well, if you drill a hole, you ruin the finish, bcs you've made a hole in it. But if you want the hook there bad enough, then what do you care? It won't show until you remove the hook. And as long as the wood that you drill the hole in is thick enough--i.e., 3/4 inch or more--it ought to hold just fine without damage to the surrounding wood. If you want to drill a hole and mount a hook in THIN board (say, 3/8 inch or less), then you should probably reinforce it in some way--cut a 1x4 to fit across the unit, and glue it in place across the back side of where the hook will be; then the screw will have something to bite into, and the stress will be distributed across the wood panel instead of concentrating right at where the screws go through (bad for thin wood). I have used the 3M Command removable self-adhesive hooks with quite a bit of success. When they're removed properly, they leave no damage behind. However, if they get pulled away IMproperly--they get tugged off bcs stuff that's too heavy is hung on them, or someone brushes against them too hard--then they will peel the top layer of paint or varnish away. I always round way up for the weight I need, and I don't use them in passageways. I think these removable self-adhesive hooks would only be a problem if they're attached to really shoddy lower-than-particleboard stuff with a thin, thin paper coating that might easily become detached from the substrate. I can't remember the PAX system, but I think the finish on most Ikea stuff is strong enough to hold up.

I have had Pax closets for 10years. I don't have doors on them but I have taken than apart and rebuilt them several times as I did things in the closet. I would never use a normal closet versus the Ikea Pax. California Closet is very expensive and less flexible in my opinion. I would use one of the Italian systems from Minotti but those were about half the value of my house:-) My master closet is a galley with two 6foot long sections with 24" deep by 96" tall Pax systems. They hold a ton of stuff. There are similar sized systems in the other bedrooms. I have kids that spend the summers with me and they have never damaged these systems. The drawers pull out easily and I have added some updates like the valet rods and Hafele pull down closet rod. I love the pull out shelves for my shoes. I have a small number of shoes:-) The other update I was looking at is some interior lighting for the units using LED strips. I know you decision is made but there is some misinformation about the PAX system. There are a ton of door options and even inserts from non Ikea sources. At roughly $90 for the box, it really can't be beat for value. There are some size constraints but most closets can support the Pax units. Some Pax fronts that are super cool: SuperFronts From Remodelista Good luck!

As for the "blame game" comment, I'll be happy to address it. IKEA has failed miserably during covid-19 and I say that due to customer service, not simply due to low stock. Try calling them. Just try. There management during this time can't even be classified as sub-par. Place an order, be given a delivery time. Call just to check on it or verify it the date. Let me know if you ever reach an actual person. It is absolutely ridiculous. I get low stock. Although, it really should be improving at this point (every store around here such as Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Tuesday Mornings, etc that had low stock issues before are near fully stocked). During all the closures, I shopped near exclusively online for awhile. Customer service has been top notch *Every* time with the exception of IKEA. They are a nightmare to deal with. In person, they are fine. But not for anything beyond that. Most companies are so thankful for your continued business during this time. IKEA doesn't seem to really care and that's a shame. I will still shop in their store in the future but never online again unless they can improve their customer service front and pick up the phone line, return emails, etc.

I live 136 miles from my closest IKEA but before I place an order for anything I drive and take a look & take pictures. Even as a designer my ideas and perceptions change after a visit to IKEA. I take the photos to refresh my memory of what I have seen and I expect to spend hours looking and kicking the tires on items. I come prepared with a list of items I want to specifically select. You have the option to place your order while you are there and have everything delivered to your home another day for a fairly reasonable price, and be advised that there are more products at IKEA than they show you in the online catalog. PAX has been around since day one of IKEA in the US and I find it a great product. If I was going to use PAX for an everyday closet I might consider a more substantial door Every case good from IKEA is made the same on the interior. Millions have IKEA kitchen like myself with no issues.