The Charm of the Shaker Style Kitchen
Even if you've never heard of 'Shaker Style' before, nodoubt you've come across numerous pieces of furniture which are either inspiredby The Shakers or are actual pieces of Shaker furniture. The S...
Even if you've never heard of 'Shaker Style' before, nodoubt you've come across numerous pieces of furniture which are either inspiredby The Shakers or are actual pieces of Shaker furniture. The Shakers were areligious sect dating from 18th century America with similar beliefsto the Quakers. They shunned the over elaborate designs in favour of simple andpurely functional furnishings for their homes. Today, these simple and honestdesigns continue to inspire designers and has become increasingly popular inrecent years.
Unlike the elaborate cabinet doors found in British andEuropean furniture from the same period which boasted intricate beading aroundthe door frames and raised panels, often featuring marquetry or otherornamentations, the Shaker cabinet doors had simple rails and stiles around aflat panel. Similarly, Shaker door handles were either simple wooden knobs orsimple straight bar handles. What was once made to be non-aesthetic and purelyfunctional has ironically become very aesthetically pleasing in the modernworld.
Less is more is what matters with Shaker style doors anddrawer fronts. They can be painted in primary colours, which was common inShaker homes, or left in their natural state letting the natural grain of thewood shine through. Since the resurgence of Shaker style furniture, manykitchen suppliers have a range of replacement kitchen doors in similar styles,which can be complemented with other shaker inspired accessories such ascircular wooden storage boxes and simple chairs and stools.
Shaker inspired kitchen doors and cabinets are not to beconfused with 'country kitchen' styles. What us Brits consider a countrykitchen, although relatively simplistic in design, is a little to ornate whenviewed next to Shaker furniture. Country kitchen doors and drawer fronts wouldhave a little ornate beading around the frame, whereas true Shaker style wouldhave no beading. Bear this in mind if you're looking for replacement doorsinspired by the Shakers.
Many kitchen suppliers will have a range of cheap kitchendoors in a similar style to genuine Shaker kitchen doors and drawer fronts.Matching such replacement kitchen doors with simple bar handles or wooden doorknobs will further reinforce the Shaker style, as will removing much of theclutter from your kitchen. Have basic wooden spoons and spatulas hanging fromhooks rather than hidden in drawers. A simple open shelf with herbs and spicesstored in plain jars will further reinforce the simplistic charm of your shakerstyle kitchen. Remember, less is more.
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