Creating A Shaker Style Kitchen

A Shaker style kitchen is characterized by simplicity and sparse decoration. The Shaker style has clean lines and utilitarian purpose. When decorating this type of kitchen, you can incorporate wonderful antiques including Shaker baskets, pantry boxes and old pottery bowls.

The Cabinets

Shaker cabinets are very simple. A Flat panel kitchen cabinet door style with a simple frame around the edge and wooden knobs are best. A natural cherry stain is in keeping with the style of kitchen that would be found in shaker homes. The counter tops should be natural materials, wither wood, slate, soapstone or limestone. Granite probably isn't the best choice as the shine will give the kitchen too sleek of a look for the Shaker style.

The Flooring

Once again, natural is the way to go. In a real Shaker home, you'd probably find wood flooring in a natural stain in the kitchen but you could go with cement or limestone. Nothing too showy and try to use a subtle earthy color. For accent rugs stick to braided rugs or hooked rugs.

The Walls

For kitchen walls, simple paint goes best with the Shaker style. Stick to neutral colors, sage, tan, beige. You can accent the woodwork (if it is already painted and you don't want to strip it) in a brick red, slate gray or old blue. Get a reference book or go to an antique store and find out what colors the Shakers would use in kitchens themselves. To stick with the simple look, go without curtains and add some simple blinds if you must have something in the window.

The Appliances

If you can get the wooden faces that match your kitchen cabinets for the appliances, all the better. If not, a brushed metal might be the best choice. Try to pick something that blends in with the simplistic feel of this style kitchen.

Accessories

The Shaker style is all about a simple, uncluttered look so you don't want too much “stuff” out on the counters. Use old fashioned shaker baskets and boxes as catch all's for all the things that usually hand around in the kitchen. A simple antique or reproduction better bowl or wooden bowl can be a nice accent to have fruit in on the kitchen table.

Furniture

Antique shaker furniture is quite pricey and you may not want that for everyday use, but there are reproductions in almost every furniture store. Pick something that has a timeworn look with clean simple lines. It can be either natural wood or painted a subtle color, but no excessive decorations. Shakers used ladder back chairs in the kitchen – for a real authentic look, hang pegs on the wall and put the chairs up on the pegs when not in use.