The History and Evolution of The Shaker Kitchen
The History of The Shaker Kitchen
Synonymous with quality and simplistic functionality Shaker Furniture has become a household name, but who are the Shakers? And when did this all begin?
The Shaker movement originated from 18th Century England, a group of Quakers based in Manchester were religiously influenced by French Camisards seeking asylum. This melting pot of ideas inspired change and a new religious sect was born, The Shakers.
The name ‘Shaker’ was derived from the groups dynamic worshiping style, as they famously danced to honour and reverence God. Despite their love of dance the Shakers beliefs were far from flamboyant. A modest, pacifistic, low consumption lifestyle was adopted, with intellectual and artistic progression at the forefront of their core values. This modest lifestyle is heavily apparent when studying their furniture.
Shaker Furniture
As well as being deeply religious, the Shakers were master craftsmen and are renowned for refining woodworking tools and techniques. Working mostly with wood their processes in general were fairly simple however being meticulous in their work was vital. Shaker furniture was created following the ethos “all things should hold a purpose and be crafted as a testament to God” With this in mind utility, durability and quality of craft was always imperative.
Although the Shaker community is now something of the past their aesthetics and techniques remain significant.
“Beauty rests on utility”
– Shaker Maxim
The Evolution of The Shaker Kitchen
Without distracting from the beautiful simplicity of the Shaker style, Shaker furniture can be modernised and evolved. For example the addition of chrome handles can transform a traditional looking cabinet to an item modern enough for any home. This versatility is one of the main reasons Shaker furniture and in particular Shaker kitchens have stood the test of time.
Since the 1700’s craftsmen have been using mortise and tenon and dovetail joinery to create high quality furniture. These classic techniques have always been a characteristic of the Shaker design and are now a hallmark of quality.
Here at The Annex we pride ourselves on our traditional processes while also seeking to elevate practicality. By incorporating modern mechanisms such as magic corners, pull out racks and integrated appliances we optimise utility for our customers. Our German engineered soft closing runners sit side by side with traditional joinery to create the perfect combination of time honoured techniques and modernised functionality.
Like the Shakers we always have usability in mind and never compromise on quality.
To learn more about who we are and what we do read our ‘about us’ page or call our team