The Charm of the Shaker Style Kitchen

Even if you've never heard of 'Shaker Style' before, no doubt you've come across numerous pieces of furniture which are either inspired by The Shakers or are actual pieces of Shaker furniture. The Shakers were a religious sect dating from 18th century America with similar beliefs to the Quakers. They shunned the over elaborate designs in favour of simple and purely functional furnishings for their homes. Today, these simple and honest designs continue to inspire designers and has become increasingly popular in recent years.

Unlike the elaborate cabinet doors found in British and European furniture from the same period which boasted intricate beading around the door frames and raised panels, often featuring marquetry or other ornamentations, the Shaker cabinet doors had simple rails and stiles around a flat panel. Similarly, Shaker door handles were either simple wooden knobs or simple straight bar handles. What was once made to be non-aesthetic and purely functional has ironically become very aesthetically pleasing in the modern world.

Less is more is what matters with Shaker style doors and drawer fronts. They can be painted in primary colours, which was common in Shaker homes, or left in their natural state letting the natural grain of the wood shine through. Since the resurgence of Shaker style furniture, many kitchen suppliers have a range of replacement kitchen doors in similar styles, which can be complemented with other shaker inspired accessories such as circular wooden storage boxes and simple chairs and stools.

Shaker inspired kitchen doors and cabinets are not to be confused with 'country kitchen' styles. What us Brits consider a country kitchen, although relatively simplistic in design, is a little to ornate when viewed next to Shaker furniture. Country kitchen doors and drawer fronts would have a little ornate beading around the frame, whereas true Shaker style would have no beading. Bear this in mind if you're looking for replacement doors inspired by the Shakers.

Many kitchen suppliers will have a range of cheap kitchen doors in a similar style to genuine Shaker kitchen doors and drawer fronts. Matching such replacement kitchen doors with simple bar handles or wooden door knobs will further reinforce the Shaker style, as will removing much of the clutter from your kitchen. Have basic wooden spoons and spatulas hanging from hooks rather than hidden in drawers. A simple open shelf with herbs and spices stored in plain jars will further reinforce the simplistic charm of your shaker style kitchen.  Remember, less is more.