What a Computer Armoire Actually Is

A computer armoire is a tall cabinet with a work surface, shelves and storage arranged around a computer, all behind doors. The modern version is less about hiding a tower and more about hiding the whole office: a pull-out shelf for a keyboard and mouse, a place for a printer, shelves for files and drawers for the small things that otherwise end up all over a desk. Some designs put the workstation behind a single bifold door that folds out of the way, while others use a pair of hinged doors that swing wide. Either way, the goal is the same: a real place to work that does not take over the room. That is the difference between a computer armoire and a regular desk, which is always on display whether you are working or not.

Why Hiding the Desk Matters in a Bedroom

If you are trying to hide a desk in the bedroom, you already know the problem. A visible desk keeps work in your line of sight at night, and a laptop on the nightstand is worse. Closing the office away at the end of the day is one of the easiest ways to draw a line between work and rest, and it keeps a small bedroom from feeling like a cubicle. A computer armoire also handles the clutter that a desk invites: cables, chargers, notebooks and the printer all live inside, out of view. For renters and anyone in a small apartment, it is a way to add a full workspace without giving up a corner of the room to a desk that never goes away. When guests come over or the room needs to be a bedroom again, you shut the doors and the office is gone.

The Haley and Hawthorne: A Full Workstation Behind One Door

The Haley computer armoire is our most complete version of the idea. At 64 inches wide, 21.75 inches deep and 84 inches tall, it puts a 31-inch-wide computer workstation in the center behind a single bifold door, so the door folds back neatly instead of swinging out into the room. Pull-out shelves give the keyboard and printer their own space, and a tall storage tower on each side holds shelves and two drawers for files, supplies and personal items. Because the side towers are closed storage, the Haley works as both an office and extra storage for the room it sits in. Fronts are customizable in matte, mirrored, glossy or colored glass, with dozens of case finishes, so it can blend into a bedroom or stand out as a statement piece.

Need more storage around the desk? The Hawthorne wardrobe closet desk is essentially a bigger Haley. At 96.25 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 84.75 inches tall, it splits the job between two sets of bifold doors. Behind the right pair is the computer area, with a 31-inch-wide desk surface, a pull-out keyboard tray and dedicated printer storage. Behind the left pair is hanging storage for clothing, so the same piece works as both your office and your closet. Tall cabinets add shelf and drawer storage, and upward-opening doors at the top stay open on pneumatic hinges, so one wall holds your workspace, your files and your wardrobe. Like all of our furniture, both are built with an engineered wood core and a thermally fused melamine finish.

Smaller Spaces: The Home Office Closet

Not every room has 64 inches of wall to spare. For tighter spots, the Alta home office closet turns a single 32.5-inch-wide cabinet into a compact computer station. A sliding shelf holds the keyboard and mouse, adjustable shelves organize the rest of your office essentials, and 165-degree hinges let the doors open wide for easy access. Additional shelves are available if you need more storage inside. Because it shares its size with our Alta wardrobes, it can stand alone or line up beside matching wardrobe cabinets, so a bedroom can have a closet and an office in one coordinated wall. It is also a practical choice for a studio apartment, where one cabinet has to work as hard as possible.

Computer Armoire or Wall Unit Desk?

The right choice depends on how you work. If you want the desk to disappear completely at the end of the day, a computer armoire is the answer. If you would rather keep an open desk set up and ready, with storage built around it, a wall unit desk is the better fit. Pieces like the Davidson wall unit desk give you an open work surface with cabinets and shelving on either side, so everything stays within reach while you work. A dedicated home office usually suits a wall unit desk, while a bedroom or living room usually suits an armoire. For more ideas on setting up the space itself, see our guides to organizing your office for productivity and modern office design.

Computer Armoires and Home Office Furniture from Contempo Space

Every Contempo Space computer armoire and home office closet is freestanding furniture, so nothing has to be fastened to your walls and the whole office can move with you. Each piece is customizable in hundreds of finish and handle combinations, factory-built in our Passaic, New Jersey facility and delivered fully assembled, with no flat-pack boxes and no afternoon lost to assembly. Delivery and in-home setup are free for qualifying orders in the NYC metro area and northeastern New Jersey, and every piece is backed by a lifetime warranty. Browse our full collection of computer armoires and home office storage below to find the size and layout that fits your room.

What People Mean by Built-In Closets

A traditional built-in closet is carpentry: cabinets and shelving constructed into a wall or alcove and finished to match the room. It looks seamless, but it is permanent, and the price reflects the labor. California Closets, for example, shows example designs on its own site ranging from about $1,900* to nearly $11,000* with installation included, and cost guides such as Fixr put professionally installed reach-in closets at $1,200* to $5,000* and walk-ins at $5,000* to $10,000*. At the other end, ready-to-assemble systems cost less up front: Modular Closets kits run roughly $350* to $1,600*, and a comparable two-unit IKEA PAX wall comes to about $1,028* once delivery and assembly are added. The catch with kits is that the planning and the build are on you, or on a second appointment you schedule and pay for separately. So the real trade-off is not just price, but how much of the work you want to take on and whether the storage needs to stay with the house.

*prices as of 10/22/2026

Path One: You Have a Closet, So Outfit It

If you have a reach-in closet, a walk-in closet or even a deep alcove, an Isa system is our direct answer to the installer route. Our Isa custom closet systems are made to measure, factory-built in New Jersey, and delivered and installed by our own team, secured to your wall, with no contractor to hire and no weekend lost to assembly. It is worth being clear about what Isa is: open storage that lives inside your closet, behind the doors you already have, rather than a cabinet with doors of its own. You build it from modules, such as the Isa closet organizer with 4 drawers for folded clothing, or the Isa XL closet system with drawers, shelves and hanging for a larger walk-in. Single modules start at $319, and four-module packages start at $1,399. Every module is built with an engineered wood core and a thermally fused melamine finish, so it holds up to daily use and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Path Two: No Closet, or Renting? Get the Look Without the Build-Out

Plenty of bedrooms, especially in older city apartments, have no closet at all, and renters usually cannot build one. Freestanding wardrobes solve both problems: the doors are included, nothing is fastened to the wall, and the whole closet moves with you when you do. Lined up side by side and finished with storage toppers, a set of wardrobe cabinets reads as a full closet wall, which is why so many shoppers searching for custom built-in closets end up choosing this route. The Alta 4 Door Wardrobe Closet Package is an easy starting point, with two double-door cabinets that can stand together or in separate rooms. Choose matte, wood grain, glossy, mirrored or colored glass fronts, add drawers or extra shelves inside, and extend the height with toppers when you want more storage above.

Comparing the Four Paths on Price and Effort

Laid side by side, the options sort out quickly. A professional installer such as California Closets runs from about $1,900 for a simple design to $11,000 or more for a large one, and the storage stays with the house when you move. A Modular Closets kit costs about $350 to $1,600, but you supply the measuring, the assembly and the installation; by the company's own count, 92% of its buyers build their closets themselves. An IKEA PAX wall works out similarly: about $551 for a single double-door unit and about $1,028 for a four-door wall once delivery and assembly are added, with assembly booked as a separate appointment after the boxes arrive. The fourth path, which most comparisons leave out, is factory-built storage that arrives finished: the Alta 4 Door Wardrobe Closet Package starts at $799, less than that four-door PAX wall, and is delivered fully assembled and set up in your room, while Isa systems are measured for your space and installed by our team. Both lines are made to order, backed by a lifetime warranty and built from the same engineered wood core with a thermally fused melamine finish.

How to Choose Between a Closet System and a Wardrobe

Start with the room. If there is a closet opening, even a narrow one, an Isa system will make far better use of it than any piece of furniture can. If there is no closet, if you rent, or if you expect to move in the next few years, a freestanding wardrobe is the safer investment because it goes where you go. Think about doors, too: Isa relies on your existing closet doors, while a wardrobe brings its own, including full-length mirror options. Many homes end up using both, with an Isa system in the main bedroom closet and an Alta wardrobe in a guest room or nursery. If you are weighing ready-to-assemble systems as well, our comparison of IKEA PAX alternatives covers how the options stack up on build quality and assembly.

Closet Systems and Wardrobes from Contempo Space

Every Contempo Space wardrobe is freestanding furniture, and every Isa closet system is measured for your space and installed by our team, so you get finished storage either way without hiring a contractor. Both lines are made to order in our Passaic, New Jersey factory, in hundreds of finish and handle combinations. Delivery and in-home setup are free for qualifying orders in the NYC metro area and northeastern New Jersey, and we deliver across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC and Florida. Start with our wardrobe closets if you need a closet, or custom closet collection if you already have one, and browse the selections below to compare sizes and configurations.

Ready to compare real options? Browse our bedroom armoires — every model is customizable and delivered assembled.

What Is a Chifferobe?

A chifferobe (you will also see it spelled chifforobe or chiffarobe) is a single cabinet that combines a chiffonier — a tall, narrow chest of drawers — with a wardrobe, which is a closed cabinet for hanging clothes. The word is an American invention: it first appeared in the 1908 Sears, Roebuck catalog, which advertised the new combination piece to households that did not have closets. The name stuck, especially in the American South, and literature fans may remember it from To Kill a Mockingbird. The defining feature is the split layout: one side or level of the cabinet is a column of drawers, and the other is hanging space behind a door. That combination made the chifferobe the original all-in-one bedroom storage solution — a complete clothes system in a single freestanding cabinet.

What Is an Armoire?

An armoire is the broader, older category: a tall, freestanding cabinet with doors, originally French, that has been used for storage since the days when it held armor and weapons rather than sweaters. Today the word usually means a full-height clothing cabinet with doors — inside there may be a hanging rod, shelves, drawers, or any mix of the three. In other words, every chifferobe is a kind of armoire, but not every armoire is a chifferobe: an armoire closet might be all hanging space, all shelves, or fully configurable. We cover the related question of armoires versus wardrobes in detail in our Armoire vs. Wardrobe guide, and you can see the range of layouts in our modern armoires collection.

Chifferobe vs. Armoire: The Real Differences

The practical difference comes down to layout and flexibility. A chifferobe always pairs drawers with hanging space in a fixed split — that is what makes it a chifferobe. An armoire is the umbrella term, and its interior can be anything: a full-width rod for coats and dresses, a wall of shelves for folded clothes, or a combination with drawers exactly where you want them. Antique chifferobes tend to be narrow — often under 4 feet wide — because they were built as single-cabinet solutions for closetless bedrooms. Armoires run the full range from just 16.5 inches wide up to double-door pieces. In modern furniture catalogs the words blur together, and most manufacturers, including us, simply describe the layout: how many doors, how many drawers, how much hanging space. That is the honest way to shop — by what is inside, not by the label.

Which Layout Fits the Way You Store Clothes?

Start with a simple audit: what fraction of your clothes hangs, and what fraction folds? If most of your wardrobe folds — jeans, knits, workout clothes — a chifferobe-style layout with exterior drawers earns its keep, because drawers hold folded clothes far more densely than shelves. If most of it hangs, prioritize rod space and skip drawers you will not fill; a tall wardrobe with a full-height rod or double hang holds more. Tight on floor space? A narrow armoire from just 16.5 inches wide gives you the combination layout in a slim footprint. And if the piece will double as your dressing spot, mirror doors add a full-length mirror without hanging anything on the wall. Our pieces take up to three exterior drawers per section, so you can weight the mix toward drawers or hanging as your closet audit dictates.

The Modern Chifferobe, Made to Fit

The reason the chifferobe was invented — homes without enough (or any) closet space — is the same reason people shop for one today, and the modern version simply does it better. Nearly every Contempo Space piece is freestanding furniture: factory-built in New Jersey, delivered and set up in your room, with nothing to build. You choose the width (standard sizes from 16.5 inches, or any width made to order), the door style (wood grain finishes, solid colors such as white, or mirrored and colored glass), and exactly how the inside is configured — drawers, shelves, hanging, or the classic chifferobe split. Qualifying orders in the NYC metro area and northeastern New Jersey include free delivery with in-home setup. Browse the full wardrobe closets collection to see every layout side by side, or start with the drawers-plus-hanging combinations below.

Why White Wardrobes Make Rooms Feel Larger

Color has a direct effect on how spacious a room feels, and white surfaces bounce light instead of absorbing it. A freestanding white armoire placed against a neutral wall almost disappears into the background, freeing up visual real estate for artwork, textiles, or accent furniture. The effect is especially noticeable in smaller bedrooms where a dark wardrobe would dominate the space. Pairing a white wardrobe with light flooring and simple window treatments creates a layered, airy look that photographs well and lives even better. For rooms that already lean toward a bright palette, a wardrobe closet in white matte ties everything together without competing for attention.

White Matte: The Finish That Works Everywhere

Contempo Space wardrobes use a white matte melamine that resists fingerprints and cleans easily with a damp cloth. Unlike high-gloss finishes, matte does not show smudges or reflect overhead lights in distracting ways. The surface has a soft, contemporary look that complements brushed-nickel hardware just as well as polished chrome. Because the melamine is consistent to all exterior panels, the wardrobe reads as a single solid piece rather than a collection of separate parts. It is a practical choice for households with children or pets, where glossy surfaces tend to show every touch.

Mirror Doors on White Wardrobes

Adding full-length mirror doors to a white wardrobe serves two purposes at once. You gain a dressing mirror exactly where you need it, and the reflected light makes the room feel even larger than the white finish alone. Mirrors are available on both single-door and multi-door configurations, so you can choose how much reflective surface suits the room. The mirror panels are mounted flush to the door face, with no exposed clips, for a clean look. On the inside of each door, you can also opt for a mirror, which is helpful for checking an outfit from multiple angles. Hardware like our l-handles sit from behind the doors and the mirror line, keeping the mirrored surface uninterrupted.

Sizing a White Wardrobe for Your Room

Freestanding wardrobes come in a wide range of heights and widths, and getting the proportions right makes all the difference. A tall wardrobe with a height near 90 inches takes full advantage of vertical space, which is ideal for rooms with standard eight-foot ceilings. Narrower units around 16 to 32 inches wide fit into alcoves, hallway ends, or beside a bed without crowding the walking path. For larger bedrooms, a multi-door wardrobe system spanning 65 inches or more can replace an entire closet. Measure the wall space first, leave at least two inches on each side for air circulation, and confirm that your ceiling height  can fit with the tall extenders.

Pairing White Wardrobes with Other Furniture

A white wardrobe does not have to stand alone. Flanking a bed with matching narrow armoires creates a symmetrical look that anchors the room. You can also mix a white wardrobe with wood-tone dressers or nightstands for a two-tone palette that feels layered without being busy. The key is repeating the hardware finish across all pieces so they read as a coordinated set. Chrome pulls on the wardrobe paired with chrome drawer pulls on a nightstand, for example, quietly link the furniture together even if the wood tones differ.

Contempo Space White Wardrobe Options

Every Contempo Space white wardrobe is made to order with your choice of interior layout, door style, and hardware. The Alta line offers single-door, double-door, and multi-section configurations, all in the same white matte finish for easy mixing and matching. Interior options include chrome hanging rods, adjustable shelves and interior or exterior drawers. Mirror doors, colored glass doors, and solid panel doors are all available, so you can customize each section of a larger system independently. Every unit is delivered fully assembled and installed by the Contempo Space delivery team — no assembly required on the customer's end.

What Makes an Armoire Dresser Different from a Regular Dresser

A standard dresser is drawers from top to bottom. Maybe three drawers, maybe six, but it is all drawers all the way up. An armoire dresser changes that formula by replacing the upper drawers with a closed cabinet — one or two doors that swing open to reveal a hanging rod, adjustable shelves, or both. That upper section turns a simple dresser into something much closer to a wardrobe closet. You still get the same drawer storage on the bottom, plus a full clothing cabinet on top. The result is a single piece of freestanding furniture that does the work of two separate pieces.

Drawer Configurations: Exterior vs. Interior

Armoire dressers handle drawers in two ways, and the difference matters more than you might expect. Exterior drawers sit below the cabinet doors, visible from the front, and pull out without opening any doors first. Interior drawers are tucked behind the cabinet doors — you open the door, then pull the drawer. Exterior drawers give you faster access to everyday items like socks, underwear, and workout clothes, and most configurations offer two to four exterior drawers per section. Interior drawers create a cleaner front profile since the drawer faces stay hidden, giving the armoire a more streamlined look. Some armoire dressers combine both — a few exterior drawers on the bottom with additional interior drawers behind the doors above. Need width instead of height? See our long dressers, which can be built to your wall's length.

Hanging Space Above the Drawers

The cabinet section above the drawers is what separates an armoire dresser from everything else in the bedroom. A chrome hanging rod spans the width of the cabinet, and that rod handles blazers, button-downs, blouses, dresses, and anything else that wrinkles when you fold it. Adjustable shelves above or beside the rod hold bags, hats, or folded sweaters. Some configurations skip the hanging rod entirely and fill the upper section with all shelves — a setup that works well if you already have hanging space elsewhere and just need more room for folded items. The key is that this upper section uses vertical space that a regular dresser simply wastes. Instead of stacking a decorative tray on top of your dresser, you are storing clothes behind closed doors in a tall wardrobe that reaches toward the ceiling.

Finishes, Glass, and Handle Styles

The finish on your armoire dresser sets the bedroom visual tone. White matte is the most popular choice — it brightens the room and pairs with practically any wall color or bedding. Woodgrain options like natural walnut or eucalyptus bring warmth when you want the furniture to feel substantial and grounded. For a distinctive look, solid opaque colored glass doors are available in shades like French lilac, paprika, and icicle blue — these panels add a pop of color while keeping contents completely hidden. Handles range from brushed nickel bar pulls to rectangular chrome tabs to classic round knobs. The combination of finish and hardware can take the same armoire dresser from minimal and modern to warm and traditional.

Armoire Dresser Options from Contempo Space

Contempo Space armoire dressers are built to order with your choice of drawer count, cabinet configuration, finish, and hardware. Every unit is freestanding — slide it into place, load it up, and rearrange it whenever the room needs a refresh. You can configure the lower section with two, three, or four exterior drawers and choose whether the upper cabinet gets a hanging rod, adjustable shelves, or a combination of both. Browse the full modern armoire collection for every configuration, or narrow your search by size with tall wardrobes, narrow armoire options and armoire closets for tighter spaces. Free delivery and in-home setup are available in the New York City metro area and northeastern New Jersey for qualifying orders.

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What Makes a Long Dresser Different

A standard dresser is roughly 30 to 40 inches wide with one or two columns of drawers. A long dresser starts at around 60 inches and can stretch past 80 inches, using three full columns of drawers side by side. Most triple dressers stand between 30 and 34 inches tall — noticeably shorter than a highboy or chest of drawers — which keeps the proportions balanced and leaves wall space above for artwork, a mirror or a window. The low profile also makes the top surface easy to reach and use daily, which is why triple dressers often double as vanity surfaces or media stands. The trade-off is wall space: you need a solid five to seven feet of uninterrupted wall to place one, and the dresser will sit 19” from the wall due to its depth.

Drawer Count and Layout Options

The classic triple dresser layout is three columns of three drawers, giving you nine drawers total. But that is just one option. White some configurations use wider drawers across the top row and narrower drawers below, or mix drawer depths — shallow drawers on top for accessories and deeper drawers on the bottom for bulkier items like jeans and sweaters, the trade-off is versatility. The key is matching the drawer layout to what you actually store while remaining flexible for future changing bedroom storage needs while also having a clean, streamlined symmetrical look. If two people share the dresser, three columns let you split it naturally — one column each with the center column for shared items. A twelve-drawer layout means each person gets four dedicated drawers plus a shared middle column.

The Storage Math: What 6, 9, and 12 Drawers Actually Hold

Drawer count matters less than drawer volume, so it is worth doing the math before you buy. A deep
drawer in a full-depth dresser holds roughly two stacks of folded jeans or three stacks of
t-shirts; multiply by drawer count and a 6-drawer double covers one person comfortably, a
9-drawer triple like our 8-foot long dresser covers a couple with room to spare, and a 12-drawer triple approaches walk-in-closet territory for folded clothes — all without a single item stored above
shoulder height. Deep drawers are the multiplier: the same footprint with shallow drawers holds
barely half as much, which is why a long dresser with deep drawers is worth insisting on rather
than treating as a bonus.

Sizing a Long Dresser to Your Wall

Measure the wall, not the dresser. Start with the full wall width, subtract clearances for
anything that swings — doors, closet doors, drawer pulls on neighboring furniture — and what
remains is your maximum dresser length. Under 5 feet of usable wall, a large double like the
10-drawer double dresser is the honest choice; 6 feet or more opens up true triples; a clean 8-foot run fits the full 9-drawer piece. Height is the other half: long dressers sit low, usually 30 to 34 inches, which
keeps sight-lines open in smaller rooms and puts the top at usable counter height. Because every
piece we make is built to order, the width does not have to round down to a catalog size — it can
match the wall to the inch.

Finishes and Handle Styles

Because a long dresser covers so much visual real estate, the finish choice shapes the entire room. Light finishes like White matte or White Wash make the dresser feel less imposing in smaller rooms and reflect more light. Darker finishes like Black Zebrano, Charcoal Ash, or two-tone woodgrain combinations add warmth and visual weight — a good fit for larger rooms where you want the dresser to anchor the space. Handles run the full range from brushed nickel bar pulls to chrome L-shaped handles to simple round knobs. On a nine-drawer dresser, the handles repeat nine times, so even small differences in style become very visible. Matching the handle finish to other hardware in the room — door handles, light fixtures, curtain rods — creates a cohesive look. If budget is the deciding factor, our dressers under $1,000 selection shows what each price point buys in length and drawer count.

Styling a Triple Dresser in Your Room

The top surface of a long dresser is the largest flat surface in most bedrooms besides the bed itself, so it deserves some thought. A TV centered on the dresser works well since the height (especially on the 12 drawer dresser) puts the screen at a comfortable viewing angle from the bed. If you skip the TV, a large mirror leaning against or mounted above the dresser opens up the room and gives you a full-length view. Flanking a centered mirror or TV with matching table lamps creates a balanced arrangement that grounds the wall. Trays and small boxes on the dresser surface keep everyday items like keys, watches, and jewelry organized without cluttering the top. The goal is to use the surface purposefully rather than letting it become a catch-all landing pad. For tighter bedrooms, start with dressers for small rooms instead.

Long Dresser Options from Contempo Space

Contempo Space dressers include triple dresser configurations with nine or more drawers in your choice of finish and hardware. Every unit is freestanding — position it along a wall, reposition it during a room rearrangement, and take it with you if you move. Drawer counts range from six to twelve + depending on the configuration, and the amount of space you have available. Pair a triple dresser with matching nightstands or a wardrobe closet in the same finish for a coordinated bedroom set. Free delivery and in-home setup are available in the New York City metro area and northeastern New Jersey for qualifying orders.

Made to Order — Your Space, Your Way

Don't see exactly what you're looking for? Every Contempo Space dresser is made to order in our manufacturing facility in Passaic, New Jersey, so we can customize drawer counts, finishes, handles, and dimensions to fit your space. Need more than twelve drawers? No problem — your imagination and your available wall space are the only limits. And if you want a dresser that doubles as a media center with room above for hanging storage or adjustable shelves, take a look at our Aventa collection. The Aventa combines dresser drawer storage on the bottom with an upper wardrobe cabinet — giving you the best of both a dresser and an armoire in a single freestanding piece.

What PAX Gets Right

Credit where due, because this is a comparison, not a takedown. The PAX is often less expensive than other comparable ready-to-assemble alternatives, IKEA's free online planner is genuinely useful for visualizing a layout before you buy, and for short-term or disposable use — a first apartment, a room you'll reconfigure in a year, a rental you're already planning to leave — it does the job it promises at the price it promises. If that describes your situation, PAX may be all you need. The rest of this guide is for everyone whose wall, timeline, or taste doesn't fit the flat-pack format.

The PAX Assembly Experience (Bring Snacks)

There is no polite way to say this: the PAX is hard to put together. TaskRabbit assemblers have repeatedly ranked it among the hardest IKEA builds, and the internet's assembly stories back them up. The frame has to be built flat on the floor, then tipped upright — which requires two people, a room big enough to lay out large panels, and a willingness to negotiate with gravity. One of the most common complaints online is finishing the entire build and then discovering the assembled unit won’t fit through the doorway. Interior organizers, drawers, hinges, and doors are all additional steps on top of the frame build, so a single unit can eat an entire afternoon. Need a wall of three or four frames? That is a full weekend commitment. Many buyers end up hiring TaskRabbit anyway (quotes run about $77 per unit), which has to be scheduled as a separate appointment after delivery day — meaning another day off from work. Wardrobe closets from Contempo Space skip all of this — they arrive fully assembled and a professional team sets them up in your room the same day. No tools, no second appointment — ready to place your belongings and enjoy!

Four Colors, Take It or Leave It

The PAX system comes in four frame finishes as of this writing: white, gray-beige, dark gray, and oak effect. If you want anything else, you are painting or wrapping the panels yourself — which can void warranty coverage and rarely looks factory-finished. Drawers come in one height and two widths, and some frame sizes do not even have a matching door option. It is a system that works if your taste happens to line up with what IKEA decided to manufacture this year. Freestanding wardrobes open up the conversation considerably. Contempo Space alone offers 17 matte melamine finishes, 2 high-gloss options, mirror doors, and 21 colored glass fronts — from Apple Red and French Lilac to Icicle and Navy Blue. Every colored glass front is solid and opaque, so it adds real design presence to a room rather than just covering a storage box. Pair any of those finishes with brushed bar pulls, polished chrome knobs, or other handle styles, and the number of possible combinations reaches into the thousands. You can see every option on the color samples page.

Let's Talk Real Numbers

Price is usually the first thing people bring up when comparing PAX to alternatives — so rather than guessing, we priced comparable configurations on ikea.com and contempospace.com in September 2026, matching door count, similar sizes, hang rods, and handles, with product, delivery, and assembly all included. The short version: on a single unit, PAX comes in a little lower ($551 vs $633 for a double-door wardrobe) — but the gap is the cost of never touching an Allen key. The moment you need two or more units, the math flips: a four-door wall runs $1,028 in PAX components plus your weekend, versus $897 delivered, assembled, and set in place. The full comparison is in the table below.

Renting a storage unit instead? See our full breakdown of alternatives to storage units and what they cost in 2026.

What Happens When You Move

Here is something the PAX Planner does not mention: flat-pack furniture does not like moving day. The cam locks and dowel joints that hold a PAX frame together weaken every time you disassemble and reassemble the unit — and that assumes it was assembled fully and correctly to begin with. A system that survives one move may not survive a second, so it is one you may find yourself replacing after a move or two. Contempo Space wardrobes move as finished furniture because they were never assembled from parts in the first place — no cam locks to loosen, no dowels to strip. Every piece carries a lifetime warranty, which means the manufacturer is standing behind it for as long as you own it — not just until the next product refresh. If you plan to keep your wardrobe through a lease renewal or two, the per-year cost of a piece that lasts is hard to beat.

Wardrobes That Actually Fit Your Space

PAX frames come in three fixed widths — 19 5/8", 29 1/2", and 39 3/8" — in two depths (13 3/4" and 22 7/8"). That is fine if your wall happens to measure in IKEA increments, but most walls do not. IKEA's instructions also require anchoring PAX to the wall, which means drilling into studs, dealing with outlets or vents that land exactly where the frame wants to sit, and ruling the system out entirely if you are renting or prefer not to put holes in your walls. Contempo Space wardrobes are freestanding — no wall anchoring required. Place them anywhere and take them with you when you leave. Widths start at 16.5 inches and go up, with sizes built to your measurements as needed — a perk of furniture made locally in New Jersey. Depth options handle shallow hallways and deep walk-ins, and corner wardrobes like the Alta Corner Wardrobe turn dead angles into full-depth hanging space — a configuration PAX simply cannot match without extensive third-party hacking. For narrower spots, narrow armoires fit behind doors and in tight hallways where a PAX frame would never work.

IKEA PAX vs. Freestanding Wardrobes at a Glance

The Bottom Line: Convenience You Can Measure

Choosing between PAX and a freestanding wardrobe comes down to what you value most. If the lowest possible upfront price for a single unit is the priority and you genuinely enjoy a DIY project, PAX can work — the broader tradeoffs are covered in our custom versus ready-made wardrobes guide. But if your time has value, if you want something that looks like furniture rather than a weekend project, and especially if you need more than one unit, the math shifts quickly. Contempo Space wardrobes are built in New Jersey, delivered fully assembled by a professional team, and set up in your room with packaging removed — ready to use the same day. In-home delivery and setup in the NYC metro and northeastern New Jersey area is free on orders of $699 or more. The Alta line covers everything from single-door narrow closets to eight-door packages, and the Bella line adds taller cabinet heights and premium interior options — both carry a lifetime warranty. For a deeper dive into the wardrobe family tree, our guide to armoire versus wardrobe breaks down the terminology, or browse the full collection of modern armoires to see what is available. IKEA® and PAX® are trademarks of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Contempo Space is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by IKEA; PAX product details and prices are as published on ikea.com in September 2026 and may change.

Under-Bed Drawers: Side, Foot, or Both

The most practical storage a bed frame can offer is drawers built into the base. Side drawers pull out from the long edges of the frame — typically two on each side for a queen, giving you four drawers total. Some platform bed configurations offer drawers on all three accessible sides — both long edges plus the foot — bringing the total to six or ten drawers in a queen or king frame. The drawers sit on full-extension runners so you can access the full depth of each one without reaching. Drawer fronts sit flush with the frame edge, keeping the visual profile clean.

Headboard and Nightstand Storage

A bed frame with storage does not have to stop at the base. Pier wall headboard systems extend the frame upward to include shelving, drawers, and cabinets that flank both sides of the headboard, space traditionally empty and wasted with a standard headboard and nightstands. Each pier section typically includes two drawers stacked vertically, plus open shelves above them for books, an alarm clock, or a charging station. The headboard section between the piers often incorporates a mirror panel, and a narrow shelf that runs the width of the bed. This setup replaces freestanding nightstands entirely — the storage is built right into the frame system. For rooms where every inch matters, a pier wall storage bed delivers the storage of four or five separate pieces in the footprint of one.

Platform Frame vs. Traditional Frame

A platform bed frame supports the mattress directly on a solid surface, eliminating the need for a box spring. This design creates a slightly lower overall height — typically 14 to 18 inches from floor to mattress top — and opens up the interior of the frame for drawer mechanisms. The solid platform also tends to provide firmer mattress support than a traditional box spring setup. Traditional frames with storage use a box spring and add drawers in the additional height created by a taller frame. Both approaches work for storage, but platform frames are more common in modern configurations because the lower profile looks cleaner and the elimination of the box spring frees up more interior space for deeper drawers.

Sizing and Finish Options

Storage bed frames come in twin, full, queen, king platform bed with storage, and California king sizes. The drawer count scales with the frame size — twins typically accommodate two drawers, while kings can support eight. When choosing a finish, consider how the bed frame coordinates with your other furniture. Matte finishes in white, stone, or espresso create a smooth, modern surface. Woodgrain finishes like walnut, birch, and eucalyptus add natural texture and warmth. For a coordinated look, match the frame finish to your dresser or nightstands — or use the frame as the foundation for a new color direction in the room.

Bed Frame with Storage Options from Contempo Space

Contempo Space offers freestanding bed frames with storage in platform and pier wall configurations. Platform frames include under-bed drawers on one side, both sides, or the foot end — choose the layout that matches your room access. Pier wall systems add flanking storage cabinets, headboard shelving, and accent lighting to create a complete sleep-and-storage system. Every frame is available in multiple finishes and drawer configurations. Browse beds with storage to see the full range, or start with platform beds for frames with under-bed drawers. Free delivery and in-home setup are available in the New York City metro area and northeastern New Jersey for qualifying orders.