Introduction: IKEA Style Coat Rack and Shoe Cabinet

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Fusion Projects »

This Instructable is for everyone who stumbles through the hallway each morning. Or falls over children's shoes, while searching for their keys.

The project started as an experiment with an IKEA Kallax shelf unit and four baskets. Here everyone had their own basket for storing shoes. And this turned out to work well.
I decided to make a more permanent solution, by means of a wooden frame around the Kallax cabinet. The only additional requirement was a matching coat rack.

The basic idea for this Instructable is fairly simple and making this project requires little tools.
The shelves can be sawed to size at the hardware store. By this, a power drill is the only electric tool required. This makes this a relatively simple project. It only requires precise work.

To give the whole a slightly modern look, oak wood has been chosen with stainless steel elements. The planks are finished off with grey wash paint.

Step 1: Materials

All parts come from local (hardware) stores. I've tried to find links for all used materials. The links are therefore only an example of the required item.
I recommend to start at the local hardware store, instead of ordering all parts online. This gives you an immediate impression of the end product. And you can see whether the chosen elements fit together.

Materials

Tools

This is not a cheap solution to organize your hallway. I've decided to use massive oak furniture panels combined with stainless steel. This is not the cheapest material, but it does provide a robust and timeless solution.

The Ikea parts are about €100 ($116). And the oak wood panels are about €60 each. Eight coat rack elements at €15 each. Plus four times €3 for the knobs gives a total of €132 for the hooks. Add €15 for the shelf brackets and €15 for all the other (stainless steel) elements. I already had some transparent primer, and the grey wash is about €24. Giving a total material costs of about €400 ($450).

These total costs strongly depend of the chosen materials. E.g. chrome elements are much cheaper than stainless steel. And there are cheaper baskets for the Kallax. Usage of an existing piece of wood will also reduce the costs.
It is also smart to wait until certain parts are on offer, or to shop with discount coupons.

Step 2: Kallax & Baskets

One of the reasons to start with an IKEA Kallax cabinet are the available baskets. It is always possible to choose a different type or color basket.

The Kallax also simplifies the making of the shoe cabinet. It's possible to make everything yourself. But the use of the Kallax as an inner piece gives a more robust appearance. And it's also cheaper: Otherwise a third shelf for the coat rack is required.

Step 3: Desing

There were two reasons to make a frame around the cabinet: It looks better, and there is a small convector radiator in the hallway. Therefore the Kallax cabinet is placed 9 cm forward the wall, and the entire frame is adjusted for this radiator (This part is indicated by the red line in the first image).

The Ikea Kallax is about 150 cm (60 inch) wide and 40 cm (16 inch) deep. The chosen furniture panels are 200 x 60 cm (6.6 x 2 feet) . It is possible to saw the left side, the top and bottom out of the first panel. The bottom consists of a strip of about 10 cm (4 inches). This part is only visible at the front.

The second furniture panel is used for the second side panel (right side) and the coat rack.

Attachments

Step 4: Shoe Cabinet

The frame for the Kallax cabinet consists of 4 shelves. These are placed as shown in the third image, The top shelf protrudes about half a centimeter on both sides. The side panels were not 100% straight, and this assembly does not show this.

The side panels extend to the floor. This keeps the side of the lower shelf invisible. This lower shelf is only 10 cm deep and only visible at the front.

For all parts the saw cut is at the back. And the parts are connected with wood dowel pins. Use little glue for the lower dowels (after painting). It's not necessary to glue the Kalak cabinet to the frame. The oak wood is heavy and makes the frame sturdy enough.

Step 5: Coat Rack

I've made the coat rack as wide as the Kallax frame. This makes it fairly wide (about 150 cm / 5 feet). It is very easy to make a smaller one, but it doesn't save any wood from the two large shelves.

This version includes:

  • 8 coat hooks
  • 4 small cabinet knobs (for keys)
  • upper shelf

The tube shelf brackets support the upper shelf. But I've added some screws for additional support.

Start by placing all parts on the backside of the shelf and make sure that the saw cut is at the top. Ensure a proportional distribution, with sufficient space between the coat hooks.

Draw only on the back of this shelf. The front and back are the same, but this way there will be no visible lines on the front.

Attachments

Step 6: Paint

The oak wood used is untreated. This means it will absorb dirt and moisture. Each layer of gray wash makes the wood darker. That's why I started with two layers of clear varnish to protect the wood.

Then the whole has been painted twice with gray wash lacquer. This has given the whole a light gray look. While the wood grain is still visible.

I painted all parts after sawing and drilling, before assembly. This gives a better result, and you prevent spills on the Kallax cabinet.

The coat rack and cupboard have been in use for some time now. And the amount of loose shoes in the hall has decreased considerably. But the fixed place for the bicycle keys is really an improvement.
I am also satisfied with the new layout of the hallway. And because it has become a large coat rack, everyone can hang multiple jackets here. Without the looks of an overfull coat rack.

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