7 Things To Know About Shaker Style Cabinets in 2025
Shaker style kitchen cabinets have a storied history, but they are versatile and can fit into even the most stylish of modern kitchens.
Table of Contents
Shaker doors and shaker style cupboards are kitchen designs with limited detail or profiling with a flat centre panel and square edges. Carpenters and joiners call these “stile and rail” designs because it refers to a technique in woodworking. Shaker cabinet designs are mostly symmetrical and shy of complex carvings and decorations. Shaker cabinetry is one of the most popular choices for kitchen ideas. Shaker furniture has been around for centuries. Some designers combine shakers and cabinets with various modern designs, with solid cores made of natural oak, or other wood types
“Shaker cabinetry is one of the most popular choices for kitchen ideas. Shaker furniture has been around for centuries”
Why Do They Call Them Shaker Style Cabinets?
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, more commonly known as Shakers, originated all shaker furniture, not only shaker cabinets. They constructed wood kitchens with muted colour schemes, solid wood door handles, and drawer fronts. Shakers created their religious group in Manchester in the 18th century after splintering from the Quaker religious group. People knew them as Shaking Quakers because of the overzealous motions used during spiritual worship.
In the late 19th century, they produced simple and well-designed furniture and it became immensely popular. Homemakers still consider the shaker design and its patient craftsmanship as the epitome of traditional kitchens.
Why Are Shaker Cabinets So Popular?
Versatility, timelessness, and that they look good in other areas of the house, not just the kitchen, make Shaker style kitchens appealing. Their minimalist aesthetic makes them fit into almost all contemporary bespoke kitchens. It’s all down to mixing longevity with versatility. Also, the simple truth that authentic style never goes out of fashion.
The Shaker cabinet doors of today are still as basic and straightforward in style as they were all those years ago. The clean lines and unassuming recessed frame, which adorn classic Shaker cabinets, are appealing across the board. Whether you are looking for a traditional kitchen or the most modern designs available, shaker style doors are flexible. Nowadays, the variations in shaker kitchen designs are many.
You can have glazed doors, sliding shaker doors, oak shaker doors with clear glass, cabinetry with frosted or other forms of obscure glass, and various colour combinations. For functionality, you can even hide fridges and kitchen hoods behind handmade joinery. This ensures that even your suburban kitchen is showroom-level for guests and aesthetically minded neighbours. What makes shaker kitchen cabinets fitting for various types of kitchen projects is also their ability to work well in large and small kitchens
How Are Shaker Doors Made?
Kitchen shaker doors, which are mostly 4-panel shaker doors, comprise 2 stiles, 2 rails, and a flat panel. A stile is a piece of wood that is vertically positioned within the frame of a cabinet. A full cabinet frame combines stiles and rails, which are horizontal pieces.
The stiles are on the sides. For the frame pieces, joiners build traditional oak shaker doors, soft maple, or use other solid wood. Thicker panels are more robust and feel more substantial.
Although the wood is high quality, it must be “stabilised” to avoid expansion or contraction and to accommodate minor cracks or imperfections. If the wood is of poor quality or carpenters do not repair it at the highest level, wood can crack. From there, the painted joints become visible and unattractive. What is worse, when the door is not painted, the wood may degrade. This also goes for larger interior doors, such as those used in the room’s entrance or exit, not just the kitchen cabinet doors
Are Shaker doors expensive?
Shaker style cabinets cost less than kitchen ranges with similar style and design. Bespoke kitchen makers price cabinets in several ways: according to the size of the kitchen, the wood species used, and the finishes requested. As a result, the labour cost of constructing your dream kitchen varies.
A further aspect is the construction type of the Shaker kitchen doors. Inset doors fit into the cabinet so that the door surface is level with the cabinet wall. This goes for all handcrafted inset cabinet shaker doors. Today, you will spend a little extra to get this level of accuracy.
Full overlay shaker style doors cover the cabinet frame completely. This provides the maximum space within the cabinet. However, joinery and carpentry of these types of drawers and cupboards require high precision and costs will increase in proportion. The slightest mistake will lead to doors colliding or not covering the cabinet face entirely.
It’s best to contact the company and ask for a quote.
Are White Cabinets Going Out Of Style In 2020?
Although white shaker doors will never go out of style, 2020 presents exciting new kitchen design trends. As a rule of thumb: aim for simple elements with a few colour bursts.
You can explore retro updates with dark wood handles on white cabinets. Do not be scared to combine types of construction. You can have a mixture of inset and overlay door styles, shelves, and even bi-fold doors
If you follow kitchen ideas, they set the trend towards combining two colours in kitchen cabinets in 2020 to soar. Interior decorators are using dark panel doors and contrasting them with shades elsewhere to add depth and character.
The trend extends beyond the colour of contrast on the walls. This offers you the ability to explore various design elements from cabinets, kitchen islands, to worktops. You can play with woodgrains, matt finishes, or sleek laminate finishes. Choose conventional designs but make a statement that gives any kitchen a modern touch.
What Hardware Looks Best On Shaker Cabinets?
- Classic – Ceramic Knobs – They remind homemakers of old-world farmhouses or a cosy cottage.
Elegant – Glass Knobs – Glass knobs add a subtle elegance to your cabinets, like a French perfume bottle or a vintage whiskey decanter.
Simple – Brass Or Nickel Knobs – Brass and nickel knobs are one of the best kitchen cabinet installation choices. This simple decorative alternative enhances stainless steel appliances and industrial lighting.
Modern – Tubular Bar Pulls – Today’s design pairs with darker finishes and bigger tiles. Tubular bars can also be as long or short as you want, horizontally or vertically.
Sleek – Flat Bar Pulls – They’re both sharp and smooth, perfectly coupled in your kitchen with other square edges. Use flat bar pulls to reinforce light and dark cabinets, quartz countertops, and intricate tiles.
Vintage – Bin Pulls – Bin pulls are also great for combining various door handle types together, so do not worry about mixing and matching.
Retro – Latches – Latches are a nostalgic trip back in time. Perhaps not the most functional one if you are in a hurry, but handy if you want some additional safety from pets or kids.
- Industrial – Pulls With Exposed Screws – Pulls are sleek and trendy with their exposed screws. Combine this hardware with other minimalist features for the industrial-chic design, such as exposed bricks and stainless-steel houseware
Are Shaker Cabinets Real Wood?
Shakers historically used finer hardwoods for their craftsmanship, such as maple, birch, or chestnut. Joiners typically make modern Shaker cabinets of hardwoods like maple and cherry. The essence of the modern shaker style is mostly the design and not the wood used for building cabinets. Nearly all styles of wood, including oak, pine, or poplar are used to create kitchen cabinets and other shaker doors.
Like most styles, high and low-quality cabinetry will be available. You want to make sure you invest in well-built units. Your shaker kitchen cabinets should handle the bumps and scratches that you expect them to take.
Evie Willow’s Approach To Shaker Doors.
At Evie Willow, we only use high-quality materials. We never use chipboards. In constructing your cabinets, we use hard-wearing timbers such as maple, walnut, and tulipwood; while for your doors, frames and mouldings we strictly use Accoya.
A combination of quartz countertops, stainless steel lighting fixtures and exposed ceiling beams all combine to create a spacious kitchen. Our Sayerlack Waterborne paint gives all our cabinets a durable finish. The polished choice of the matt handle gives the Shaker style door a modern look.
It is the little details that make all the difference…
You can create something stylish and functional with Evie Willow kitchens. We design personalised internals built to your requirements.
Our skills are not limited only to building kitchens. We also craft practical boot rooms, lovely bedrooms, and elegant living rooms. We have years of experience providing bespoke solutions for every room of the house.
