The Origins Of Shaker Style Kitchens
Of all the kitchen styles available on the market
, few are as popular as those influenced by the late 18th and 19th century furniture designs of the Shaker movement. Recognised for their practicality and simple, understated elegance, Shaker style kitchens are versatile enough to compliment a contemporary studio apartment or Victorian townhouse as suitably as the traditional North American Shaker barns from where they originate.
The religious colony of the Shakers began in 1774, when a small group of English immigrants from the Anglican Church, spearheaded by their spiritual leader Ann Lee, arrived in New York, practising constant prayer, and the life philosophies of hard work, celibacy, equality of gender and cooperative living (including the sharing of material goods).
Shakers made all of their possessions, and favouring functionality in design over fussy embellishment, they believed that in practicality and usefulness, laid true beauty. Following the design principles of order, symmetry and balance, Shakers utilised inexpensive, locally sourced and readily available materials in their furniture making.
Commonly used native timbers included Maple, Pine and Cherry, with Poplar predominantly used for interior finishes, and Hickory favoured for curved designs. To encourage the practice of communal living and shared use, furniture such as chests of drawers, dining tables and benches were made to be lightweight, easily moveable and big enough to accommodate large numbers of people. Cupboards, chairs and shelving were designed to be hung off of peg rails, which allowed for easy household cleaning, and dining tables were often made with foldable sections and detachable legs for portability.
Detailing was subtle, almost ascetic in appearance, and an integral part of the furniture, not added on after construction for aesthetic purposes. Framed-and-panelled cupboard doors and pillow-fronted drawers were signature features, handmade using either dovetail or mortise-and-tenon joints, and with hand-spun wooden knobs added for practical access. Shakers would also forge their own nails and pins to aid in the furnitures construction.
Chairs with wide-slatted backs were also characteristic of the Shaker movement, however none more so than the ladder-backed, Tilting Chair, which had innovative ball-and-socket feet, enabling those sitting to rock the chair backwards off of its front legs, without causing any structural damage. Together with the more commonly known Rocking Chair, the Tilting Chair created great public interest in Shaker furniture design and encouraged the religious group, who had only made items for their own use or for God, to begin making items to sell.
Furniture was usually either stained or painted, with dark colours preferred to hide the dirt that built up over time. Although greens and reds were amongst the most commonly used colours, lighter shades such as yellows were also used on occasion.
Despite only one Shaker community remaining active today, their designs and philosophies have transcended their era and continue to influence contemporary furniture design. Painted Shaker kitchens, made by hand from quality materials, and using the same design ethos and simple joinery techniques as those practiced by the styles founders, are available from bespoke cupboardmakers, Plain English. Known as The Williamsburg Kitchen, the companys Shaker-inspired design is also available unpainted, to show the natural beauty of the wood.
by: Carina Evison
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