"i have two questions and i wonder if anyone can help.
- pax wardrobe - i don't want to pay for the glass sliding doors... i was thinking of gettting a pax frame, buying the malm sliding door runners, and then buying
plexiglass of a pleasing sort and making sliding doors out of that. has anyone tried this? - failing that, i might go for aneboda doors (pix, right) ... but i hate the plastic on the center panel! does anyone know if it's possible to remove their cheap plastic panel and insert something else more sturdy and/or attractive? i'm not sure how the plastic is attached to the door, if it can be unscrewed, or cut out, or what." - michelle
anyone?
Hi,
ReplyDelete1. I think that an unsupported piece of 1/4" plexi will bend in a not-so-pleasing manner if you use it for a tall wardrobe. Glass has a better way of holding itself up.
2. You could replace the opaque plastic with plexi, but I recommend buying an example as cheaply as possible to see if you can pull apart the particle board and get it back together.
FYI, I'm a stained glass artisan and I work with plexi, glass, and frames a lot. So that makes me a little qualified.
Good luck!
A long time ago, I read an IKEA hack in a magazine where they transformed the Aneboda doors by replacing the plastic bit with a bamboo screen and painting the frame for an oriental(ish) look.
ReplyDeleteI have the Aneboda doors. The plastic is held in the door by four tiny screws, which are easily accessible and removable. The plastic is also relatively easy to remove, although it will take some serious bending. If you didn't want to keep the plastic, it would probably be easiest to cut it and remove in one piece at a time.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think replacing it with something more solid would be very difficult. As Kat says, a bamboo screen might work. But replacing it with a wooden panel, or some such would probably be difficult.
Ochen K.
I have the Aneboda doors as well. Don't know, if I have got an older or a newer version. But the plastic of my doors is glued to the rest. I wanted to remove them to paint them, but there wasn't any possibility except cutting them out. And then you can't put them back. So, no good idea. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot you can do with acrylics. I got lost wandering around the tap plastics website this morning, and the seem very helpful.
ReplyDeleteIf there's a store in your area, you might want to just go down there and ask them. If not, their website seems to have a lot of ideas and information.
Shoji plastic, e.g. Would be perfect for some IKEA hack.
I wouldn't recommend making your own, buy the PAX doors, you'll thank me later. Getting full size sliding doors to work well is difficult, and unless you have access to a workshop to fit everything precisely you'll be disappointed in how they function. Besides, with IKEA's economy of scale, the final price of making your own (including time) will surprise you.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking to use a metal frame to put the plexi glass in. Taking a look at your post has given me some good ideas. I'll try to keep you updated. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteYou could make frames pretty cheap out of poplar or maple, stain or paint and put the plexi in- I used palsticore instead of plexi, take a look
ReplyDeletehttp://www.victorlua.com/?p=24
at the time I made them i didnt know about the ikea sliding hardware, I used some holmes depot stuff...
hi,
ReplyDeleteI bought a couple of aneboda doors too. I couln't find a way to replace the plastics but I covered it with a 60's style wallpaper. If you unscrew the four tiny screws, you can fit the paper under the wood.
check out this this site: http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2003/archives/2003/home_among_the_gum_trees/around_the_home/cabinet_conversions
ReplyDeletehope that helps.
We like to insert photo sheets of various sizes into the window of the doors. Printing out large 8.5x11 inch pages and inserting them so that they bulge outward gives a cool 3D effect. I have been considering lighting them from behind with low wattage (or even voltage) lighting like a cheap string of Christmas tree lights.
ReplyDeleteThere are shoji paper appearance printed acrylic sheet and other laminated products (easier installation) available. Also there is shoji paper decorative film too. Check out www.eshoji.com
ReplyDeleteIf you are in Southern California, try: OCIP. They do all thypes of custom plexiglass work.
ReplyDelete