Shaker cabinets are an enduring design that people have treasured in their homes for centuries. Here at Rolling Stone Granite Tennessee, we love this classic and elegant style, and our team wanted to take a moment to highlight the fascinating history behind this particular cabinet style.
Shaker cabinets get their name from the Shaker community, a religious group that was founded in the 18th century. The Shakers followed a simple lifestyle that was free of fuss and extravagance, and this is reflected in the clean, functional design of Shaker cabinets. Shaker-style furniture emphasizes unadorned, clean, straight lines, and their focus is on practicality and craftsmanship, not on ornateness.
Shaker cabinet-makers were skilled artisans who used high-quality, locally sourced materials for their cabinetry. Popular wood options included maple, cherry, and pine, all of which are still prized for modern cabinets. Shaker cabinets are characterized by flat panel doors with a recessed center panel, and because the lines of the cabinets are simple and clean, they showcase the innate beauty of the materials they are crafted from.
While the style has never gone fully out of style thanks to its timelessness, there are a few notable resurgences in popularity. The first was in the 1800s when Americans began seeking simpler and more practical furnishings for their homes, in part as a divergence from the opulence of the Rococo era. This was boosted by the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th century, which focused on handmade items and rejected mass-produced goods. A second resurgence in the 20th century was largely thanks to the mid-century modern movement as designers and homeowners sought clean, timeless looks for their homes.
Shaker cabinets are a testament to the enduring love we have for well-crafted, unadorned, functional design that is built to last and is at home with many interior design styles. If you’re interested in having Shaker cabinets installed in your home, reach out to our team to learn more!