Without a doubt, Shaker is the most popular, most versatile, and most enduring style of cabinet door in America. It is especially prevalent in the South, where tradition with a splash of creativity is always in style.

However, there are two basic cabinet styles readily available: Shaker and slab. Both are available at Kitchens of the South, but by far, the Shaker style is more popular and enduring.

Shaker Door Design

To understand the Shaker design, consider the “5-piece” rule. By definition, a Shaker-style door is constructed of five pieces of building material, usually wood. There are the recessed center panel, two vertical “stiles,” and two horizontal “rails.” The stiles and rails frame the center panel, which is normally recessed but it can be raised. This structural design is simple and strong, but it can be tweaked in many ways to add color, personality, and functionality to accommodate individual taste and needs. Don’t let the name “Shaker” fool you into thinking Shaker doors are strictly traditional. They have withstood the test of time and easily fit in with modern decor.

Slab Door Design

Slab cabinet doors take a very modern and minimalist approach to design. Each door is a single piece of building material (usually wood) that is made into the whole door. It is usually not adorned in any way. Rather, it is kept simple to the extreme. They are normally stained (if quality wood is used) or painted, which can lend itself to large spaces of color. For the person seeking a sleek no-frills look, slab doors should be a consideration. Still, most people want something a little more from their cabinet doors and invest in Shaker doors.

Shaker Tradition
The roots of this style date back to the 1700s, when the Shakers, a Protestant denomination in New England, earned a reputation as craftsmen of high quality but simple furniture and cabinetry. The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing (Shakers) was an offshoot of the Quakers. Most often this style was applied to cabinet doors with the stiles and rails being of equal width, framing the recessed center panel. However, the shaker design can also be applied to drawers, larger doors, and even some wall spaces when a little something-extra is called for.

Styling Shaker Cabinet Doors

In its simplest application, the Shaker cabinet door is wood and either stained and sealed or painted. They can be overlayed framed (sitting on the face of the cabinet with some of the face showing around the edges) or overlayed frameless (sitting on the face of the cabinet with very little of the face showing around the edges) or inset (set flush into the cutout of the cabinet face).

The next best option besides using real wood is some type of processed material, such as Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF). Here you would probably paint these doors, rather than stain them. Doors made from MDF are usually less costly than real wood and are better at resisting moisture problems.

By adding color, hinges, door handles, and textures, plain and simple Shaker doors can find acceptance anywhere along the style spectrum, from deconstructive primitive (might even use repurposed wood) to post-modern. To get you thinking about all the possibilities, consider the following concepts…

• Instead of a recessed flat panel, use glass that might be clear, colored and/or textured. How about beaded wood? How about a contrasting or complimenting color? Be sure to consider the room’s overall color palette.
• Instead of the stiles and rails all being the same width, let the top rail arch a little or a lot.
• Pulls, knobs, hinges. To see them, or not to see them? Metallic? Ceramic? Unobtrusive or big and bold? There’s an endless selection.
• The Shaker style plays well with other styles. Don’t be afraid to mix and match.

The designers at Kitchens of the South are very familiar with the Shaker style, and the company carries a wide selection of doors from the best makers in the world. You are welcome to visit the showroom and browse our curated collection and to chat with our designers about the possibilities.