SHAKER KITCHENS

Tony reveals how he designs a bespoke Shaker kitchen, his inspirations and tips for combining traditional design with today’s lifestyles.

‘Shaker’ is a traditional English furniture style initially dating to the late 1800’s. The Shaker movement was a branch of the Quaker community based in the North of England, eventually moving to America to escape religious persecution. The New World settlers had to be self-reliant, designing and making beautiful, yet functional, painted wooden furniture with clean and simple, often symmetrical lines, an aesthetic that became popular in the 1900’s, and has remained ever since, both here, and across the Pond.

This classic bespoke Shaker kitchen project in Aylesbury features a curved peninsula with tongue and groove panelling and Ovolo beading on each door front.

The Shaker look works perfectly when made bespoke using wooden kitchen cabinetry, typically in frame, with door and drawer fronts featuring rails and stiles, beading, and end panels with tongue and grooved or beadboard panelling. With bespoke Shaker kitchens, a limited use of furniture nails is also typical, instead using traditional joinery methods such as mortise and tenon joints and dovetail boxes. 

These clean lines are both elegant and timeless, and, today, a bespoke Shaker kitchen can be designed in a classic style, or with lots of modern touches that include paint colours, worktop materials and handles. It can look as good in a period home as it can in a new-build property, and it is this versatility that makes a Shaker kitchen so enduring. 

This modern bespoke Shaker kitchen in Ashridge features floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and a u-shaped island. Brushed brass cup pull handles on the drawers are complemented by ball knobs and butt hinges on the door fronts.

As with any kitchen, first and foremost is practicality. The structure and flow of the kitchen will always be paramount to ensure that it works for the person, or people, that are using it. Shaker kitchens allow a degree of flexibility in terms of their aesthetic – they can be designed symmetrically, and asymmetrically, which provides a sense of freedom when working in the space. 

For me, it’s all about the detail when I design a bespoke Shaker kitchen. The smaller things can have a massive impact, from the internal layout of the cabinetry to suit the height of the client, to the handle finish, the colour, and even the tone of the paint.

The key elements of a bespoke Shaker kitchen are the handmade frames and simple door lines with grooved or detailed end panels. Also, butt hinges, cup pull handles on drawers, and knob handles on cabinet doors all contribute to the unmistakable visuals of Shaker cabinetry. 

These can then be played with to create something individual, yet unmistakably Shaker, even down the the dining area and seating. Every aspect of our bespoke kitchens is designed to suit the individual needs of our clients – something you can’t achieve if you buy a pre-designed kitchen ‘off the shelf.’

This bespoke Shaker kitchen in Aylesbury Vale includes a corner banquette seat with a tongue and groove seat back and a matching table, also designed and made by Simon Taylor Furniture.

Our design process always begins with a conversation. The most important part in any design is first, understanding how our clients work in their kitchens, and, second, what they want to achieve with their new space. Once we have full comprehension of their needs and requirements, we can tailor the space to perfectly suit them and their families. Having designed, made and installed numerous successful Shaker kitchens over the years, we know what works, and what doesn’t. We are here to help and to guide our clients to a space that they will love. One that will look beautiful and will service them for many years to come. 

Of course. Whether you want to have a bank of eye level integrated self-cleaning ovens, or a traditional AGA range cooker, all appliances can be accommodated in a way that will complement and never clash with a Shaker kitchen design. Those severely opposed to seeing any appliances in their kitchen (an emerging trend in modern kitchens) also have the option of hiding them behind pocket or push-away doors. Because our Shaker cabinetry is all handmade, we are incredibly flexible, and our kitchens look stunning with contemporary or traditional appliances in them. 

As an independent kitchen and furniture business, we partner with luxury built-in appliance and range cooker brands, together with premium worktops, sink and taps, and hardware brands so we can supply your complete kitchen for you. 

Combining classic bespoke Shaker cabinetry with contemporary built-in appliances, this Aylesbury Vale kitchen includes a bank of ovens and an energy efficient induction hob, all by Miele.