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UK Family Business
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Free Delivery Over £80
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Next Day Delivery
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UK Family Business
Free Delivery Over £80
Next Day Delivery
Trade Discounts
You may have heard the term “Shaker kitchen” before, as it’s often a cornerstone of kitchen design showrooms. The traditional Shaker door is defined by a flat central panel and four piece frame, and is a simple and timeless design that has appeared across centuries, defying trends and changes in fashion. It’s easy to see why – understated, versatile and able to transition between spaces and designs, it’s a true classic.
A “Skinny Shaker” is exactly what it sounds like; a slimmed-down version of the traditional design, emphasising elegance, clean lines, and clever use of space. Reducing the width of the frame makes the classic ever more relevant, being thoroughly at home in modern floorplans and open-plan living spaces. By narrowing the frame, the Skinny Shaker achieves a sleeker, more contemporary silhouette. It retains the comforting, sturdy feel of a traditional kitchen but sheds the bulk, making it feel current and effortlessly stylish.
Many newer-built houses and city centre flats tend to feature open-plan living and smaller, more integrated kitchen spaces. The clean lines and reduced visual weight of the Skinny Shaker prevent the cabinetry from overwhelming the room, as well as quite literally fitting more kitchen into less space, with more storage and less wasted area. Skinnier cabinets feel lighter and less intrusive, making the style perfect for blending seamlessly into your living area. Height is your friend here too, as what a Skinny Shaker cabinet lacks in breadth, it makes up for in height, providing plenty of storage space.
The design’s flat surface area and use of natural materials makes them perfect candidates for painting. The slightly reduced surface area also means you can go for bolder, stronger colours without overwhelming your space, including flat matt finishes. Despite its elegant look, the design is inherently practical and hardwearing, with few ornate edges to catch or show damage. It’s easy to clean and is simple and unfussy in appearance. It’s perfect for messy family life, or for busy professionals who want a crisp finish without too much maintenance.
The Skinny Shaker occupies a sweet spot between the ultra-minimalist slab door and the traditional, chunky Shaker. It sits in a niche that still has charisma and style, appealing to those who find handleless designs too stark, but want to move away from overly ornate styles. It’s adaptable to a wide range of budgets and can be achieved very successfully in a range of “normal” homes – so many styles look great in a design magazine but fall short in use, this is not the case here! You don’t need a grand space to make it feel complete, with the impact coming through quality materials and clean lines. The design is neutral enough to work with a wide variety of flourishes, but has enough charisma to stand on its own.
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for the style’s popularity, and one that is very much relevant to our interests, is how well it pairs with hardware. The understated skinny frame allows for bold brass handles, textured knobs or statement modern styles to become the focal point. The very simplicity of the style gives you incredible versatility, allowing you to express your space’s individuality with bolder details and a freer hand.
If we had our way, we’d steer you towards this sort of unadorned door, just right for decorating with your choice of handles or knobs. It is, after all, our stock in trade! A Skinny Shaker kitchen is an achievable style for almost any home and even on the tightest of budgets. Utilising quality materials, clean lines, and perfectly chosen hardware, it’s a style that can be at home almost anywhere. It may be in fashion in 2026, but you can be sure that your new kitchen setup will last well into the future.
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