Shaker Style Kitchens – The Complete Guide – Geelong & Ballarat

Advanced Cabinetry is an established and highly sought-after Ballarat and Geelong cabinetry company. We specialise in designing, manufacturing, and installing exceptional kitchen cabinets. We offer homeowners customisable solutions that tailor to a variety of kitchen styles. From conceptualising to installation, we help customers plan the kitchen of their dreams. That’s because we use only the best materials and do business with companies with the highest integrity in the industry.

We know how important the kitchen is to the home. It is where family and friends gather together, where good food is prepared, and where memories are made.

Anything that can make this integral part of the home more homey is welcomed, right?

What kitchen styles are trending in interior design this year?

There are two, both of which we specialise in. These are the Hampton and Provincial Style Kitchens. It is of interest to note that both of these styles share a key element of style—shaker style cabinets.

In this article, we will talk about everything you need to know about shaker style kitchens.

 

What Is The Hampton Style Kitchen?

 

Australian Residential Achitectural Styles have evolved significantly over time – Wikipedia

 

Which brings us to the Hampton Style Kitchen, much like the Hamptons area in Long Island, this kitchen style is inviting because of its coastal feel. While distinctive and stunning, it also has a certain old-world charm. The dining space is open-plan, takes advantage of open light, and it is spacious.

The classic Hampton Style Kitchen also uses a pale colour palette and natural materials. For added elegance, the kitchen often has marble benchtops and other timeless pieces.

More modern kitchens in this style may use glass-fronted cabinets and elements of the beach cottage look.

 

What Is The Provincial Style Kitchen?

The Provincial Kitchen is a fusion of two French styles. It is reminiscent of rustic traditional designs of the French countryside. It also reflects the intricate world-class design of Paris. Together, the fusion of these two styles makes for a highly-functional kitchen that doubles as a work of art.

The decor is accentuated by pilasters, mouldings, blocks, corbels, and posts. The beauty of French cabinetry lies in the details, such as intricate carvings and turnings. Colours are soft, yet subtle. Classic elements of this kitchen style are the use of bronze, brass, or copper handles as well as glass and period friezes.

 

What Is The Shaker Style?

The versatile shaker style kitchen’s cabinet is a classic. This makes it a suitable choice for kitchen renovations in both older federation homes and new developments. The name “shaker” actually comes from a self-sufficient religious community called the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Many of its members were skilled carpenters. Their craftsmanship reflected simplicity and practicality.

Shaker cabinets are made up of unadorned and flat wooden panels. With little to no embellishments, the cabinet doors’ signature look is characterised by a sturdy frame. In the woodworking industry, the frame and panel build is commonly referred to as a rail and stile construction.

The shakers began building such cabinets in the nineteenth century. At first, the solid frame was made from pine. Today, hickory, maple, and cherry wood are also used as building materials. Doors are also traditionally painted white.

The shaker style kitchen pairs beautifully with the Hampton and Provincial style kitchen.

 

Why Choose a Shaker Style Kitchen?

Why should you consider a shaker style kitchen for your next kitchen remodel?

For the resale-conscious homeowner, not only is the shaker style reasonably priced but it is also a great investment. Designers hail the look’s “return to simplicity” and for good reason. That’s because the cabinetry style is timeless, giving it a mass buyer appeal.

Furthermore, its construction is solid and easily customisable. Therefore, you can style your shaker cabinet to go beautifully with your home—whether it is traditional, contemporary-farmhouse, or sleek and modern. Shaker style kitchens are easy to customise, as they can be as modest or dressed up as you’d like it to be.

In the traditional kitchen, we favour a lighter wood finish to complement its clean design style. Other elements can include a distressed cabinet glaze, antique drawers, and eclectic door hardware.

For those seeking a balance between the traditional and modern homes, designers can add a slightly bevelled edge to the shaker cabinet. It’s a subtle embellishment that doesn’t stray too far from the original shaker style kitchen look.

Alternatively, modern homes can incorporate the shaker style with finished wood for added warmth.

However, the cabinetry looks just as stunning with dark wood grains. Homeowners can also choose between having plain cabinet doors or adding some cabinet hardware. Whatever you choose, your kitchen will still emanate the clean and uncluttered look that is characterised by the modern home.

 

Meet our Renowned Suppliers

Two of the most renowned suppliers of shaker doors are Farmers Doors and Polytec. The next few paragraphs will talk about each supplier and what sets each one apart.

Farmers Doors

This boutique manufacturing company is a family-owned business on the Gold Coast.

It offers a premium range of kitchen cabinetry to only a selected group of cabinet makers, from doors and panels to moulding and decorative elements. Farmers also have different types of cabinet doors that embrace the shaker-style kitchen.

The Provincial door, as the name suggests, is perfect for the French Provincial style. However, it is also suitable for the Hampton and Country Style kitchen. Its use of materials such as natural hoop pine timber veneer epitomises the classic shaker style.

The other shaker door styles come in natural, weathered, slimmed, bevelled, and rougher cut American Oak.

Every one of these finishes varies in thickness and is available in one colour. The exception to this is the natural oak shaker, which also offers homeowners the option of choosing colour finishes in their Signature series.

Homeowners on a budget can opt for the classic shaker door. It resembles the Provincial door but omits the use of natural timber. Instead, the panels are constructed from Melamine MDF and are complete with handmade joints.

Farmers recommend the shaker and provincial door for a Hamptons Style kitchen. Interior walls are predominantly plain white, but may have silver or blue accents for some extra personality. In addition to this, Farmers also take care of your kitchen’s furniture and treatment options.

As for the French Provincial kitchen, Farmers recommend the Provincial door for a shaker style look. The French Provincial kitchen is perfect for entertaining in a rustic yet elegant setting. Colours are soft but subtle, with the purpose of accentuating the kitchen’s elaborate design.

 

Polytec

Polytec offers a range of Thermo laminated doors and panels. Available in either 18mm or 21mm profiled MR MDF, this company’s kitchen cabinetry is of high quality. It is also recognised in the wood making industry as being a superior product.

Polytec’s Thermo laminated doors and panels are wrapped with vinyl and adhere with adhesive and bonding agents that have been crafted with Polytec. The benefits of choosing Polytec are that their kitchen cabinetry is resistant to stains and moisture. They are also easy to clean and maintain.

The company offers homeowners a variety of custom-made products in both Melamine and HPL. Polytec’s doors and panels are Australian-made and highly durable.

As one of the country’s leading distributors of decorative surfaces, Polytec Collections has a colour scheme for every kitchen. A Hamptons style kitchen uses mainly white, ivory, and neutral colours.  However, homeowners may choose to use a few accent colours, such as navy blue, grey, or black.

One may also think of wood plank floors and marble countertops. For an added distinctive element to your kitchen, homeowners can incorporate a pattern into the tile backsplash. They can also add texture with upholstered barstools.

For lighting, pendants make for a visually appealing lighting concept.

In light of these key elements of the Hampton style kitchen, we recommend three of Polytec Collections colour schemes.

 

• The Buller Stone’s colour scheme 1: It features the Buller stone, Classic White, Strata Grey, and Drifted Oak

 

 

• The Portofino Stone’s colour scheme 2: It features the Portofino Stone, Blossom White, Oyster Grey and Coastal Oak

 

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• The Calacutta Grey’s colour scheme 1: It features the Calacutta Grey, Antico Oak, Strata Grey, and Classic White

 

 

 

Steps to Designing your Shaker Style Kitchen

Here at Advanced Cabinetry, we wish for you to feel involved in every step of the design process. That way, we get a better idea of what you are looking for and can turn your dreams into reality.

Better still, there are no surprises! Every kitchen is custom-made to suit your design taste and functional style. Here are all the major steps involved in designing your shaker kitchen.

Conception

The first element, and likely the most important one that every shaker style kitchen needs, is the shaker cabinet. The kitchen cabinetry with its wooden knobs and recessed doors is what characterises the shaker look. Use the cabinetry as a focal point on which to base the rest of your kitchen’s design.

Once you’ve selected the kind of panelled doors you’d like for your kitchen, you must choose its design. Shaker style doors are typically made out of local timbers. Popular choices of American wood are pine, walnut, maple, and cherry.

However, designers can achieve a finished product that is just as beautiful using oak, mahogany, or rosewood.

Next, consider what other furniture or decorating elements you’d like to add in your kitchen. Are you thinking about decorating your chairs, stools, and benchtops? How about decorating the door frame and window frames in your kitchen as well?

You can upcycle or renovate these items as well to reflect the shaker style. Guests won’t help but be impressed when they see how all of these elements come together for a complete shaker look!

Whereas Shaker cabinets have a minimal design, using only pulls or wooden handles, your kitchen need not be limited to these options. Metal will look stunning in a modern take of the shaker kitchen, while vintage-looking brass will add charm for a more contemporary look.

Another important factor that you should consider when renovating the kitchen is colour. The first shaker style kitchens didn’t typically use paint or colour. Later, however, the shaker style incorporated colours that already occur in nature.

We are thinking of earth tones and a pale colour palette. However, as the style has evolved, so has its ability to accommodate and incorporate other light colours and tints. Therefore, you can confidently stray away from the original shaker ethos and get creative with non-traditional colours. For example, aubergine and duck egg will bring elegance to your shaker kitchen and truly give it character.

As for your kitchen floor, many designers will recommend going with wood. However, you can also use tiles if they have a textured look and an earthly tone.

For further help in planning your kitchen, we’ve included a free kitchen planner guide on our website for you to download. Countless homeowners have trusted us with our extensive product knowledge and quality customer service.

Layout

When designing your kitchen, it is important to plan its layout in relation to other rooms and activities around the house. We help plan your kitchen’s layout in a way that will maximise its functionality and design.

Our most popular kitchen layouts are the galley shape, the G-shape, the inline kitchen, the island kitchen, the L-shaped kitchen, the U-shape kitchen, the L-shaped kitchen with an island, and the U-shaped kitchen with an island.

 

Design

Although decorating magazines and the internet abound with ideas to steal for your kitchen, your kitchen design consultant will have the best recommendations for you. Leave it to the professionals to guide you through each zone in your kitchen. Namely, these are the preparation, cooking, cleaning, non-consumable and consumable zones.

Many homeowners wish to expand the preparation zone so as to make more room for chopping vegetables, kneading dough, and for storing regularly used items.

The cooking zone is where meals are made. Here is where you’ll find the kitchen’s major appliances. It is also where bulkier items are found. For that reason, many kitchen renovation projects include adding extra storage to hide these items.

The cleaning zone is important for helping your kitchen stay tidy and organised. This is generally where the sink, dishwasher, and waste bin are found. Our professionals can work with you to come up with added storage to put away your cleaning supplies when not in use.

The non-consumable zone is where your everyday items are placed. These include cutlery, glasses, and more. Many homeowners appreciate designing their kitchen to have pull-out drawers for extra space.

Our professionals can help reorganise your consumable zone by adding things such as a walk-in pantry, drawer system, or slide-out pantry. These make it much easier for you to find and store pantry essentials and food that doesn’t need to go in the refrigerator.

 

Selecting your Appliances

The 19th-century shaker kitchen may not have had the fully integrated technology that we benefit from today. Nevertheless, the kitchen was still highly-functional. Today, homeowners can have the best of both worlds.

You can embrace the shaker’s motto of sustainability and efficiency by choosing appliances that are as durable and energy-efficient as they are visually appealing. We believe that this will motivate and inspire you to make the most of your beautiful kitchen.

There is an endless combination of appliances to choose from.  Many of them come from popular and reputed brands such as Baumatic, SMEG, and Kleenmaid. We will help you to find the perfect appliances that fit within your budget and style. Then, we will incorporate them into your kitchen in a way that will complement its design.

 

The Finishing Touch

As your kitchen is coming together, you might find choosing the finishes for your kitchen to be a challenge. From the colour and material you should choose for your splashback to lighting, fixtures, and hardware, it could all seem a little complicated.

Again, your kitchen design consultant will take the guesswork out of it for you.

For instance, when choosing a finish for your kitchen benchtops, you’ll want to ask yourself a few questions:

• What materials should I choose: laminate, natural stone, natural timber, stainless steel, or composite?
• How frequently will they be used?
• What is the best way to clean and maintain?

After careful consideration, our professionals will guide you towards materials that will best suit your needs.

The same thought process goes when choosing the finishes for your kitchen cabinetry. The available options for both colours and styles are very diverse. There are melamine, vinyl, 2pak, and timber, to name a few.

Again, you’ll need to ask yourself how you would like to clean and maintain them. Then, you’ll have a better idea of what materials will work best for you and your family.

 

Installation

Advanced Cabinetry is with homeowners every step of the way. Now that you’ve conceptualised the kitchen of your dreams, it is time to have it installed in your home. We want the experience to be as convenient and fuss-free as possible.

Get The Shaker-Style Kitchens of Your Dreams

If our guide has you hooked on the thought of converting to a shaker-style kitchen, there is no better time to start planning than today. If you’ve got two minutes to spare right now, you can use our Online New Kitchen Cost Calculator to get an idea of what your project will cost.

Or, you can contact us directly to speak to a trained professional right now.