ᐅ Building KALLAX Doors Yourself – Anyone Tips or Dimensions?

Hello everyone, I am planning to build custom doors for my IKEA KALLAX shelf unit because I am not satisfied with the original doors and would like a more personalized option. I am looking for advice on the appropriate dimensions and materials that are easy to work with, as well as tips on planning and installing the doors on the KALLAX. It is important to me to make the doors sturdy enough without making them too heavy, and also to understand the best way to attach them to the shelf—especially if using hinges. Has anyone had experience with building their own KALLAX doors and could provide measurements based on the standard KALLAX units? I am interested in the door dimensions (height, width, thickness) and mounting options that work well and are durable. Thanks in advance!

Hello Eckhart30,

I can help you in detail here, as I recently made MDF doors for the KALLAX myself. First, an important note: the standard KALLAX unit has a cabinet depth of about 39 cm (15 inches). Therefore, the doors should be slightly less deep to ensure they close properly.

Regarding the dimensions: the original doors are approximately 33.5 cm (13 inches) wide and 33.5 cm (13 inches) high per compartment (depending on how many compartments you want to cover with each door). If you want doors covering two compartments, you need to double the height accordingly – with small reductions for the hinges (about 2-3 mm (0.1 inch) clearance on each side).

I recommend a thickness of 12 to 16 mm (0.5 to 0.6 inches) for the door panels. MDF or plywood (multiplex) are good choices because of their stability and ease of processing. You can laminate or veneer them according to your preference. For mounting, I use concealed hinges (for example, clip-on hinges) – these have the advantage of easy adjustment and ensure smooth door closing.

Also, consider adding small buffers or dampers on the inside of the doors to prevent rattling. Additionally, think about the door opening direction, as the unit is open on the front and does not provide a fixed stop edge.

I’m happy to provide drawings or more precise measurements if you let me know how many compartments you want each door to cover!

Eckhart30 schrieb:
Ich suche daher Tipps bezüglich der passenden Maße und Materialien, die sich gut verarbeiten lassen

That’s the key point because a door that is too thin will warp easily, while one that is too thick will make installation difficult.

Hello,

a few additional points regarding the dimensions and materials:

1. The maximum door thickness for the KALLAX should not exceed 18 mm (0.7 inches), as thicker doors can prevent the hinges from functioning properly or cause the doors not to close flush.

2. For width and height, it is advisable to leave about a 2 mm (0.08 inches) gap around the frame of the KALLAX to allow for smooth opening and to avoid warping.

3. I have had good experiences with painted plywood – it provides stability and the surface is easy to maintain.

4. Regarding hinge installation, clip-on hinges, as mentioned before, are very advantageous since they allow tool-free mounting and can be easily adjusted later if needed.

One more tip: it’s better to avoid solid wood panels, as they may warp due to temperature and humidity changes.

Hope this helps.

The doors should be approximately 28.5 cm (11¼ inches) wide and 33.5 cm (13¼ inches) high when covering one compartment. This is based on the KALLAX internal depth and total width minus some clearance.

For material: MDF with a thickness of 16 mm (5/8 inches) works well.

Hinges: Clip-on hinges with a 35 mm (1⅜ inch) cup hole, standard.

Maintain a 2 mm (1/16 inch) gap from the KALLAX frame on all sides.