What is shaker style furniture

How do I identify my furniture shaker?

Shaker furniture can be identified by its round wooden knobs, tapered legs and subtle curves. These features give shaker furniture its traditional, gentle look. While maple wood also seemed to be the wood of choice for most shaker pieces, many modern versions include pine, maple, cherry or other American woods.

Why do they call them shaker cabinets?

Shaker cabinets got their name from the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing—more commonly known as Shakers . The Shakers are from Manchester in the United Kingdom, and formed after breaking away from the Quakers.

Who makes Shaker furniture?

Shaker furniture is a distinctive style of furniture developed by the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as Shakers , a religious sect that had guiding principles of simplicity, utility and honesty. Their beliefs were reflected in the well-made furniture of minimalist designs.

How do I identify an antique Shaker chair?

Some Shaker chairs have a low, single-slat wooden back, which can conveniently slide under a table or hang on a wall when they are not in use. Look for antique specialty wooden chairs with rotating seats, tilting legs or rocking legs that can also indicate an authentic Shaker design.

What does Shaker style look like?

Austere Architecture Shaker residences, called “dwelling houses,” borrowed their rectangular box design from federalist and Greek Revival architecture, but removed all traces of ornamentation—no columns, no wraparound porches, and no fancy millwork. Every element of Shaker construction was functional.

What does Mission style furniture mean?

Mission style is a design that emphasizes simple horizontal and vertical lines and flat panels that accentuate the grain of the wood (often oak, especially quartersawn white oak).

Why are Shaker cabinets so popular?

Today’s Shaker cabinets are still plain and unadorned with the simple recessed panel door. What makes this style so appealing is that the clean and unassuming door lends itself to any design style from country to ultra modern. Shaker cabinets also look great in any room, be it a kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom.

Are Shaker cabinets out of style?

While many traditional styles have fallen from favor (we’re looking at you, Colonial!), Shaker – style cabinets have only gained in popularity, thanks to their minimalist but still distinctive look.

Are Shaker style cabinets more expensive?

Costs. In most cases, Shaker doors tend to cost less than raised panel doors of similar style and design. Most cabinets are priced in several ways, the box construction, wood species, and finish all make up at least part of the cost. The labor cost for building the door then differs based on style .

Why do Amish hang chairs on the wall?

The chairs hang from 6-inch-long wooden pegs mounted to boards screwed into the wall studs. The boards are positioned so that when the chairs are hung, they don’t touch the ceiling. “It makes sense to store them this way, because it’s easier to move around and clean house when they are not in use,” Bostick explains.

Do shakers marry?

Go to the Shakers . They called themselves the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, but because of their ecstatic dancing the world called them the Shakers . The Shakers were celibate, they did not marry or bear children, yet theirs is the most enduring religious experiment in American history.

What’s the difference between Quakers and Shakers?

The Quakers , or Society of Friends, were founded in England in 1652 by George Fox. This form of worship changed in the 1740s, though it was retained by one group in Manchester, England. The “Shaking Quakers ,” or Shakers , split from mainstream Quakerism in 1747 after being heavily influenced by Camisard preaching.

Are there any shakers alive today?

Today there are two Shakers left, a man and a woman living in the last remaining Shaker village at Sabbathday Lake, Maine. The sect’s belief in celibacy has diminished their numbers, as have the principles of striving for perfection, shared possessions and communal living .

Who used Shaker chairs?

The Amish are often cited as the source of both design philosophies, although that’s not true in either case. Shaker style furniture originated from the Shaking Quakers in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s.