Shaker-style cabinets have been a kitchen fixture since the 19th century.
They have proven to last through the latest fads and have the enduring appeal many homeowners want.
The Shaker cabinet community, a devout and humble religious group that valued simple, hand-made woodwork using top-notch materials, first constructed these cabinets.
Shaker kitchen cabinets are straightforward and modest in design, and versatile.
You can find them meshing perfectly with any type of kitchen or layout you have in mind.
First Step: Deciding on the Right Kitchen Style for Your Home
Shaker cabinets can fit into any kitchen style, but how do you know which layout is best for you?
Selecting the overall type of your kitchen should be your first step before beginning your makeover.
Here are some crucial aspects to think about when choosing the style for your kitchen.
- The architectural qualities of your home. Your kitchen should mirror the design of your home to optimize the flow. For instance, a Victorian or Colonial Revival home will work ideally with more traditional kitchen designs.
- The footprint of your house. How open is your room? Is it irregularly shaped, cramped and small, or large and roomy? These factors will affect how you design the space.
- Your personal preferences. Of course, your personal style will be a significant influence on your kitchen design. Even if one kitchen design may seem like an ideal match for your home, don’t force yourself into a decision you regret by creating a room design you don’t necessarily like. Instill elements of your favorite design and make the room your own.
Shaker Cabinets Work Exceedingly Well in Modern Kitchens
Modern or contemporary kitchen design began over 100 years ago and is characterized by flat surfaces, geometric shapes, and sleek, sharp looks.
This type of style can expand to incorporate industrial or Scandinavian type kitchens, which are also known for their crisp lines and absence of embellishment.
Modern kitchens can use synthetic materials like laminate and ceramic seamlessly and natural materials like granite, marble, or wood.
Shaker-style cabinets can work very well in a modern kitchen, thanks to their fresh and humble design. Cabinet hardware can be incorporated in minimalist aspects like smooth bar pulls.
The Shaker cabinets themselves can show off their natural wood or be painted in hues of black, white, grey, or navy, varying based on your flair.
For instance, a clean white kitchen can appear minimalist and contemporary, while matte black cabinets can give an arresting and sleek look to industrial kitchens.
Your flooring and tile can complement the overall style of your kitchen design, using clean, crisp lines and uncomplicated elements.
Subway tile backsplashes are easy to install and graceful.
A stylish geometric array can allow you to work in color and visual attractiveness to form a sophisticated modern kitchen.
Shaker Cabinets are a Prime Fit in Traditional Kitchens
On the other side of the coin, traditional kitchens are inviting and relaxed.
They often use a ton of detail and personal embellishments to create an inviting space.
Traditional kitchens include such layouts as cottage style and Farmhouse designs.
These kitchen types often utilize subdued colors and distressed elements to give the space a rustic, broken-in feel.
Traditional kitchens are also most likely to use natural components like wood, copper, and granite.
Although Shaker cabinets are clean and straightforward, they can still fit very well into a more detail-oriented traditional kitchen.
You can include a beveled edge on the cabinet doors to make them appear more traditional: you can accomplish this feat with semi-custom and custom Shaker cabinets.
Otherwise, you can go with a light wood finish or white paint with a distressed cabinet varnish.
You can maintain the timeless and long-lasting traditional look throughout your kitchen by incorporating crown molding.
This method can mirror your cabinets’ beveled edges and include various antique and kitschy decorative objects, completing the traditional look.
The traditional kitchen aspires to appear like it’s been lived-in, so it is best to avoid uniformity: try to watch out for matching cabinets, counters, and flooring that are too close in color.
Farmhouse and cottage kitchens significantly benefit from finishing dashes like antique signs, vases loaded with fresh flowers, and the use of bright bowls or cups as countertop ornaments.
Shaker Cabinets Also Work in Transitional Kitchens
Transitional kitchens are all about bridging the space between traditional and modern design.
It is more complicated than just combining features of each style, but instead developing a room that features the top points of each design to produce something useful and tasteful.
You’ll have the easy flow and functionality of a modern kitchen with the welcoming hominess of a traditional kitchen to develop a room that can capture the best elements of both approaches.
Transitional kitchens will incorporate a blend of natural and synthetic materials, like wood cabinets, concrete floors, marble countertops, and stainless-steel appliances, all in one highly functional and dynamic space.
Shaker-style cabinets are ideal for a transitional kitchen as they are designed to work equally well in both modern and traditional kitchen layout schemes.
If you are concerned the kitchen looks a bit too contemporary, you can include Shaker cabinets in natural wood finishes to create an extra level of warmth and comfort.
On the other hand, if your room feels too old-fashioned for your tastes, you can add a dash of modernism by painting the Shaker cabinets in a high-gloss finish.
To finalize your transitional kitchen, go with a neutral color scheme for an elegant and timeless feel.
Instead of adding dashes of color to generate visual interest, try layering various textures throughout the room.
While your components may all be in shades of white, brown, or grey, the tile, wood, or polished stone finishes will give the room depth.
Shaker Cabinets: They Do it All
Shaker cabinets are like chameleons.
They blend in well with any kitchen design, including traditional, transitional, and modern versions.
Play around with different accents, appliances, and backsplashes to create the precise kitchen layout you want – all with Shaker cabinets.