A shaker kitchen takes its name from the simple, functional furniture made by the Shaker religious community in America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The style is built around a plain recessed panel door with clean lines and no unnecessary decoration. It has remained one of the most enduring kitchen styles for decades, valued for its versatility and its ability to suit both period properties and new builds equally well.
The shaker door is defined by its construction rather than any particular colour or material, which is part of why the style works in so many settings.
The five-piece frame. Some shaker doors are built from four surrounding rails and stiles with a flat centre panel set within them. This gives the door its characteristic look: a raised outer frame with a slightly recessed middle, rather than a completely flat front.
Painted or wood finishes. Shaker doors are equally at home painted in a solid colour or left in a natural wood grain such as oak or walnut. Painted finishes tend to suit a wider range of colour schemes, while wood grain brings warmth and texture to a room.
One piece shaker. A more popular option is the one piece painted MDF door which is available in a wide range of finishes and colours.
Many kitchens combine a painted finish on the main run of units with a contrasting island or a run of open shelving in wood, using the two finishes to break up a larger space and add a bit of visual interest without moving away from the simplicity of the style.
A timeless look. Shaker kitchens have stayed popular for decades rather than following a passing trend, which means they are unlikely to look dated in a few years’ time.
Suits almost any home. The plain frame and panel design works as well in a period cottage as it does in a new-build home, and it pairs easily with both traditional and more contemporary fittings.
Easy to update. Because the door itself is so simple, the overall look of a shaker kitchen can be refreshed by changing the colour, the worktop, or the hardware, without needing to replace the whole kitchen.
Shaker kitchens are a well-established choice, but a few practical points are worth thinking through before deciding if the style is right for your home.
Photographs rarely do justice to the depth and shadow of a shaker door, which is best appreciated in natural light and up close. A showroom visit lets you run your hand along the frame, compare colours and wood grains side by side, and get a proper feel for how a shaker kitchen would sit in your own home.
If you are weighing up shaker against a more contemporary handleless design, our team is happy to talk through the practical differences and help you find the right fit for how you actually use your kitchen.
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