All About Shaker Cabinetry

We tend to think of Shaker-style cabinets as being rather simple, yet this is not always the case. The design and style of how shaker cabinet doors are constructed can vary, in addition to their color and the type of wood used. But it certainly doesn’t end there, since there are some shaker doors that you didn’t know even existed, which is why this guide is so important to know more.

Just as you would expect with any crafted wood cabinet, Shaker cabinets get their name from the frame technique used to construct them. The name itself comes from the religious group known as the Shakers. They were formerly part of the original Shaking Quakers’ but decided to form a new group that was largely in favor of both men and women that believed in social equality. These colonial folk also practiced celibacy which led to their decreased following.

Yet, if there is anything but shaky about their sense of furniture construction, Shaker cabinets were as solid as they get. A standard Shaker frame is typically 4 pieces of wood that make an outside frame with a flat center panel within the frame. The type of wood that was used was mainly from local fruit trees like maple, birch, and chestnut. If it’s quality wood, then cherry or walnut was used for the grain and deep color.

The basic design of a shaker style cabinet door frame doesn’t deviate from its original design that much aside from some decorative touches added to the exterior frame. These can be beveled, angled, or carved, to give the frame more depth. These are often called the Stile and were only applied to the inset edge of the frame itself. It can also allow for more than a single inset panel so it has a little bit more appeal.

In addition to the one-panel version, there are two-panel and three-panel designs that fit inside the center panel. You don’t typically see ornate shaker doors since Shakers saw this as being unholy or deceitful in some religious way. This is what makes shaker cabinets so ordinary and simple looking compared to other types of cabinet doors, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be just as lively when it comes to color selections which give shaker doors and cabinets more appeal.

Many people ask, “Are shaker cabinet doors more expensive?” As a rule, most shaker doors and cabinet doors a not very expensive at all. What can make a frame expensive is custom-made cabinets that are using expensive wood. This can include exotic woods such as hickory, birch, and even oak. Because certain types of wood can be pricier than others, it will be essential to have veneer coverings that go over cheaper wood or wood composite materials such as MDF.

There are also alternatives such as laminates that hold up better than wood in many cases. These are also easier to clean since they will resist oils and stains that come from the daily ingredients of popular foods you like using in your kitchen. It’s also much easier to order prefabricated shaker doors that are made from a variety of cost-effective materials. Needless to say, anything that is custom-made or built from scratch will have a cost increase.

Obviously, the original cabinets and doors that were made by Shakers in the 1800s were made from authentic wood. It’s still possible to find solid wood shaker doors that are made from quality wood materials too. As technology and woodworking techniques have advanced, it’s getting to be more common than wood composites, and veneers are used instead of solid wood. There are even molded shaker doors that resist shrinking and cracking made from plastics.

These molded versions often have wood composites inside that are MDF or particle board that’s sandwiched inside a textured plastic exterior. These types of prefabricated shaker doors are inexpensive choices for those who want the look of wood but prefer a solid color such as white shaker cabinets or a variety of other molded shaker panel doors. As an alternative to using wood, many of these pre-made shaker cabinet doors give an expensive look without the high costs involved.

Modern shaker style cabinets are all about using natural materials like wood and were meant to be very simplistic. Added metal ornamentation like hinges was very simple and bare-bones, yet pull handles and knobs were exclusively made from wood. Now with that being said, it seems that modern shaker cabinets are breaking the rules by adding metal pulls made from stainless steel and chrome.

Bold colors are also now being introduced rather than muted earth-tone colors that certainly switch the tables for old-fashioned rules. There are even some shaker cabinets that have added aluminum or metal trim along the inside stile where the inserted panel fits to add a splash of modern style. Whether you want to call this modern or modern chic kitchen cabinets set within a shaker style, anything is possible when creating a modern kitchen or transitional style kitchens; here are some additional ideas on customizing your cabinets to fit your style.

There is nothing quite like elegant white shaker cabinets that make any kitchen classic looking, yet modern contemporary kitchens can certainly add more style when combining old classics together.