Flatpack-Furniture/Modular-Wardrobes/IKEA-Pax-FARVIK-White-Glass-Door-Wardrobe.jpg

This one is pulled out from the corner just a little bit, and it looks like a piece of furniture, not an attempt to make up for the fact that there isn't a closet. It looks more like a decorative choice, and less like a functional jury-rig.
http://nomorediytorture.co.uk/Gallery/Flatpack-Furniture/Modular-Wardrobes/IKEA-Pax-Wardrobe-Interior-Light-Soft-Close-Design.jpg

see, look at these pics. On the ones where the unit is pushed into the corner, it doesn't look as attractive, or as "living room" worthy.

http://nomorediytorture.co.uk/Modular-Wardrobes.html
talley_sue_nyc
8 years ago
Some really pretty customizations of Pax.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ikea-hacks-10-diy-ways-to-make-cheap-wardrobes-look-more-expensive-202389

Don't care about the 2nd bedroom but would miss the closet

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