The Shaker Kitchen Layout You Need

The Shaker style kitchen is one of today’s most popular kitchen styles. But what is it, who created it and why do people love it so much?

What is a shaker style kitchen?

A shaker style kitchen is one that makes use of shaker door and drawer fronts. The Shaker door or drawer front has a square frame and a recessed panel profile. The panel can be split into one or more sections by using pieces known as mid-rails.

What are the origins of the Shaker design?

The Shaker kitchen style was created in the late 1700s by a religious community known as the Shakers, or The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Their core beliefs of honesty and simplicity led to the principle that every object in the home must have a practical purpose and be crafted as a testament to God. As a result they conceived a design that is functional and simple while requiring true skill, attention to detail and care to craft from hand with the precision needed to achieve a stunning result.

How has the Shaker design evolved over time?

It is no wonder that Shaker kitchens remain en vogue to this day. Given its practicality, simplicity and elegance, the fundamental facets of the Shaker design have remained unchanged.

The 21st Century Shaker kitchen design now incorporates unique colour schemes and shelving. Traditional Shaker kitchens were typically created in a range of muted colours. Kitchen designers have updated the colour palette, range of materials and ornamentation of the traditional Shaker style without straying too far from the original timeless design that earned it renown.

Traditionally constructed from pine, cherry or maple wood, Shaker kitchens are now often produced from more sustainable hardwoods such as oak or ash. The quality of the timer and fundamental functionality of the cabinetry is the essence of a Shaker Kitchen.

How is the Shaker design manufactured?

Traditionally, a shaker door or drawer front comprises a 5-piece front frame. This is made up of a four-piece frame and a centre panel. The two outside parts of the frame are called the stiles and the top and bottom parts are called the rails. These 5-piece doors are painted and finished on the inside and outside and are made of solid wood. At Reno Designs, we don’t rely on computerised manufacture and just like the original Shakers, we craft each and every one of our Shaker kitchens by hand in our dedicated workship.

Why Do People Love Shaker Style Kitchens?

The shaker kitchen style is elegant and unassuming. It has outgrown its modest beginnings as a purely functional kitchen design and has joined the ranks of a designer kitchen which homeowners aspire to make a focal point of their home.

Stripped bare of the trapping of elaborate embellishments that could easily date the furniture, the simplicity of the Shaker kitchen style makes it timeless. But it is also highly adaptable. A new kitchen built in the Shaker style can look anything from rustic and sturdy in a country kitchen to sleek and contemporary.

Importantly, the shaker style provides a theme to the kitchen, bringing a holistic vision together. This is especially important when crafting a bespoke kitchen to ensure that each part of the kitchen complements every other part.

Exceptional quality workmanship and materials are the final part of the Shaker story that have mean that people are drawn to Shaker kitchens time and time again. Precision carpentry and high-quality materials provide durable and sleek kitchens that continue to impress.

Book a Design Consultation

If you’d like to explore the possibility of having a designer Shaker kitchen, get in touch today to book a no obligation design consultation and arrange to visit our showroom. We can create Shaker kitchens in their traditional style or with a modern twist to best fit with your style and personality.Book now