Fitted Bedroom Furniture

[Fallingditch]

New build is well underway. It's a fairly modern design (well inside anyway).

 

We don't have wardrobes, chests of drawers etc, but we do have a fair bit of stuff to store.

 

While researching kitchen construction, I realised that the market for quality hinges, drawer runners, soft closing mechanisms etc is dominated by German (Blum, Hettich) and Austrian (Grass) companies. As discussed elsewhere, it's entirely practical to construct what appear to be quality kitchen units based on bog standard carcasses, but using these quality fittings.

 

Thing is, these suppliers also describe how their fittings can be used to build wardrobes, drawer units etc etc, and I have to say I like the idea of soft closing drawers in the bedroom.

 

So, has anybody constructed bedroom furniture in this way? Recommended? Is it an expensive option?  

 

PS there's plenty of youtube videos showing how all this stuff is assembled and it sure looks doable - but has anybody actually done it ?

 

[Crofter]

What would be using to build the furniture- foil faced MDF, timber, etc?

To be honest it sounds like a lot of work!

[Nickfromwales]

Companies charge obscene amounts of money for fitted wardrobes etc, and most I've seen, including Sigma stuff, is utter shite. 

Youd be no worse off going to B & Q and buying their fitted stuff, and you'd have the benefit of about £4k saving to put towards your kitchen. 

Last lot I saw from Sigma was just terrible, and when i found out how much the punter paid I nearly puked. Don't go to the showrooms other than to steal inspiration. Oh, and don't take the wife   

[Bitpipe]

I've just taken delivery of 1 metric tonnes of IKEA PAX wardrobes  - 13.75 linear m of wardrobes for 4 bedrooms and a dressing room. Was the cheapest option vs getting the joiner to make them from MDF or using other brands. Just need to put it all together now... 

[Nickfromwales]

Can we ask how much?

[VIPMan]

Just to add that we also we went the IKEA Pax route - but only 3.5 linear metres. We just left the space for the units in the two bedrooms and they look very good for the £1200 or so they cost. We had the ceiling height for the 2.42metre high variant and they do have lots of useful volume that you can configure as you choose.

 

We were sold on this solution after seeing them used effectively on one of our London Open House visits in a very expensive Architect's house

[Bitpipe]

22 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Can we ask how much?

 

About £3.5k I think, but we got a lot for the money, 4 bedrooms (3m each) plus a dressing room (1.75m), nice high gloss doors and lots of useful bits inside the wardrobes. Shame we can't get the VAT back on those...

 

We went for the shorter version (due to ceiling height) and will get joiner to box them in to get the 'built in' look.

 

4 built this evening, just 14 more to go...!

[Declan52]

For ease of build IKEA flat pack wins hands down. Try wrestling with the crap units argos/ home base sell and you will know your driver. Just built a table and 4 chairs for my sister, holy sweet f took an hr to screw in about 20 bolts. Sort of punishment they should make criminals do.

[slidersx200]

1 hour ago, Bitpipe said:

 Shame we can't get the VAT back on those...

 

Is that because you're doing it after the vat reclaim or just because of what they are in general (ie considered to be "furniture" rather than part of the build?

[Bitpipe]

1 hour ago, Declan52 said:

For ease of build IKEA flat pack wins hands down. Try wrestling with the crap units argos/ home base sell and you will know your driver. Just built a table and 4 chairs for my sister, holy sweet f took an hr to screw in about 20 bolts. Sort of punishment they should make criminals do.

 

Have got a 100cm PAX wardrobe carcass assembly down to 25 mins after 4 - I glue the seams and dowels to ensure they stay rigid.

 

[Bitpipe]

5 minutes ago, slidersx200 said:

 

Is that because you're doing it after the vat reclaim or just because of what they are in general (ie considered to be "furniture" rather than part of the build?

 

Its not eligible - only built in wardrobes, where the back wall is uncovered are ok. We had the joiner build the airing cupboard and hall cupboard from MDF so they'll be OK.

 

We're considering using Howdens kitchen cupboards for the basement storage, as our kitchen was zero rated at source (so won;'t be in teh reclaim), we may be able to sneak those in.

Edited August 12, 2016 by Bitpipe

[slidersx200]

Who checks this? 

[Gone West]

I thought these might be good until I saw the price.

 

http://www.diywardrobes.co.uk/

 

 

[Bitpipe]

3 minutes ago, PeterStarck said:

I thought these might be good until I saw the price.

 

http://www.diywardrobes.co.uk/

 

 

Our joiner has created a beautiful double airing cupboard (hotpress to the NI) and will do the same for hall storage - however while the materials cost is not that much (18mm MDF), it's a 3 day job for each one at his day rate so Ikea wins as each run is about £5-600 depending on the door finishes. Also, all the sundries (shoe storage, drawers etc) are so much cheaper from Ikea vs buying from Hafele or similar.  

[AliG]

Resurrecting this thread -

 

I had pretty much decided to use PAX furniture for fitted wardrobes in three rooms in the new house. My plan was to box these in so that they appear like fitted furniture, examples I have seen on the net look really nice.

 

We had a look yesterday and it is fine, however I might have preferred some different door designs.

 

I also had a look today at B&Q's modular Darwin range. These have a couple of advantages for us over PAX - they have a walnut colour that I like and they have a matching dressing table. But I looked at them in B&Q today and they felt a little flimsy. TBF they often don't put the stuff together well in the store.

 

Has anyone any experience of the B&Q alternative or any other alternatives that I could look at. From what I can see the fitted bedroom companies charge 1000-1500 per linear metre of cabinets which is just ridiculous for cheap MDF. At that price I could have a cabinet maker make them in solid walnut.

 

[Auchlossen]

I was planning to use IKEA pax units. I shall probably have to modify them, due to odd shaped of rooms. If I take off the backs and fix them to the wall, maybe I reclaim vat too?

[AliG]

Sadly the VAT rule for wardrobes is incredibly tight. This explains why almost all wardrobes are just a shelf and a rail as that is basically all you can have to be VAT free.

 

(c) basic wardrobes installed on their own with all the following characteristics:

• the wardrobe encloses a space bordered by the walls, ceiling and floor. But units whose design includes, for example, an element to bridge over a bed or create a dressing table are furniture and are not building materials
• the side and back use three walls of the room (such as across the end of a wall), or two walls and a stub wall. But wardrobes installed in the corner of a room where one side is a closing end panel are furniture and are not building materials
• on opening the wardrobe you should see the walls of the building. These would normally be either bare plaster or painted plaster. Wardrobes that contain internal panelling, typically as part of a modular or carcass system, are furniture and are not building materials

The wardrobe should feature no more than a single shelf running the full length of the wardrobe, a rail for hanging clothes and a closing door or doors. Wardrobes with internal divisions, drawers, shoe racks or other features are furniture and are not building materials.

[joe90]

Having read the above before I plan to claim VAT for just a kit to provide sliding built in wardrobe doors ( the most expensive bit) and fit them out myself.