There's a reason why white Shaker cabinets are so hot; it's because they are so versatile, just like pasta, the final result depends on what you put with it. Not only can you get this style in any price point but you can make it work with your own unique design style. Today I thought we'd take a look at some very different successful results all using garden- variety white Shaker cabinets.
First of all, in case you've been off somewhere living in a cave, Shaker cabinets feature what we call flat panel doors. There's a flat panel in the center surrounded by a frame. That frame is typically 2 1/4" wide which will give you a traditional look or 3" wide which is a bit more contemporary. A word of caution, if your kitchen will have small doors (less than 15" wide) and you're going to be using glass in the center, go with the 2 1/4" or the glass section will be too small.
The modern Shaker style gets its name from the original Shaker furniture. "Shaker furniture is a distinctive style of furniture developed by the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, commonly known as Shakers, a religious sect that had guiding principles of simplicity, utility and honesty. Their beliefs were reflected in the well-made furniture of minimalist designs.- Wikipedia American Shaker furniture originated in the 1700s and has changed little since then. Original Shaker doors typically had natural wood finishes but today white is all the rage. Fast forward to the twenty-first century where all that white simplicity can get a bit boring and generic. With the big movement towards personalization and custom design you can rock that Shaker look and make it your own. Here are just a few examples:
21st Century Victorian
The kitchen above is situated in an 1892 Queen Anne Victorian home in California and features a totally different take on white Shaker. Accents include a luscious blue color for the peninsula and gorgeous Mamounia tile from the Martyn Lawrence Bullard Collection for Ann Sacks. I love the mixture of natural wood, white, the pattern of the tile and that perfect shade of blue.
Since white Shaker cabinets are pretty much a blank canvas, they offer a great opportunity to showcase bold colorful art! This painting installed in the kitchen/dining area is by Gordon Hopkins.
Mad for Mid-Century Mod
Cool Contemporary
If you have embraced the clean crisp appeal of contemporary design, you can also have that with white Shaker cabinets. The example below from Houzz shows achieves a chic contemporary effect through long sleek bar pulls on the cabinets, the clean look of no upper cabinets and stainless steel accents. The rich wood floor lends warmth to the space.
There you have it! I would love to help you "shake things up" with your own white Shaker cabinets. Email me at artfulkitchensbyglo@gmail.com If you would like to have Artful Kitchen blog posts conveniently delivered to your inbox, please subscribe by entering your email in the sidebar.
