In terms of both timelessness and universal appeal, the Shaker kitchen takes some beating. Delivering the ultimate pairing of both form and function, shaker kitchens also bring the benefit of limitless scope for personalization. But what are the best shaker kitchen colours in 2022?

The Shaker kitchen style is just as on-trend in 2022 as it was at its origins. But what is it about this particular approach to kitchen design has made it so enduring?

One of the biggest benefits of the shaker style kitchen is that depending on your choice it can look either completely timeless or traditional. Or be bought bang up to date by choosing the most in-vogue colours and materials.

With that in mind, we discuss which Shaker kitchen colours and finishes are making the biggest waves on the interior design scene right now?

 

A Brief History of the Shaker Kitchen

Standard Shaker Kitchen Doors

For those who may be wondering how the whole movement started, the creation of the Shaker style kitchen is credited to the religious movement of the same name.  A community originally from Europe that emigrated to the USA in the late 18th century, for whom simplicity and practicality mattered most.

The Shakers believed that the end of the world was imminent, and that anything that didn’t serve a practical purpose was unnecessary – or even sinful. From the homes they lived in, to the tools they used to build them, the Shakers crafted everything from scratch and by hand.

Their strive for simplicity was echoed in their choice of kitchen colours and designs. Simple yet attractive colours inspired by nature, resulting in elegantly understated interiors of immense practicality. As similar values continue to be shared by millions of households worldwide, the Shaker style has maintained its desirability for more than two centuries.

Why Consider a Shaker Kitchen?

Shaker kitchens have endured in popularity for a reason.

From a contemporary perspective, the traditional Shaker kitchen style has three main points of appeal:

  1. True timelessness – The simplicity of the Shaker style is the embodiment of timelessness, which will never go out of fashion. By choosing a shaker kitchen you know that you will have a kitchen that will stand the test of time.
  2. Pure practicality – Not only is a Shaker kitchen user-friendly and practical, but it is also one of the easiest types of kitchens to keep clean and tidy thanks to it’s simple design.
  3. Durability – Shaker kitchens are built to go the distance, comprising only the highest-quality materials with no superfluous extras.

Combined with the limitless scope for personalisation, the allure of a classic Shaker kitchen is easy to understand.

The Different Types of Shaker Cabinets

Shaker style kitchen

 

Contrary to popular belief, opting for a Shaker kitchen doesn’t mean passing up the opportunity to create something truly unique. Every element of your dream Shaker kitchen can be customised to reflect your preferences and your personality.

In terms of colours in particular, there are almost endless options to explore. Shaker cabinets are typically separated into a handful of categories – all perfectly balancing form with function.

And you can mix up the look by choosing different looks – smooth edges provide a clean and spacious looking finish. Or choose modern handles to bring a contemporary twist to a traditional style.

Modern Shaker Cabinets

modern shaker kitchen units

Versatility is the name of the game with today’s Modern Shaker collection.  Perfectly suited to contemporary kitchens, the Modern Shaker lends itself to all styles and décor preferences. Whether your goal is to keep things simple or create a standout look for your cabinets, there is no shortage of styles and colours to choose from.

For example, an air of classic sophistication and style can be afforded by Modern Shaker cabinets in shades such as Porcelain, Ivory, Mussel and Cashmere. All fabulously understated and compatible with almost any existing colour scheme. For something a little more imposing and eye-catching, darker shades like Graphite and Indigo provide that enticing mix of the traditional with the most modern twist, and bring a dramatic edge to your space.

 

Traditional Shaker Cabinets

Technically speaking, all Shaker cabinets are ‘traditional’ by their nature. But if looking to bring that quintessential rustic vibe into your kitchen, there are some colour and design choices that never fail to work wonders.

The classic of classics, white shaker cabinets can be great for creating a traditional look and feel while also proffering the benefit of making your kitchen appear larger.

For something with raw and rustic vibe, natural wood grains evoke a sense of tradition. Go for a lighter wood grain for a subtler effect, or a darker grain for a more dramatic finish. In-keeping with the whole Shaker style, keeping things simple holds the key to creating a beautifully traditional and unspoiled theme for your kitchen.

 

Smooth Shaker

Of course, there’s also the option of getting rid of the woodgrain entirely, if a smooth and seamless finish is more to your tastes. Smooth Shaker kitchen cabinet doors pair pristine presentation with pure practicality, along with the durability needed to go the distance

Smooth Shaker kitchens look great in a wide range of colours, though are particularly elegant in fairly neutral tones. Examples of which include Porcelain, Light Grey, Graphite, Dust Grey and Natural Stone. A full palette of bolder and more vibrant colours is also available for your Smooth Shaker kitchen, if you are looking to create a more eye-catching effect.

Luxury Shaker Kitchen Units

True to their name, Luxury Shaker units are all about maximising the appeal of your kitchen with the most visually striking cabinets. Simplistic in their design yet immensely appealing, Luxury Shaker cabinets are great for achieving that modern farmhouse look at a surprisingly affordable price. The Luxury Shaker style is also ideal for an open plan kitchen with an accompanying dining space.

The sky is the limit where colour choice is concerned, but the most on-trend colours right now for this type of kitchen are Ivory and Light Grey. For something a little more dramatic, Ocean Blue and Midnight Blue Shaker cabinets can be completely transformative for any kitchen. Each unit is finished with a woodgrain precision-embossed on the durable PVC surface of the door, giving it the look and feel of traditional painted timber.

Two-Toned Shaker Cabinets

If struggling to decide between a couple of colours you like equally, why not mix things up with a two-toned design? What’s great about Shaker cabinets is how they provide something of an elegant and understated blank canvas to work with. Choose two complementary colours of cabinets with identical pulls and knobs, in order to create a unified effect while combining your two favourite colours.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s better to opt for a darker colour for your base cabinets and something lighter for your upper cabinets. Consider pairing something understated and neutral with a more dramatic second colour, if you are looking to create a truly unique effect for your kitchen.

Is a Shaker Kitchen Expensive?

At a glance, a high-quality Shaker kitchen looks like a costly home improvement project. Even upon closer inspection, the quality materials and beautifully finished surfaces conjure images of elevated costs.

In reality, one of the biggest draws of the Shaker kitchen style is its affordability. This is due to the fact that Shaker kitchens can be customised in almost any way, in order to suit all preferences and budgets.

The Shaker kitchen style is, after all, based primarily on practicality. Materials are selected on the basis of their durability and longevity – not their prestige or price tag. Manufactured from the highest-quality materials and fitted by a skilled installation team, a Shaker kitchen can represent unbeatable long-term value for money.

What’s more with Kitchen Warehouse, you also have the option to simply replace your kitchen doors, without the expense of an entire kitchen overhaul. If your existing kitchen cabinet are in good shape, choosing simply to buy need shaker style kitchen doors allows you to bring that shaker style to your kitchen at a fraction of the cost of full replacement.

All while giving you the opportunity to create your own dream kitchen from scratch, choosing from almost any colour (or combination thereof) imaginable.

A Low-Maintenance Family Kitchen

shaker kitchen

shaker kitchen

As a welcome bonus, the Shaker kitchen style is also synonymous with minimal cleaning, and care and maintenance requirements. The Shaker school of design is noted for its obsession with simplicity, resulting in a kitchen style that is comprehensively easy to keep clean.

Most types of Shaker cabinet doors can be kept clean and sanitary with a quick wipe. The precision-engineered panels are fully resistant to heat and humidity, meaning no risk of warping as with traditional timber.

All of which makes the Shaker style the ideal choice for a busy family kitchen, where units and cabinets are put through their paces on a near-constant basis.  The durability you need, paired with the pristine a presentation you deserve.

Discover Kitchen Warehouse Shaker Kitchens

 

At Kitchen Warehouse, we work hard to provide the ultimate in affordable quality with every kitchen purchased. Our extensive collection of Shaker kitchen units and cabinets reflects our commitment to value for money, manufactured from the highest-quality materials and supplied with premium hardware.

All Shaker kitchens are supplied flat-packed, complete with easy-to-follow instructions and pre-drilled holes. Whether you are looking to install your own kitchen or hire a team of fitters, our products are designed to minimise installation times for maximum convenience.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of our Shaker kitchen units or any of our product collections, contact the team at Kitchen Warehouse anytime.  Alternatively, pop into our Ripon showroom for a closer look at what we do.