Why Shaker Style Cabinets Are So Popular In Los Angeles

Posted By: Choice Granite & Kitchen Cabinets Inc - Los Angeles

July 18, 2022

We have been servicing Los Angeles & Orange County with RTA kitchen & bath cabinets since 1998. We are a retail showroom, dealer & licensed contractor. You can depend on our excellent kitchen cabinet design services & inventory year around. We provide over 50 styles of high-quality solid wood kitchen cabinets. The kitchen is an integral part of a home; some say it’s where most family memories are made. If you make a choice to let us remodel your kitchen, we promise you we will make your kitchen remodeling experience go smoothly & as perfectly as possible. We are very easy to work with. We guarantee we will take care of any problems that might arise without an argument. One of our primary goals is: in the future, when you think about the contractor who remodeled your kitchen; we want you to think of nothing but good things & pleasant experiences.

 

Shaker Doors Kitchen Cabinets – History and Styles

Shaker style is a nickname given to the design and construction techniques used by American furniture manufacturers Asa Shaker, John W. Beardsley and others in the 19th century. The style is generally attributed to Asa Shaker (1802–1872), who operated a woodworking shop in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The name “Shaker” comes from the fact that Asa Shaker’s workshop was located on the third floor of a converted old farmhouse called Brocket Hall and as such he often worked at one of the two workbenches he had up there. He would often hear noises from above him during his work and that’s how he got this nickname. Another inspiration for this nickname could be drawn from the fact that the people working with him regularly used calipers to measure building dimensions and when they were done, they would lay out their lines using chalk or paint as reference points to ensure their work was straight and true every time. This practice might sound strange or even repulsive today but back then it was just normal. Many other tradesmen did exactly the same thing before them, and it became very common after them as well; hence why we call this type of construction technique Shaker style today.

 

What is Shaker style?

Shaker style is an American furniture design and construction technique. This style was first born in the early 19th century during America’s Industrial Revolution, and it’s associated with the early work of Asa Shaker who, along with John Beardsley, were pioneers in this field. Shaker style is characterized by its simplicity; in fact, it can be described as a philosophy of restraint with regards to decoration and decoration. This simplified approach to traditional furniture often includes the use of exposed wood beams inside the pieces which are usually painted dark brown or black. The main idea behind this style is that if you remove anything that distracts people from the quality craftsmanship of your product, they would ultimately be better off. This design principles have remained unchanged since its inception, and it has only matured into different forms over time.

 

History of Shaker Style

Shaker style can be traced back to around 1810 when Asa Shaker was just starting his career. Around that time, he was hired by a furniture maker and given the task of designing and building a chair for him. Since he was inexperienced at the time, Asa had to learn the trade from the ground up. During this period, he learned how to make his first chair by hand, and it quickly became popular. Eventually, he found himself in demand for furniture design work from other furniture makers, and within three years, he had become very successful at it. After many more years of designing chairs and experimenting with different styles, Asa created a standardized style for all furniture manufacturers to follow; this would come to be known as Shaker style. His success allowed him to expand on his work and soon there were many manufacturers offering their own versions of this style or trying their hand at designing their own. The most famous of these would have been John W Beardsley who is credited with having designed over 100 pieces of furniture using Shaker style techniques during his lifetime.

 

Types of Shaker Doors and Tabletops

Shaker style doors are known for their use of pin hinges, which allow them to be opened and closed without the need for a key. It is a very simple system of locking that can be opened and closed by simply lifting or pushing a latch. There are two types of doors: those that are hinged in the middle (one on each side) and those that are hinged on one side only. The latter type is used more often in Shaker furniture because it allows for easier access to lockers and cupboards underneath. In order to build these types of doors, you will need to have fixed panels made out of wood with mortises cut into them. Pin hinges will then be installed on each side of the door and through these mortises the door will be connected to either a post at the top or bottom of the door frame depending on whether it is being attached to a cabinet or locker respectively. The other popular type of door-type found in Shaker furniture is one where they do not use pin hinges but instead use mortise locks similar to what you would find on traditional doors today. This design enables users to lock their door by turning a key in a lock at the center or left side of the door. These were designed as an alternative when people didn’t have keys to get into their cabinets so they wouldn’t have to go through all the trouble of opening up their uncomfortable, high-pitched doors every time they wanted to eat something

 

How to Identify a Shaker Door or Tabletop

A good way to identify a Shaker door or tabletop is by looking at the hinges. A Shaker hinge is square with rounded corners and it fits into a mortise in the door or top. The mortise is formed when two rectangular rails are glued together and they are fitted into a tenon on the edge of the door. The rail that sits outside of the tenon on top is then cut flush with the wood so that it’s square, with one hand-cut corner shaved off. When you look at this square corner, you can see why we call this style Shaker style; it’s very geometric and uniformed. Other identifying features of Shaker doors include their rounded tops and feet, which are finished to mimic an English dovetail joint. On a typical Shaker chest drawer, for example, there will be a round drawer front with box sides, each made from multiple boards glued together; these are attached to the drawer back by dovetails. The sides are then finished off with two horizontal rails below each dovetail line and two more above them — all four rails that run across the width of the drawer front being joined at the corners by hand-cut wedges called “cheeks.”

 

Different Styles of Shaker Doors

There are several different styles of Shakers doors, some of which you might have seen in various homes. These styles include: – Classic – Mountain – English – New England – Plain – Old Federal

 

Hepplewhite Style

Hepplewhite style is a nickname given to the design and construction techniques used by American furniture manufacturers Asa Hepplewhite and others in the 18th century. The name “Hepplewhite” comes from the fact that Asa Hepplewhite’s workshop was located in Charleston, South Carolina and as such he often worked at one of the two workbenches he had up there. Just like his partner Shaker, Asa Hepplewhite would hear noises from above him during his work so he got this nickname too.

 

Why Does it Cost More to Build Shaker Doors?

Shaker doors are constructed using mortise and tenon joinery. This type of construction can make the door expensive to build, as the mortise and tenon joints must be made with great precision for it to work properly. The wood most often used for this style is a combination of white pine and oak which can be harder to cut than other woods like red oak or maple. Shaker style doors are very heavy, which means if you’re building one that’s over five feet tall, it will be difficult for even an experienced carpenter to lift without the help of machinery. Another reason why Shaker doors cost more to build is because they’re built from large pieces of lumber rather than smaller pieces like standard doors. Nowadays when we think of Shaker style, what comes to mind is a door with a distinctive vertical grain side panel that has an arched top edge. But there are actually many different styles of Shaker doors including plain ones with no design at all, ones that have intricate designs in reliefs around their edges, ones with diamond-shaped or ogee-style panels, and others that use triangular or hexagonal panels. These different styles are sometimes referred to as “styles” but there isn’t one definitive style or look associated with the word “style.”

 

Conclusion

Shaker style is a type of architectural style that uses geometric, asymmetrical design and utilitarianism to achieve a simple, functional look. It became popular in the 1800’s and has since evolved into a more ornamental style. Shaker style doors are typically made from wood but are also sometimes made from metal or brick. The style is often associated with colonial American furniture. Over time, Shaker style became en vogue and was incorporated into different types of furniture and other household items. The style is still popular today and is a great option for those looking for a distinctive look.

 

Hollywood California, Kitchen & bath remodel

If you’re looking for a kitchen remodeling provider, you’ve come to the right place. Choice Granite & Kitchen Cabinets is certified by the NKBA, CSLB, and BBB. Our team of designers and remodeling experts will help you design the kitchen or bathroom of your dreams. In addition, our professional staff will advise you about each element of your new space, from flooring and appliances to kitchen cabinets and countertops.

 

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