What Is a Traditional Shaker Kitchen?
Many people are becoming increasingly fond of traditional kitchens. A traditional kitchen brings warmth, style and a homely feel. It is a place you can feel cosy and make memories, while still offering practicality and classic design. A common misconception about traditional kitchen design is that it will look outdated or too old fashioned to fit in with the times. A traditional kitchen can still look sleek and clean, but with more personality and personal touches than a purely modern one. It is timeless, and with the right details and colours it can look stylish and characterful. That wide window of choice is what draws people to the Shaker style.
The Traditional Shaker Kitchen at a Glance
A traditional Shaker kitchen is defined by simplicity and craftsmanship rather than decoration. Cabinets are classically proportioned for symmetry and balance, built from solid wood, with square framed cabinetry and inset recessed panels. Details such as hanging cabinets, peg rails and chalkboards are characteristic of the style. It works in period and modern homes alike, takes any paint colour, and because the design relies on proportion rather than trend it does not date. At Handmade Kitchen Company we design and hand-build traditional Shaker kitchens from scratch.
What defines the traditional Shaker style?
The Shaker style kitchen is a traditional design that delivers a timeless warmth, and it works extremely well in both period and modern homes. Shaker kitchens are renowned for their timeless quality and practical simplicity. If you are looking for a kitchen that will still look fashionable in a decade's time, a traditional Shaker kitchen is a sound investment. A traditional Shaker design features skilled craftsmanship and design simplicity, and that is what gives it its timeless quality. Cabinets are classically proportioned to create an impression of symmetry and balance. They are crafted from solid wood, with square framed cabinetry, cupboards and doors with inset panels. Traditional Shaker kitchens can also feature hanging cabinets, peg rails and chalkboards.
Why the style endures
The true timelessness and elegance is what makes the traditional Shaker kitchen so popular. It is universally compatible with any style of home, and the freedom of design appeals to anyone wanting something individual. You can have the whole kitchen crafted to suit your home's shape and proportions, and there is an endless choice of colours and finishes for hand-painted cabinets. The traditional Shaker kitchen is also known for practicality and durability. Yours will look as good as new many years later, and it is built to bring long-term enjoyment as well as everyday function. With so many kitchen designs to choose from today, the traditional Shaker remains one of the most universally popular worldwide.
Traditional Shaker Kitchen FAQs
What is a Shaker kitchen?
A Shaker kitchen takes its name and its principles from the Shaker communities of the 18th century, who made furniture that was simple, durable and functional rather than decorative. In kitchen terms that means a square framed door with a recessed flat centre panel, clean lines and honest proportions.
What makes a Shaker kitchen traditional rather than modern?
Traditional Shaker leans on solid timber, classically proportioned cabinetry, symmetry, and period details such as peg rails, hanging cabinets and chalkboards. A more contemporary treatment keeps the same door but changes the colour, hardware, worktops and lighting.
Does a Shaker kitchen date?
Less than most styles, because it relies on proportion and craftsmanship rather than a trend. The same door can be dressed traditionally or contemporarily, so the kitchen can be updated with paint and hardware rather than replaced.
Does a traditional Shaker kitchen work in a modern home?
Yes. The simplicity of the design means it sits comfortably in a new build or an open-plan extension as well as in a period property, particularly when paired with contemporary worktops, lighting and appliances.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company build Shaker kitchens?
We design, hand-build and hand-paint bespoke Shaker kitchens from our workshop in Essex, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London. For the history of the style and the three Shaker door designs we make, see
. If you would like a more contemporary take, read
how to modernise a Shaker kitchen
, or see how the two can be combined in
designing a Shaker kitchen with old and new elements
. Here at Handmade Kitchen Company, we design and build traditional Shaker kitchens with quality and care. We take pride in applying the core principles of the Shaker style today, through bespoke design and craftsmanship. If you would like to know more, please contact us. You can also visit our showroom, where you can view our latest Shaker kitchen builds and gain ideas for your own.
