Choosing the style of kitchen to suit your family’s needs can be tricky with so many options available in 2023. In this article, we’re going to be looking at the classically elegant shaker style kitchen.
The term ‘shaker’ dates back to 1747 England and refers to a group of people known as The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. As well as a collective belief in the second coming, the shakers were known for their celibate and simple lifestyle, including humble homes.
The shaker style kitchen is all about simplicity and minimalism.
The shaker style kitchen focuses on functionality and features plain kitchen doors with flat centre panels and clean lines. Typically, this style of kitchen will not feature a lot in the way of unnecessary decoration and, instead, lets the clean lines of the units speak for themselves.
Traditionally, shaker style doors and drawers feature knobs and handles made from the same wood or material as the units themselves. However, these days, many people choose to add more ornate and hard-wearing metal fixtures.
Depending on the style of your home, there are a few ways in which you can introduce a shaker style kitchen and these are:
- Traditional – Keeping things plain and simple, classic shaker style kitchens feature one solid colour, flat centre panels and fixtures crafted from the same material as the doors or drawers.
- Transitional – This style takes the traditional shaker aesthetic and ‘shakes’ it up a bit by adding new textures and shades – for example, using a combination of light and dark wood to add contrast and interest.
- Modern – A trendy twist on traditional shaker style, some people add modern metal fittings and contrasting colours to give their shaker style kitchen an update. By modernising the traditional, you can have the best of both worlds by keeping the plain and simple aesthetic that makes this style so popular while maintaining a modern feel.
The pros and cons of a shaker style kitchen
In this section, we’ll take you through the pros and cons of a shaker style kitchen to help determine if this is the right option for your home and your family.
The Pros
When it comes to choosing a shaker style kitchen, there are some pretty compelling benefits, and we’ll run through some of these in this section:
Timeless elegance
Our home decor is often subject to the whims of fashion, and while choosing a super-trendy kitchen style may seem like a good idea at the time, it can quickly become outdated, meaning that you’ll need to update your kitchen before too long. On the other hand, the shaker style kitchen is a timeless and classic aesthetic that will never go out of fashion.
Flexibility
Because of the plain, unfussy design, it’s easy to update your shaker-style kitchen should you fancy a change; for example, a different colour scheme or a new finish. At Kitchen Makeovers, we can replace cabinet doors and worktops quickly and affordably with minimal fuss.
Space optimisation
Fancy doors and fittings may look posh, but they can also make a small kitchen look even more tiny and cluttered. Flat and fuss-free shaker-style doors, particularly in a pale colour scheme, can help to give an illusion of space to your kitchen and can even add value to your home when it comes time to sell.
The Cons
While we’re big fans of shaker-style kitchens, we realise that they may not be for everyone, and in this section, we’re sharing a couple of things to look out for:
Cleaning
Shaker kitchen doors have a textured surface with grooves and ridges that can trap dirt, grease, and food particles. This makes it difficult to clean because dirt and grime can accumulate in these spaces, making it challenging to remove. Additionally, the surface texture can also make it hard to wipe down the doors with a cloth or sponge, as the grooves can hold onto the dirt and grime, leading to streaks or marks that are difficult to remove.
Selling power
When viewing a potential new home, many buyers are looking for an ultra-modern kitchen that needs little to no updating. Because the shaker style is more traditional than modern, this may not appeal to some potential buyers – particularly if the style doesn’t gel with the overall aesthetic of your home. However, on the whole, the shaker style, if well maintained, will be welcomed by a lot of buyers.
How to get a shaker style kitchen
Now that we’ve taken you through the pros and cons of this classic kitchen style, you may wonder how you can shake up your own kitchen style. The good news is that, in order to achieve this elegant look for your kitchen, you don’t need to go to the huge expense and hassle of a full-on kitchen refit – something which is particularly important at the moment when many of us are watching our budgets more closely than ever before.
At Kitchen Makeovers, we know that there isn’t always the budget for a brand-new kitchen – which is why we’re here. Our expert team can bring the shaker style to your kitchen by replacing cabinet doors, drawer fronts, worktops, fixtures, and fittings. Unlike fitting a brand new kitchen, this is an incredibly affordable way of achieving a great new look for your kitchen, and our wide range of colours and finishes means that you’ll be spoilt for choice.
As well as being an inexpensive way of updating your kitchen, there are a couple of other benefits to our method. To begin with, our replacement service takes just a fraction of the time of a full kitchen refit, meaning that the disruption to you and your family will be minimal. Our method also creates less mess, and we won’t usually need to switch off the water or electricity in order to get the job done, so you can get on with your day while we work.
New style for a new year
Choosing a new style for your kitchen is a significant decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Before making a choice, you need to consider the overall style of your home, the available space and the kind of style which will lend value to your house should you decide to sell.
Shaker style kitchens, while traditional, have an enduring appeal due to their timeless simplicity, and they remain incredibly popular in British homes. At Kitchen Makeovers, we have what it takes to transform your kitchen into a classic shaker style one at an extremely affordable price. As well as being cost-effective, our method of replacing your doors, drawers and fittings rather than a complete refit means that you’ll have your new kitchen quickly and with as little fuss and disruption to you and your family as possible.
If you feel that the classic shaker style might be right for your kitchen, get in touch with our friendly and professional customer support team today for help, advice and a free, no-obligation quote.
