Most kitchen and wardrobe doors fall into one of two camps. A flat door, which we call Plain, is a single smooth slab. A Shaker door has a recessed centre panel inside a frame. On the same IKEA cabinet, with the same hinges, they give a room a very different character. They also differ in price and in which finishes you can have.
What is the difference between Shaker and flat doors?
A flat door has nothing routed into its face. The colour, the grain and the handles do all the work, which suits a pared-back or contemporary room.
A Shaker door has a recessed panel with a frame around it. That shape is routed into 18 mm moisture-resistant MDF before the door is painted. The frame catches light and shadow, so the door reads as more detailed, and it sits comfortably in a traditional, coastal or modern room.
Which Shaker profiles are there?
Shaker isn't one profile. The width of the frame changes the look more than anything else, and there are several:
- Mini Shaker: a fine 10 mm frame.
- Slim Shaker: a 20 mm frame that keeps the Shaker outline but looks lighter.
- Midi Shaker: a 40 mm frame.
- Shaker: the classic wide 60 mm frame.
- French Shaker: a Shaker with a bevelled inner edge instead of a square one, which softens it.
- Round Shaker: a softened rectangle recessed into the door, with no square frame edges.
In Polytec Thermofoil there are also Classic Shaker, Fine Shaker and Micro Shaker. Our guide to Slim Shaker doors looks at the narrow frame in detail. You can see the painted versions on our Shaker doors for IKEA METOD page.
Which flat door options are there?
Plain is available in every finish family we offer. Several finishes come in Plain only: Laminex, Formica woodgrain and Polytec Decorative 16mm. Browse the flat painted doors for METOD or the Laminex and Polytec ranges.
Two profiles sit between the camps. Finger Pull is a flat slab with a pull channel built into the top edge, so it needs no handle. Coastal is flat with square vertical grooves every 100 mm, a little like wall panelling.
Does Shaker cost more than flat?
Usually, yes, because the profile is routed. Here is a 60 × 80 cm METOD door (597 × 797 mm), as priced on our site in October 2026:
| Finish | Plain | Shaker-style |
|---|---|---|
| Unpainted (Raw) | $100 | $160 |
| Painted (2Pac Poly) | $285 | $335 |
| NAVURBANâ„¢ | $255 | $370 |
| Polytec Thermofoil, Smooth or Matt | $285 | $285 |
| Laminex, Formica, Polytec Decorative 16mm | $160 to $190 | Not offered |
In painted 2Pac, Shaker adds $50 a door at this size. Across 20 doors that is $1,000. Polytec Thermofoil is the exception: a Classic, Fine or Micro Shaker door costs the same as a Plain one.
What else should you weigh up?
Size. On larger pieces, a routed profile carries a higher risk of bowing than a flat one, and the risk grows with the size of the piece. It's worth keeping in mind for very tall doors and large panels, and our team can talk you through a specific piece.
Handles. On a Shaker door the handle sits on or beside the frame, so the frame width affects where it can go. Seeing a full-size door with your handle against it settles this quickly.
Narrow doors and drawer fronts. A wide frame takes up proportionally more of a narrow door or a shallow drawer front. Whether a 60 mm frame suits a 20 cm door is something to judge at full size, not on screen.
Can you mix Shaker and flat?
Yes. Every door is ordered separately, so you can put Shaker on the base cabinets and flat on the tall ones, or give an island its own profile. The 3D Kitchen Planner lets you click any door, drawer or panel on your own IKEA plan and change its profile, colour or finish on its own, with the price updating as you go.
How do you decide?
See the two at full size. A Full Size Profile Sample is a real 400 × 200 mm drawer front made the same way as your order: $55 in white 2Pac or $30 unpainted. Order a Plain and a Shaker and hold them against your benchtop. You can also see full-size doors in every range at our showroom at 600 Princes Highway, Tempe, opposite IKEA Tempe.
If you are still choosing a finish as well as a profile, our thermolaminated vs 2Pac comparison covers that decision.