Shaker Style: 5 Details to Introduce to Any Style of Kitchen
Whether your taste leans contemporary, country, rustic or Victorian, these Shaker details can add beauty and function
Shaker cabinets have become popular for their simple profile, which looks great in modern, traditional and transitional kitchens alike. But other design details from the Shakers, a religious group that flourished in the United States during the 19th century, are just as functional and attractive as their cabinets. The wonderful thing about these details is that they can work in any style of kitchen today.
The Shakers, who at the peak of their movement in the mid-19th century numbered between 4,000 and 5,000, believed that building well-crafted architecture and furniture was an act of prayer. They avoided ornamentation and strived to create functional, clean and simple work in the 19 major communities that spread from New England to Kentucky. Their designs have a traditional aesthetic and classic look that fits well in both historical and contemporary American homes. Here are five Shaker details to consider for your kitchen.
1. Wooden peg rails. To create functional spaces, the Shakers placed horizontal wood molding with wooden pegs around the four walls of their rooms. Pegs could be used to hang pots and utensils in kitchens. The Shakers hung up their ladder-back chairs when sweeping the room.
The peg rails were built into the plaster walls and anchored to the wood frame, making them “incredibly sturdy,” says Lesley Herzberg, curator of Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The peg rails eliminated the need to hang things with nails, which were tricky to put in plaster walls. The pegs allowed for portability and flexible use. “Portability and flexibility of space is really the driving factor behind most Shaker design, as well as cleanliness,” Herzberg says.
Peg rails can be adapted for use in today’s kitchens, where functionality is still valued. They can be placed near entry doors to hold coats and dog leashes, above windows for drying herbs or flowers, in halls or closets for hanging brooms and dusters, and in kitchens for hanging frequently used pots, pans and cooking implements. The mudroom above uses Shaker pegs to hang garden tools.
The peg rails were built into the plaster walls and anchored to the wood frame, making them “incredibly sturdy,” says Lesley Herzberg, curator of Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The peg rails eliminated the need to hang things with nails, which were tricky to put in plaster walls. The pegs allowed for portability and flexible use. “Portability and flexibility of space is really the driving factor behind most Shaker design, as well as cleanliness,” Herzberg says.
Peg rails can be adapted for use in today’s kitchens, where functionality is still valued. They can be placed near entry doors to hold coats and dog leashes, above windows for drying herbs or flowers, in halls or closets for hanging brooms and dusters, and in kitchens for hanging frequently used pots, pans and cooking implements. The mudroom above uses Shaker pegs to hang garden tools.
2. Furniture and accessories. The Shakers developed an assortment of accessories that could hang on pegs. Besides ladder-back chairs, they built cupboards, candleholders and baskets that could hang, as well as pipe racks and knife boxes. This picture shows a mirror and shelves on Shaker pegs.
The Shakers designed these objects with the peg rail in mind, according to Herzberg’s book The Shakers: History, Culture and Craft. “It allowed them to eliminate clutter from tabletops and to clean floors more easily. The peg rail is the foundation for the Shakers’ design universe,” Herzberg writes in the book.
The Shakers designed these objects with the peg rail in mind, according to Herzberg’s book The Shakers: History, Culture and Craft. “It allowed them to eliminate clutter from tabletops and to clean floors more easily. The peg rail is the foundation for the Shakers’ design universe,” Herzberg writes in the book.
Similar items are available from woodworkers today. The clock pictured here is designed to hang on a Shaker peg.
Note: If you decide to hang items on Shaker pegs, be sure to mount the rails appropriately for the weight they’ll hold.
Browse pegs and wall hooks
Note: If you decide to hang items on Shaker pegs, be sure to mount the rails appropriately for the weight they’ll hold.
Browse pegs and wall hooks
3. Colorful furniture pieces. Original Shaker kitchens included an assortment of colorful wooden furniture, as opposed to the seamless kitchens with matching cabinetry that we build today. Like most kitchens of the era, Shaker kitchens consisted of hutches, sideboards, Hoosier cabinets (a hutch designed to store bulk goods) and ice chests. Cabinetry was not seamless and often was not built in.
To mimic the look of a Shaker kitchen, consider using cabinets and counters in different colors to create the look of furniture. If you have room for it, a vintage hutch can add interest and character. A vintage piece for an island or hutch also can create a focal point for your kitchen, especially if the piece is painted a different color than the rest of the cabinetry.
To mimic the look of a Shaker kitchen, consider using cabinets and counters in different colors to create the look of furniture. If you have room for it, a vintage hutch can add interest and character. A vintage piece for an island or hutch also can create a focal point for your kitchen, especially if the piece is painted a different color than the rest of the cabinetry.
This contemporary kitchen uses different cabinetry finishes to create a furniture-style feel. Painted wall cabinets lend a soft backdrop to the wooden island. Slab-front cabinets and contemporary pulls make the feel more contemporary.
4. Wooden knobs. Shakers typically used wooden knobs on their cabinets, dressers and built-ins. Today, wooden knobs feel simple and classic. This kitchen has a large stained-wood island with matching knobs.
In another view of the same kitchen, you can see that the white cabinets have matching white wooden knobs. While a stained knob on a painted cabinet would work fine, this matching detail helps the cabinets look more contemporary and less rustic.
Browse wooden knobs
Browse wooden knobs
5. Dark trim and white walls. Shaker homes had rich-colored moldings and white walls. If you like the look of painted cabinets or darker colors in your kitchen, you can bring balance to the space by painting the walls white. Painting moldings and doors the same color as the cabinets, while keeping the walls white, is a great way to use lots of color without making the room feel heavy.
This kitchen also uses green cabinets and trim paired with white walls. It’s interesting to see how Shaker details can lean country or rustic, as in the previous kitchen, or Victorian, as in this one. Glass-front cabinets, shiny metal hardware and subway tiles all help create this Victorian look. Regardless of which style you pair with Shaker details, they can bring a functional, simple and historical feel to your kitchen.
More
Shaker Style Still a Cabinetry Classic
5 Classic Shaker Designs for the Contemporary Home
More
Shaker Style Still a Cabinetry Classic
5 Classic Shaker Designs for the Contemporary Home