DIY Closet Makeover with Ikea Trofast Hack

Ready for a closet makeover? I’m sharing my DIY closet makeover with Ikea Trofast hack to achieve a built-in look, and how to create wall stencil for free! I’m also including all the sources for this makeover at the end of the post.

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The finished closet with Ikea Trofast hack

First of all, before the step-by-step of this DIY Ikea Trofast hack, here’s the stuffed and styled home office closet looks like:

Storage solutions

This closet is intended to use as a craft supply closet for me, as mentioned in my home office renovation plan. Since completed this makeover, I have migrated my crafting supplies to the Trofast storage. Now, they are stuffed with fabrics, sewing notions, and all sorts of crating supplies!

Although it is pretty full, with the Trofast storage system, things are hidden behind those white drawers. Plus, I acquired some cute storage baskets to add more storage with style. Here’s what it looks like now:

Because the shelf is so high-up, it is important for me to see what’s there. I chose wire baskets to store medium to large sized items, so I can see what’s inside without having to take them off the shelf.

I placed small sized wine crates on top of Trofast to house small to medium sized items, in order to hide the clutter. I’m loving how each one looks so individually unique also the wood tone just adds so much warmth to the space!

Keeping closet rod

I didn’t remove closet rod because I want to reserve the closet functionality when guests come – this room needs to serve multiple functions : home office + craft room + guest bedroom

A great thing about that decision is: it makes it easy for me to hang a lot of stuffs! I use S hooks and binder clips to hang fabrics, templates, and cardboard sewing patterns.

Adding art

I created this art print for my home office. This art work feels whimsical and peaceful to me, which goes well with my home office vibe.

Intro

This closet is part of my DIY home office renovation project. Basically in the middle of my home office renovation, I decided to tackle the closet. A whole room renovation can be very stressful and tiring, shifting attention to something more manageable is always my go to solution. You can check out what I have done to this space before tackling the closet by following my home office renovation journey here:

Home Office Floor Plan and Mood Board

DIY Vertical Shiplap Wall

The before

The before is a pretty standard small closet(53″ x 25″). A single shelf and one rod span the width of the closet – not very space efficient.

Mood board

Here’s the space planning and mood board.

Since this is going to be used as a closet for my home office, I want the main function to be storing office supplies and more importantly, my craft supplies! I am keeping the closet rod for guest bedroom purpose. When the guests come, I can move those baskets and bins away to clear more space for the guests.

Step1. Painting walls

You might have notices some patches on the wall from the “before” photo. This wall had some damage that was caused by the bathroom renovation. The bathroom is right behind this wall. So we first patched those damages using joint compound and caulk. Then we removed all the baseboards so that we can put the storage unit right against the wall.

After the prep work is done, we got right into painting.

I have tested a few paint colors, but decided to go with Benjamin Moore Quiet Moment, with 50% darker tint. Because the home office paint color is Moonshine, a yellow-green-ish gray, I want to stay in the green color family for this closet. Quite Moment has a beautiful undertone, but the color is not dark enough to differentiate itself from Moonshine. Tinting it a bit darker helps to define this space more.

The color we picked is the left most one in this photo below, and Moonshine is the one with a heart on it. Note: The wall in this picture is a light blue color. I originally painted it a light blue but didn’t like the undertone difference of closet and office wall.

And this is what the closet looks like after we painted it. Different enough from the office wall, but looks harmonious together ? !

Step 2. Closet storage unit – IKEA Trofast hack

I want the main function of this space to be storing office supplies and more importantly, my craft supplies! If you like crafting like I do, you probably know how much stuff a maker can own ;P So I decided to use IKEA TROFAST storage unit as it offers customization on the drawers, with very affordable price. This unit made with pine wood is the perfect size for 53″ long closet – I can fit three units in side with only 1″ left!

But to make it look a little bit more expensive, I decided to paint them, and let them sit flush to the wall, to create a slightly more built-in look.

I started by priming the top and front since they will be visible. Since the left and right sides will be right against each other, I didn’t bother painting them.

Then I painted them the same color as the closet wall – Benjamin Moore Quite Moment (50% darker).

After painting them, I put them in the closet for dry fit. I noticed that putting them together will have a small gap where the wood color will show through. So I did some touch up to paint a little bit into the sides. about 1 inch from the front into the sides.

Once everything looks good, I used wood screws to secure them together. One tip is to place the screw at a hidden location. I placed mine behind the top cover, so it is invisible most of the time, also painted it the same color.

To make it more secure to the wall and never tip over, I used the L brackets IKEA provided to attach one of the unit to the wall. Since those three units are secured to each other and the whole thing will be pretty light-weighted in my case, one wall bracket will do. Then again, I painted wall bracket the same color.

Step 3. DIY star wall stencil

To add more personality, like what you see in the mood board, I wanted to add some stars to add some whimsy to the closet space.

It would take time and money to get a star stencil I like. My goal for this closet makeover is to keep it on a pretty low budget, so I decided to make my own temporary wall stencil.

I printed out a star pattern I found online, then cut them out using a utility knife. I would suggest using an exacto knife, but I have no idea where mine is – the issue of not having a home office/craft room, but luckily I’m making one right now!

DIY star wall stencil, IKEA Trofast hack, closet builtin storage unit, home office closet makeover

Then I used a small stencil brush to blob paint on top of the stencil to the wall. You can totally use brush if your stencil is on a stronger material. Mine is just a normal print paper, not thick, not sturdy. So I have to use a stencil brush and be delicate on stenciling the walls. I would highly suggest you to use a sturdier material.

And that’s what it looks like after stenciling! I did a gradient effect with bigger stars on top and smaller stars on the bottom. To make it look like the stars are falling from the shelf.

By the way, you might have noticed, I have also painted the closet rod! The before is a galvanized metal rod, doesn’t match the new style at all. I painted it with white chalk paint, then apply two coats of modge podge to protect the paint surface.

So that’s what I have for the closet! I hope you enjoy this journey and find it helpful. Next step will be adding baskets and start storing things inside!