Trade Guides
Selling Fronts for IKEA Box Systems: Ordering Rules That Matter
Selling custom fronts for IKEA cabinets online? The ordering rules that matter: fixed sizes per box, drawer stacks, hinge prep, cover panels and fillers.
Selling custom fronts for IKEA cabinets is easier than selling fully custom doors in one important way: the boxes come in fixed sizes, so your checkout can ask "which cabinet?" instead of "what size?" The ordering rules that matter are the ones that tie each front to a real box configuration, so the homeowner cannot order a door that does not fit what they bought.
Why box systems change the ordering problem
With fully custom doors, the buyer measures and you trust the numbers. With fronts for IKEA SEKTION boxes, the box dimensions are already published. In North America, SEKTION base cabinets are 30 inches tall and come in widths such as 18 and 36 inches (18" example, 36" example), along with other standard widths.
That means the checkout can do the sizing. The homeowner picks a box and a layout, and the system knows exactly which fronts that needs. Measuring errors largely go away. The errors that remain tend to come from picking the wrong configuration.
Always confirm your front sizes against IKEA's current published dimensions and your own test fits. Fronts are made slightly smaller than the nominal box size to leave clearance, and that allowance is your shop's specification to get right.
Order by cabinet first
The most useful rule is structural: build the order around boxes.
- The buyer chooses a cabinet type (base, wall, high, corner).
- They choose a width and height from the sizes that system offers.
- They choose a front layout for that box (one door, two doors, door plus drawer, three drawers, and so on).
- The checkout generates the exact list of fronts.
- They choose style and finish once, applied to every front in the kitchen, with exceptions allowed.
This approach removes most of the arithmetic from the homeowner. It also produces an order your shop can read as a kitchen, room by room. The difference between this and a plain size form is covered in guided configurators vs. order forms.
Ordering rules for custom fronts for IKEA cabinets
| Rule | What it prevents |
|---|---|
| Only offer widths and heights that exist in the box system | A front for a box that cannot be bought |
| Tie drawer stacks to valid combinations | Drawer fronts that add up to the wrong total height |
| Two-door boxes get a matched pair | One door ordered for a box that needs two |
| Hinge side choice on single doors | Doors bored for the wrong side |
| Corner and appliance boxes have their own front sets | Guessing at fronts for corner units and dishwashers |
| Cover panels and fillers are separate line items | Visible box sides in the wrong colour |
Drawer stacks deserve extra care
A box with several drawers needs fronts whose heights match that drawer layout. If the checkout lets the buyer type drawer front heights freely, someone will enter a combination that does not match their box. Offer the valid stacks as choices instead.
Do not forget the finishing pieces
New fronts on bare boxes leave a few visible surfaces that buyers often miss:
- Cover panels for exposed box sides, ends of runs and islands.
- Fillers where cabinets meet walls or appliances.
- Toe kicks in a matching finish.
- Deco strips or crown if the wall cabinets do not reach the ceiling.
A good checkout prompts for these based on the layout. If a run ends at an open side, suggest a cover panel. Your final review screen should list them clearly so the buyer can see what they are getting. More on that review in the final review step that cuts wrong-size orders.
Be careful with the brand name
You are selling fronts made to fit a third-party box system. Use the box system's name only to describe compatibility, for example "fronts that fit IKEA SEKTION boxes". Avoid any wording or design that suggests you are affiliated with or endorsed by IKEA. Check with your lawyer if you are unsure about how you use any trademark in your marketing.
Help the homeowner who already has a plan
Many buyers arrive with a plan from a kitchen planner or a printed list of boxes. Make that easy:
- Let them enter boxes in any order and group them by wall.
- Let them save a half-finished kitchen and return later.
- Offer a review call or chat for anyone unsure about corner units.
If you also sell fully custom doors for non-IKEA cabinets, the same checkout can offer both paths. See how to sell custom cabinet doors online.
How Inlay handles this
- Inlay's guided ordering flow can be built around boxes, with trade rules that only allow sizes that fit the box.
- Customers can save a kitchen for later, and a final review step lists every front before submit.
- Each product can take a deposit or full payment through your own Stripe account.
- The checkout is themed to your website and runs on your own subdomain, and orders sync to Allmoxy or any system that accepts a webhook, CSV or email.
Book a 20-minute demo to see box-based ordering for your fronts.