Our Guide to Shaker Style Kitchen Doors

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Last updated: March 23, 2023

There was a time when many homeowners embraced rich and gorgeous décor. Nowadays, the cost of living has forced many homeowners to consider more simplistic and minimalist design choices. It’s all about simplicity and is the perfect choice for lifestyles today.

And if you’re inspired by this design like a lot of people, you may want to get shaker style kitchen doors and shaker-style cabinets for your new kitchen. Made with high quality materials, the first thing to consider might be replacement shaker cabinet doors before any major kitchen renovation. Nowadays, you can get started quickly with materials delivered in a few business days.

When it comes to decorating kitchens, shaker style cabinets make the current trends. And this décor is unique and has a timeless style; there’s no doubt about that! If you’re confident about giving a makeover to your kitchen with a shaker style, I’m here to help.

I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to design your home interior.

Table of Contents

What Are Shaker Style Cabinets?

Shaker style cabinet design is the most popular choice these days. Many people in any design circle are seeking contemporary styles for their kitchen, and are falling in love with this fantastic décor and style.

These cabinets come with a five-piece door, and five-piece drawer fronts merged together. And from modern to traditional kitchens, this design fits like a dream!

This style has got its name from the United Society of Believers. It is a religious group / religious community known as Shakers, originally from Manchester. The principles of the shaker religion are honesty and simplicity. The utility aspects of these principles inspired the creation of this furniture style.

While designing your kitchen in this manner, you will get three overlay design options to follow. You can either get Inset, Standard, or Full overlay, depending on your choice.

Let me tell you about these options in more detail.

Inset

If you choose to go with the Inset cabinetry style, you will get an amazingly seamless look with a sleek construction and clean lines. In this case, the inset doors and drawers will stay inside the cabinet’s face frame opening.

This is one of the most popular cabinet door styles these days so that you can check this out for your cooking space.

Standard

The Standard shaker cabinet door style is a quite popular choice among homeowners. In this style, the doors and drawers overlie the face frame of the cabinet openings a bit.

It gives a classic look to the décor, but you won’t see the perfect doors and drawer fronts alignment if you go for the standard style.

Full

In this design, the full overlay doors and drawers will entirely overlap the face frame. Moreover, there won’t be much to show in this style of shaker kitchen cabinets.

What Kitchen Style Will Be Perfect for Shaker Cabinets?

While building new cabinets for the kitchen, it’s natural for anyone to choose a specific style. After all, a kitchen should be a happy place as you’re preparing your meals there!

And if you are passionate and love to experience culinary adventures, a fully-functional kitchen with aesthetics is a must-have.

However, when confused about which cabinetry you should pick, you can always go with shaker kitchens. Yes, these cabinets and doors will be the perfect match for modern kitchens or conventional ones.

Don’t worry. I’ll help take out some of the guesswork. ! Let’s look at the style designs you should consider for your kitchen.

Modern Shaker Style Kitchens

Ask any modern kitchen designer; they would love to go with simple and minimalist shaker cabinet doors and drawers. As they come with a sleek construction and clean edge, these cabinets really compliment the contemporary designs.

Furthermore, the doors look highly sophisticated when painted with dark grey, blue or black color. If you want to choose this cabinetry for your kitchen, look at the ash or walnut wood samples of shaker cabinet doors to make your interior one of a kind!

Traditional Shaker Style Kitchen

People will say that shaker style doors and cabinets don’t go with the traditional design of your kitchen. But that’s not the case. The amazingly clean edges and flat panels of the cabinet can make any interior look classy.

You can choose vintage or miscellaneous hardware and cabinets with a lighter wood finish for your conventional kitchen. It will give your cooking space a classy vibe within a simple design.

Moreover, choosing a paint color from the farmhouse or country palette will make the décor look chicer!

Transitional Shaker Style Kitchen

When it is about designing a transitional kitchen, the decorators mostly tend to go for shaker doors. These doors and drawers are the best choices to create a seamless transition, making the décor look sleeker than ever.

To give a flawless transition look to the kitchen, the shaker cabinetry for this décor can be made with slightly sloppy edges. Don’t worry; this small design difference won’t ruin your shaker style; it will only enhance the whole outlook.

Hardware Choices for Shaker Style Cabinet Doors

Well, some may think that hardware isn’t that crucial while designing a kitchen. This is simply not true.

If you choose a bulky knob for your sleek drawer, it may be an awkward design pairing. Therefore, the hardware choice is pretty crucial during the installation of shaker cabinet doors in your house.

I’d like to share some general knowledge for your benefit. A Shaker door has a frame that has no profile. Comparing flat panel and shaker style doors, both have a recessed center panel. Flat-panel doors are very sleek, clean and will blend into any design style from mid-century modern to contemporary, or classic to traditional.

Here are some of my hardware suggestions for your shaker-style doors.

Bar Pulls

Yes, bar pulls are always a classic choice, and it goes with shaker cabinet style too! Moreover, they can be mounted parallel to the door’s lines. This way, the cabinetry gets a clean look.

Oil Rubbed Bronze

One of the most popular hardware choices for shaker door styles is the oil-rubbed bronze ones. However, it looks better in any rustic kitchen rather than the contemporary style.

The oil-rubbed bronze finish hardware complements the white shaker cabinets more than anything. So when you have a plan for creating an elegant design for your kitchen cabinet doors, you can pick up this idea without any hesitation.

Glass Knobs

Well, glass knobs aren’t one of the popular options for kitchens. They are not that durable but undoubtedly highly stylish. And when it comes to giving a unique look to your cabinetry, glass knobs are an ideal choice.

But yes, if you think the look of your cabinets isn’t as sizzling as it should be, go for this hardware to add the sparkle!

Best Material for Shaker Cabinet Doors

Shaker style door goes with any décor, and you can pick them from your laundry room to the kitchen without any hesitation. And these doors and cabinet boxes are made with different materials and wood species; hence you can easily get custom cabinet doors.

So let’s look at what material choices we have while picking a door for this shaker design.

Natural Hardwoods

While purchasing shaker style door, you will see plenty of natural hardwood options such as red oak, cherry, birch plywood, or hard maple. They are an outstanding option if you love solid wood cabinets. It’s a good way to connect with natural elements in a modern, simplistic way.

You can pick any real wood for your door frame pieces and give your kitchen a dynamic makeover.

Medium Density Fiber Wood (MDF)

MDF doors are a popular choice as they offer many benefits. These are not vulnerable to damages and don’t change forms due to temperature, moisture, or weather. It is widely available in retailers such as Home Depot and many other home renovation shops.

Therefore, if you choose this piece of wood for your shaker door, it will ensure a greater value with the test of time.

After the natural wood, medium density fiberboard door frames are the most popular picks among homeowners. It offers elegance and higher durability.

White Rigid Thermofoil (RTF)

RTF door frames are made with routed MDF core, and they come with a heated vacuum-formed vinyl material finish. As a result, they tend to last for a long time.

Best Color Choices for Shaker Style Kitchen Cabinet Doors

If you want to stay with the basic shaker style cabinet door, you can stay with the natural wood finish; many people do that. But to give your interior a unique appearance, you can paint the cabinetry according to your preference.

Now, let me tell you about some of the most fantastic color choices, which will take your wood cabinet doors to the highest pick of sophistication!

White

A white-themed kitchen has always been a popular trend. And when your shaker cabinets are white, lights will be more reflective, and the space will be brighter all the time. A clear coat of white will give your kitchen the positive vibe you’re craving for.

Moreover, nothing makes the décor more modern than the glossy white cabinets. However, if you want to tone down a bit, you can also pick an off-white color.

Grey

Grey is the hottest color choice for shaker cabinets now as it balances the whole décor. This shade offers versatility, unlike other neutral colors. And you can pick warm-toned or cool-toned grey, light or dark grey, whichever you prefer. This color allows you to add diversity to the interior without ruining your kitchen and home decor.

Grey shaker cabinets will keep your kitchen bright but not flashy. Moreover, you can choose any cabinet hardware to go with it. Grey gives you the inside edge on compatibility with most color configurations.

Black

Before you choose black to customize the shaker cabinet, let me give you a heads-up! Well, this color is not for the faint-hearted, but if you can create the proper look, it will be beautiful!

While choosing cabinet accessories for this color, go with a gold or copper finish. In this way, you will add some sparkle into the matte darkness, which will complement the interior amazingly!

You can also choose dark blue, green, or any two-toned colors according to your preference. Just remember, you will need light in your kitchen, so pick the palette according to that!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are shaker style cabinets expensive?

You can choose either an expensive cabinet or one within an affordable budget, as they are made with a variety of wood species.

You can go for excellent quality MDF material if you think solid wood is out of your league. Moreover, you will get these doors at an affordable price; hence, decorating your kitchen will be effortless!

Is shaker style going out of style?

Well, one thing I am positive about the shaker style is that it is a timeless design! Yes, the sleek outlook, seamless design, and minimalist vibe are likely here to stay. People are fighting back on dark, crowded spaces and are craving bright, clean interiors that calm the mind.

3. Can I use my shaker cabinetry without any hardware?

If you’re inspired by modern designs and want to pick the most minimalist look for your kitchen, you can skip the whole hardware part! It will allow you to have the cleanest cabinet styles possible!

Instead of hinges, magnetic straps can be used to keep your shaker kitchen doors closed and help you maintain the modern look of cabinets.

4. Is shaker style cabinet high maintenance?

To be honest, shaker cabinets are more on the low-maintenance side. The straight lines and square edges allow you to clean the whole counter in a wipe, and that’s a relief!

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