Flush Door Buyer’s Guide: Choosing Flush Pocket and Hinged Door Systems
Flush doors are designed for interiors where clean lines and minimal detailing are important. By removing conventional architraves and concealing the door frame within the wall finish, they create a much simpler relationship between the door and the surrounding surface.
However, the term “flush door” can describe two very different solutions: a door that slides into the wall or a hinged door fitted into a concealed frame.
Choosing between them requires consideration of how the room will be used, available wall space, opening direction, door finish and, importantly, when the system needs to be installed.
This guide explains the key differences and how to specify the right ECLISSE Syntesis Flush solution.
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What is a flush door?
In this context, a flush door is a door system designed to remove the conventional visible frame, jambs and architraves around the opening.
The frame is integrated into the wall and finished with plaster or the appropriate wall finish.
This creates a much cleaner edge and allows the door to sit visually within the architecture rather than being surrounded by decorative trim.
ECLISSE's Syntesis Flush Collection includes:
- Flush pocket doors
- Flush hinged doors
- Flush glass solutions
- Flush riser doors
- Flush skirting solutions
The aim is to create uninterrupted architectural lines across the room.
Flush pocket or flush hinged door?
This is the most important decision.
Flush pocket door
The door slides horizontally into the wall.
Choose this when saving space or completely opening the doorway is important.
Flush hinged door
The door opens conventionally on hinges but uses a concealed frame with no visible architrave.
Choose this when a standard hinged action is desirable but you want a minimalist appearance.
| Feature | Flush pocket door | Flush hinged door |
|---|---|---|
| Opening action | Slides into wall | Hinged |
| Door swing | None | Yes |
| Architrave | No | No |
| Frame appearance | Concealed | Concealed |
| Space saving | Maximum | Similar to conventional hinged door |
| Door disappears when open | Yes | No |
| Best for | Small rooms and flexible spaces | Minimalist conventional doorways |
A project does not need to use only one solution. Flush pocket and hinged doors can be combined within the same interior to create a consistent architrave-free design.
How does a concealed frame work?
With a traditional door, the frame and architrave cover the transition between the doorway and the finished wall.
A concealed-frame system takes a different approach.
The frame incorporates profiles designed to become part of the wall finish. Plaster or the appropriate finishing system is brought up to these edges, leaving a clean opening without conventional trim.
ECLISSE Syntesis Flush systems use reinforced profiles intended to reduce flex and help achieve a crisp finished edge.
This is why installation quality matters.
A flush door is not simply a normal frame with the architrave omitted; it is a system designed specifically to create that finish.
Should I choose a push or pull flush hinged door?
Syntesis Flush hinged frames are available in push and pull configurations, however, it is only flush from a single side and recessed the other.
The terms describe the direction in which the door opens relative to the flush face.
A push arrangement opens away from you as you push the door.
A pull arrangement opens towards you.
The choice affects both how the doorway operates and which side achieves the intended flush relationship. The flush hinged door systems are also available in right and left configurations to suit any interior and layout.
ECLISSE provides separate installation configurations for push and pull systems.
Consider:
- Which room the door should swing into
- Furniture positions
- Circulation routes
- Light switches (ECLISSE offer wiring-ready systems)
- Adjacent doors
- The wall face that is most visually important
Opening direction should therefore be established before ordering the frame.
What sizes are available?
Flush systems are available in standard sizes, with bespoke options available for many applications.
For example, the current Syntesis Flush Single pocket door is available in bespoke passage sizes up to 1300mm wide and 3000mm high. The double pocket system can reach up to 2600mm wide and 3000mm high in appropriate configurations.
Larger sizes can introduce additional wall-thickness or structural requirements.
Rather than assuming that every size uses the same construction, always refer to the technical specification for the exact dimensions required.
For flush hinged doors, door size, weight and the number of hinges may also need to be considered.
What wall construction do I need?
Flush systems should be designed into the wall rather than treated as a decorative item installed at the end.
Depending on the product, ECLISSE concealed frames can work with stud construction and, for relevant hinged systems, masonry construction.
The Syntesis Flush pocket range currently includes finished wall thickness options of 100mm, 125mm and 150mm*.
Wall thickness affects:
- Frame selection
- Plasterboard build-up
- Structural opening
- Edge finishing
- Large-opening capability
The installer should work from the product-specific drawings rather than nominal door dimensions alone.
*Please note, ECLISSE do not stock 150mm options however these are available on a lead time.*
What finish can I have on a flush door?
One of the biggest design advantages of a flush door is its ability either to disappear into the wall or become a deliberate feature.
Blend the door into the wall
A primed door can be painted in the same colour as the surrounding wall.
This reduces the visual emphasis on the opening and works especially well in hallways, bedrooms and minimalist interiors.
Create contrast
The door can instead use a contrasting colour or finish so that its simple geometry becomes part of the design.
Which handles suit a flush door?
There are two broad design approaches.
A discreet flush pull can maintain the minimal appearance of a pocket door.
Alternatively, a stronger architectural handle can create a deliberate contrast against an otherwise simple door surface.
For hinged doors, compatible lever furniture and locking arrangements should be selected according to the frame and latch specification.
ECLISSE flush hinged frames incorporate concealed hinges and a magnetic latch arrangement on relevant systems, helping reduce visible hardware when the door is open.
Link to Door Accessories Buyer’s Guide
When should a flush door be specified?
As early as possible.
Because the frame is concealed by the finished wall, the system needs to be coordinated with the wall construction before plastering.
A typical sequence is:
- Choose pocket or hinged operation.
- Confirm opening size and direction.
- Specify the correct frame and wall construction.
- Install the frame during the appropriate first-fix stage.
- Complete plasterboard or surrounding wall construction.
- Apply the required plaster finish carefully to the frame edge.
- Decorate the wall and frame.
- Fit and adjust the door.
- Install final handles and hardware.
Attempting to change from a conventional framed door to a concealed flush system after the wall is complete generally involves considerably more work.
This makes flush doors an item to put on the architectural schedule early.
Flush skirting and other finishing details
If the objective is a genuinely minimal interior, the treatment of the doorway is only part of the design.
ECLISSE's Syntesis range also includes a flush skirting board adaptor designed to help continue the same clean-line approach around the base of the wall.
This can be particularly effective where several flush doors appear along the same corridor or wall.
Thinking about door frames, skirting, sockets and other wall details together produces a much more resolved result than specifying each component independently.
Flush Door FAQs
What is the difference between a flush door and a normal door?
A conventional doorway normally has visible jambs and architraves. A flush system uses a concealed frame designed to allow the wall finish to continue to the edge of the opening.
Is a flush pocket door different from a flush hinged door?
Yes. A flush pocket door slides into the wall, while a flush hinged door opens on concealed hinges. Both can achieve an architrave-free appearance.
Can a flush door be painted the same colour as the wall?
Yes, subject to appropriate preparation and paint systems. This is one of the most popular ways of making the door visually blend into the wall.
When does the concealed frame need to be installed?
It should be coordinated with the wall construction and fitted before final plastering and decoration.
Can flush doors be used in renovations?
Yes, but installation may require existing wall finishes and potentially sections of the wall construction to be removed or rebuilt. They are easiest to incorporate when this work already forms part of the renovation.
Create a cleaner, more minimal interior
From pocket doors that disappear into the wall to hinged doors with concealed frames, the Syntesis Flush range provides several ways to remove conventional door-frame detailing.
Explore ECLISSE Flush Door Systems or contact ECLISSE for help specifying the right system for your project.