The History Of Shaker Style Kitchens

The History of Shaker Style Kitchens

by

chris tyril

In today’s world where odd religious sects are pretty much a dime a dozen, it can be hard to imagine what it must have been like to be a Shaker when they broke away from the Quakers back in 1747. They were the crazy cult of their day and because of some of their beliefs, they eventually fizzled out.

Their church leaders were women, so while the male leaders of other competing churches of that period were busy preaching, female Shaker leaders were busy going through their homes with an eye towards design, and decorating to create a whole new look.

So while very few children were being born to keep their church growing into the future, their fanatic rules concerning home, kitchen and furniture design meant that at least their basic concepts in that area would survive for centuries to come.

Quality and sturdy plain functionalism are the two key points that Shaker kitchen craft work were based on and it s for this alone that an original plain Shaker chair that was made in one of their wood shops will sell for upwards of $20,000 at auction today. In Shaker design everything must have a reason, and be built to last pretty much indefinitely perfect for the wear and tear a modern kitchen needs to endure.

So were there Shaker kitchens back in the 1700 s? Of course there were but very few have survived in their original state.

However; enough of the other Shaker designs such as kitchen cabinets, textiles, chairs, desks and colours did survive and go on to influence modern kitchen designers today. It’s a no frills kitchen that puts quality and function first.

Cabinets in a Shaker kitchen for instance are solid, well built with large easy to grip handles, and little to no trim. Another feature of Shaker kitchen cabinets is glass window doors that allow a cook an easy clear view of all that’s inside as he or she goes about preparing a meal and colours will be soft and muted.

Counter-tops in the authentic Shaker kitchen will tend to be made from a sturdy hardwood or a light coloured polished marble or granite, although this rule is not cut into stone. You see, for one thing the Shakers didn’t have the tools that were needed to cut hard, iron rich black granite back then.

Now if you have the room, authentic reproduction shaker kitchen furniture is once again being made, so a nice quality Shaker chair or even a small table can be the perfect touch, or even a solid wooden breadbox for the counter. Be aware though that for furniture to be an authentic Shaker reproduction, it must be of superb quality and made from the finest wood.

Chris Tyrrell writes for Jewson Kitchens who provide a wide variety of bespoke kitchens and appliances. Visit the website for more details.

Shaker Kitchens

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