What is a Shaker-style kitchen?
Shaker style kitchens are simple and elegant in design and are crafted from natural materials. They make the optimum use of space to keep your kitchen feeling uncluttered, with clean lines and functional spaces. Simple cabinet design characterises Shaker kitchens, with no excessive ornamentation or decoration. Shaker style kitchens combine the best of classic heritage and modern convenience. The design principle comes from the eighteenth-century religious community of Shakers. They believed in simplicity, utility and honesty; values that can be seen reflected in Shaker kitchens today.
Modern Shaker kitchens are designed to be both supremely functional and beautiful. This means they last a lifetime, as well as being a joy to cook and eat in. Shaker style also means fine, handmade craftsmanship with your kitchen designed around your specific needs. The Shakers originally used natural wood for their furniture, which was then stained or painted. Shaker style kitchens are similarly constructed from natural materials by skilled craftspeople.
Shaker style will suit every kitchen, as you can see if you browse through some different Shaker kitchen ideas. Whether your kitchen is in an old farmhouse, a country cottage or a modern home, whether it is spacious or compact, the simplicity and functionality of form of a Shaker kitchen means that it can suit any space. That doesn’t mean that all Shaker kitchens are the same. There are so many choices for you and your kitchen designer to make, that every Shaker kitchen will be completely unique. There are lots of ways you can put your own stamp on a classic Shaker kitchen, from your choice of cabinet handles to the colour you choose and the accessories you add.
We have written a whole article about it here.
Are Shaker kitchens old fashioned?
Shaker kitchens can never look old fashioned because of their simple beauty. Even though the style was born centuries ago, Shaker kitchens are most definitely on trend now. You can also be assured that your Shaker kitchen will stay in fashion. After all, Shaker-style furniture has remained consistently popular throughout the centuries since it was first made.
Shaker kitchens owe their continuing popularity to the fact that simple, functional kitchens work well and look great. The natural materials used in the construction of the kitchen, and the skilled craftsmanship, ensure a quality kitchen. There is a unique beauty in solid wood kitchens with simple lines that can never go out of fashion.
So, are Shaker kitchens old fashioned? Only in the sense that they maintain a link to the past through highly skilled craftspeople, natural materials, simple design and supreme functionality. The simple elegance of a Shaker kitchen is timeless.
How much is a Shaker style kitchen?
A quality Shaker kitchen from Olive & Barr can cost half the price you’ll pay elsewhere. Of course, the cost will depend on many factors, including the size of your kitchen and your specific requirements, but beware of choosing a mass-produced fibreboard kitchen. This may be cheaper in the short term, but the Shaker principles of functionality, quality and craftsmanship will not go beyond the surface. A kitchen that not only looks beautiful, but works for you and lasts a lifetime requires a company that values craftsmanship and quality, natural materials. Olive and Barr Shaker kitchens embrace these principles without breaking the bank.
Take a look at a price comparison and you will see that Olive & Barr are the most affordable real wood in-frame kitchen suppliers. Olive & Barr supply real wood Shaker style kitchens designed with your needs in mind. Because they craft all their kitchens at their workshops in the UK, they are able to keep the price down to around half those of other real wood, in-frame kitchen suppliers, without skimping on quality.
What are Shaker style kitchen cabinets?
Shaker style kitchen cabinets are simple in design, with a particular colour palette, natural materials and clean lines. Starting with the foundation of solid oak drawer boxes and tulip-wood doors, Olive & Barr Shaker kitchens offer many options for cabinets. The colour of your cabinets will have a huge impact on the final feel and atmosphere. Grey, green, blue and ivory are popular choices, but Olive & Barr will paint your cabinets any colour you choose. The Shaker principles of high-quality materials and craftsmanship are continued with the hand-painted cabinets, giving a lustrous, low sheen finish.
Your cabinet handles, although they might seem like a small detail, can also have an impact on your kitchen look. Wood or metal handles work well in Shaker style kitchens, again in simple, functional styles. The choice of materials and cup or knob style gives you plenty of choice and the chance to find a style that works for you.
To top off your cabinets, the worktop in your kitchen will be one of the features you use the most, so give plenty of thought to the material you choose. Your kitchen designer will help you match different worktops to your colour scheme and style, but once again, the principles of simplicity and functionality can be applied here. Solid wood or stone both provide versatile options for your worktop. The worktop will blend perfectly with your cabinets and finish off that Shaker look.
Just because your Shaker kitchen has a classic look, won’t mean that you have to sacrifice modern convenience. Shaker kitchen experts like Olive & Barr will be able to incorporate features like soft-close doors and design your kitchen to make life simpler for you.
Affordable Shaker quality and style
Choosing a company like Olive and Barr to design, craft and fit your Shaker-style kitchen is not only a good financial option, but you can rest assured that, from design through to construction and fitting, quality, simplicity and functionality of form will be key. A handmade, high-quality Shaker kitchen at an affordable price can be a reality with Olive & Barr.