What Is A Shaker Style Kitchen?

What Is A Shaker Style Kitchen?

Shaker style is based on the furniture making principles of the Shakers, who are famous for their quality craftsmanship, simple, elegant furniture design and little to no ornamentation. It is the five-piece cabinet door that is the iconic centre piece of a shaker style kitchen. This kitchen style never goes out of fashion and fits both traditional and contemporary homes. In fact, it’s the perfect transitional kitchen, for those who want the best of both worlds.

Origins Of The Shaker Style

The shaker style kitchen is also sometimes referred to as Hamptons style. The Shakers were a millenarian Christian sect that were known as the ‘shaking quakers’ because of their ecstatic form of worship. They sailed to America in the late eighteenth century to escape religious persecution.

Living by the principles of honesty, simplicity and utility, they considered decoration to be prideful and wasteful. These principles influenced the furniture they made and can be seen in the simple lines and exceptionally high level of craftsmanship. Traditional Shaker furniture was made from natural timbers like oak and was finished either with natural oils or painted in red, yellow, green or blue.

The Shaker Style Door

The enduring appeal of shaker style kitchen cabinets lies in their simple, elegant form. The signature shaker door is comprised of five simple pieces; two rails, two stiles and a flat central panel. The principle behind the design is simplicity and practicality. Decoration and ornamentation was considered by the Shakers as wasteful.

The Contemporary Shaker Style Kitchen

Shaker furniture style has been influential in shaping kitchen and interior design throughout the 20th century and its influence isn’t fading. Shaker influenced kitchens are as popular as ever. Simple and elegant lines allow for a lot of scope in the choice of colours and materials.

Traditional shaker cabinets were made from solid timber, often oak or rosewood, but contemporary shaker style kitchen cabinets can look just as great in melamine, vinyl wrap or timber veneers. And there are so many colours and patterns to choose!

Hardware & Handles: To fit in with shaker style choose simple door and drawer handles. Timber or depression glass knobs, metal clam shells, or tubular or flat bar pulls in a range of finishes.

Indulge in the latest trends in tap ware: black and polished nickel fit right in with the shaker style.

Contemporary:  Because the shaker style is simple and without fussy ornamentation, shaker style kitchens blend seamlessly with contemporary design elements, so there’s no need to shy away from some of the latest kitchen ideas that you might like.

For a contemporary look, combine classic shaker cabinets with industrial stainless steel appliances or a steel countertop. Or choose from the huge range of stone benchtop options for more earthy warmth.

Finally, don’t forget about the sink. Increasingly the double sink is being replaced by a single oversized bowl or trough in black or a range of metal finishes.

Timber: Timber lovers can opt for a light-coloured timber benchtop teamed with dark coloured cupboards in blue or grey and classic subway tiles. Alternatively opt for timber or timber veneer cupboards with a hard wearing stone countertop or splashback.

Classic White: All white kitchen colour schemes remain a classic, and look great with shaker style cabinetry. Choose a marble or engineered stone benchtop and polished tapware for pure Hamptons elegance.

Transitional Styling

Don’t think you can’t have any fun in a shaker kitchen, either. Plastic or resin bar stools or the latest lighting elements fit in perfectly. Many people worry about going too hard with the latest kitchen trends and want to incorporate elements of classic design that mean their kitchen will remain looking good for years.

Shaker cabinetry provides an ideal backdrop for the transitional style trend. Transitional styling takes traditional elements and marries them with contemporary elements to create a look that is both interesting and timeless. Opting for shaker cabinetry in the latest dark colour, choosing contemporary light fittings or combining with your favourite vintage accessories is an example of transitional styling that can look amazing.

Kitchen Designs Melbourne

Exact Cabinet Makers build high quality custom kitchens and cabinetry. We are located in Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. To discuss a shaker style kitchen, new kitchen designs Melbourne, or find out more about custom cabinet makers Melbourne, contact us or visit our showroom at 4/91 Canterbury Road, Kilsyth, 3137.