An IKEA PAX frame is a good, adaptable wardrobe. The doors decide whether it looks like flat-pack or like a built-in. Choosing them comes down to five things: the frame sizes, the finish, the profile, the extras that finish the job, and the budget. This guide works through each one with the options we offer for PAX.
Start with your PAX frame sizes
Our PAX doors fit the standard 50, 75 and 100 cm wide frames at 201 or 236 cm tall. A 100 or 75 cm frame takes two doors and a 50 cm frame takes one.
Two details matter here:
- They are longer than IKEA's doors. Customea PAX doors are 51 mm longer than the standard IKEA ones, so they cover the kickboard at the bottom of the frame. That is a large part of what makes PAX read as built-in.
- They hang on IKEA's hinges. The doors come with hinge holes drilled to suit IKEA's standard hinges. You buy the hinges with your frames from IKEA.
Choose a finish that suits the room
Wardrobe doors cover a whole wall, so the finish carries more of the room than a kitchen door does. Our PAX finishes, with starting prices per door from our PAX wardrobe doors page:
- Painted (2Pac Poly), from $290 a door. Any Dulux colour, so the doors can match your walls or trim exactly.
- Unpainted (Raw), from $105 a door, if you are happy to paint them yourself.
- Woodgrain laminate (Formica), from $195 a door, for a timber look on a budget.
- NAVURBANâ„¢, from $280 a door, a timber-look surface with an embossed grain, in Plain, Slim Shaker and Shaker.
- Laminex and Polytec, a wide range of prefinished colours and woodgrains.
Colour on a screen is not reliable. Before you commit a whole wall to one, order a finish sample or a full-size sample door and look at it in the room's own light.
Pick a door profile
Our PAX profiles are Plain, Mini Shaker, Slim Shaker, Midi Shaker, Shaker, French Shaker, Round Shaker, Coastal, Finger Pull and Arch. Arch fits select sizes only.
A tall door shows its profile more than a short one. A few points to weigh:
- Plain keeps a long run of doors calm and lets the handles or the finish lead.
- Shaker profiles add detail. They are also available with a centre rail, which divides a tall door into two panels.
- Coastal has square vertical grooves every 100 mm, which suits the height of a wardrobe.
- Finger Pull has a pull channel built into the edge, so there are no handles to buy.
Our Shaker vs flat doors guide goes deeper on this choice.
Think beyond the doors
The difference between a PAX with new doors and a PAX that looks built-in is usually in the extras:
- Doors and drawers sets. For 236 cm frames there are sets of doors above four drawer fronts, which screw onto IKEA's KOMPLEMENT drawers. A 100 or 75 cm frame takes two doors over the drawers; a 50 cm frame takes one door, hung left or right.
- Extension cabinets. These sit on top of PAX to close the gap to the ceiling. They come in 50, 75 and 100 cm widths, 30, 40, 50 or 60 cm tall, with or without doors.
- Side panels in your door finish, to cover the exposed frame sides.
- Open cabinets in NAVURBANâ„¢, 40 cm wide, for display shelving beside a run of PAX.
What does a PAX wardrobe cost?
Our PAX projects start from about $1,500 per wardrobe, and most fall between $2,000 and $4,500 depending on size, finish and profile. As a worked example from our How it Works page, a 100 cm wide PAX with two painted profile doors (50 × 235 cm), two painted side panels and two handles is $3,133 from Customea plus $280 for the IKEA frame and hinges: $3,413 all up, before delivery and installation.
Price your wardrobe from your IKEA plan
If you have designed your wardrobe in IKEA's planner, export it as a PDF and upload it to our Instant Quote tool. It reads every PAX door in the plan and matches it to a Customea door, with pricing that updates as you change the finish. It prices the doors only, so add side panels and extension cabinets separately.
To see a finish in person before you commit a whole wall to it, visit our showroom at 600 Princes Highway, Tempe, opposite IKEA Tempe.
Lead time
PAX doors are made to order, currently in 4 to 6 weeks from order confirmation, and shipped Australia-wide.
Common questions
Will Customea doors fit my existing PAX?
Yes. They are made to IKEA's hinge drilling for PAX and are 51 mm longer than the original doors to cover the kickboard.
Are there drawer fronts for PAX?
Yes, as doors and drawers sets for 236 cm high frames, in every profile and finish. The fronts fit IKEA's KOMPLEMENT drawers and a step-by-step install guide is included.
Can I take my PAX up to the ceiling?
Yes. Our extension cabinets sit on top of the frames in 30 to 60 cm heights, with or without matching doors.
Can I install the doors myself?
The doors are drilled for IKEA's standard hinges, so most people can hang them. If you would rather not, we can put you in touch with an installer.