What is a Shaker Kitchen?
Here's an expert guide to Shaker kitchens, highlighting their distinctive features, and tips on customising the Shaker style to create your perfect bespoke kitchen.
A Shaker style kitchen is defined by its simplicity, practicality, and high level of craftsmanship. Originating from the Shaker religious movement, these kitchens feature symmetrical cabinets with distinctive framed panel doors.
Modern Shaker style kitchens offer versatile contemporary styling options, allowing for customisation to suit individual tastes and lifestyles.
How to recognise a Shaker Kitchen
A quality Shaker kitchen is simple yet exceptionally well-crafted, celebrating craftsmanship, form, and function without being showy. Traditional Shaker cabinetry features include round wooden knobs, carved wooden peg rails, and dovetail joints inside the drawers.
The most recognizable element of the Shaker kitchen is the traditional cabinetry with ‘Shaker doors.’ These doors have a large, flat recessed central panel surrounded by a raised frame with square edges.
Why are Shaker kitchens so popular?
Shaker kitchens are popular and have stood the test of time for several reasons:
Timeless Design: Their simplicity and elegance make them fashion-proof, remaining stylish through countless trends.
Enduring Ethos: The Shaker values of sustainability, durability, conscientious use of materials, and craftsmanship resonate with modern sensibilities.
Practicality: Originally designed for busy communal spaces, Shaker kitchens offer creative storage solutions and functionality.
Versatility: The modular design adapts to various home sizes and styles, from rustic farmhouses to modern apartments.
Customisable: Shaker kitchens can be personalized with different materials, colors, accessories, and finishes, providing a perfect backdrop for individual tastes.
How do I customise my Shaker Kitchen?
The versatile Shaker style allows for a range of personalisations:
Paint Colours: Shaker cabinets work well in any color, from classic neutrals like light greys and whites to contemporary deep blues and bold hues.
Glass Fronts: Add glazed inserts to Shaker doors for visual interest.
Handles and Knobs: Choose from a limitless variety of colors and materials to match your style.
Worktops: Pair Shaker cabinets with natural stone and contrasting materials like marble or granite.
Splashbacks and Tiles: Express yourself with any color, material, or pattern, as Shaker style complements all.
Lighting: Combine traditional Shaker cabinets with contemporary pendant lights for a stylish mix.
