Shaker Style
History
Shaker style doors are one of the most common types of furniture doors that you’ll find in homes across England and much of the rest of the world. Dating back to the late 18th century, the style emerged from the Shaker community, a group that broke away from the Quakers in England and emigrated to America.
The Shakers were renowned for their expert craftsmanship and dedication to producing furniture that was of the highest quality. The style has remained popular over the years due to its durability, simplicity and versatility. Over recent years there has been a further surge in its popularity, as customers are increasingly incorporating the style across both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Construction
A classic 1-panel Shaker style door is constructed with five pieces - a depressed central panel, two rails and two stiles, as can be seen in this simple kitchen cabinet door design:
The 5-piece structure of the doors gives them their durability, with each piece supporting one another, while the clean vertical and horizontal lines communicate simplicity. In kitchens, the smaller size of the cabinet doors means that the classic 1-panel Shaker design is commonly utilised.
In bedrooms however, because of the larger size of the fitted furniture, there’s more opportunity to create eye-catching wardrobe designs that really contribute to bringing the room to life. For example, we recently designed and fitted this beautiful 4-panel shaker wardrobe that immediately catches your eye and adds a touch of style to the space:
Rising popularity
The Shaker style is most commonly associated with traditionally designed interiors, but there has been a surge in demand in recent years for the style to also be incorporated into contemporary spaces.
In kitchens in particular, we’re seeing customers blend the traditional with the contemporary. Most commonly, we’re seeing classic 1-panel shaker cabinet doors being combined with sleek modern marble worktops, while metallic handles are used to bridge the gap between the two styles.
Traditional spaces
The Shaker style goes hand in hand with Traditional interior designs. Clean lines, simplicity and durability means it’s the go-to design choice for fitted furniture in traditional bedrooms and kitchens. For a traditional look, opt for neutral colours and single panel doors and drawers. Mirrors can be incorporated to add more light to the room and increase the feeling of space.
We recently designed and fitted this beautiful mirrored 8-door, 4-drawer wardrobe that is the epitome of traditional Shaker style:
Contemporary spaces
If you’re looking to utilise the Shaker style in a Contemporary space, there are some subtle design choices you can make to help the style blend in seamlessly with its surroundings.
Firstly, opting for a bold colour will help to diminish the ‘traditional’ associations, while also adding some vibrancy to the room. Dark blue, olive and light pink are increasingly being used to stand out from the norm.
Secondly, to complement the coloured doors, metallic or glass handles can be utilised to help blend the traditional doors with contemporary worktops.
Lastly, if space permits, experiment with multi-panel cupboard doors to catch the eye with an intriguing pattern that diverts from the norm.
Final thoughts
The Shaker style is here to stay and we’ll increasingly see it across a mix of traditional and contemporary interiors. Subtle design alterations can be made to help the style blend into any interior space, such as experimenting with colour schemes and different component materials.
If you’d like to discuss how the Shaker style can fit into your home, give us a call today using the button below or submit an enquiry and we’ll get your free consultation booked in.
