Advantages:
- Durable
- Naturally beautiful with clean/simple lines
- Blends with any design and style
- No nails or glue are used at the joints
Disadvantages:
- May have to use custom designed hardware to match your design
DETAILS on Kitchen Cabinets:
The Shakers were a very religious group who relied on simplicity and durability in their designs. They worked until their cabinets were fully functional and did not worry about extravagant designs. The simplicity of their designs still shows through today. All Shaker furniture is naturally beautiful with very clean and simple lines. That simplicity allows it to blend well with other styles. Originally, Shaker cabinets may have been painted in blue tones or stained yellow. With these cabinets, you are not forced to stick with traditional finishes like brown and red.
Shaker cabinets are versatile and can blend with traditional, contemporary or authentic designs. No matter what your design, Shaker cabinets can be made with woods known for their durability and natural beauty, like oak, cherry, and maple. To prove the durability of Shaker cabinets, look at their joints. Instead of using nails or glue, Shaker joints are dovetailed, meaning they're formed by interlocking tenons (projections) and mortises (cavities). These dovetailed joints allow the wood to expand and contract naturally and simultaneously.
GREEN Considerations:
If you are considering Shaker cabinets to completely remodel your kitchen, do not fall into the habit of thinking everything has to be brand new. Are you simply updating your existing Shaker cabinetry? Good! Can any of it be reused? Even better.
Before purchasing everything that will go into your new kitchen, check to see if you can reuse existing parts from your current kitchen. With all of the options for manufacturing Shaker cabinets, finding new materials to match the existing should not be a problem. By reusing what you currently have in your kitchen, no matter how much or how little, will save a lot of time, wood, and money.
For the new fixtures you are purchasing, make sure to use FSC-certified or reclaimed wood. A Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification guarantees that wood is grown and harvested in a sustainable manner. Many companies also use reclaimed wood, meaning they use salvaged wood to produce beautiful products.
Columbia Forest Products is the largest manufacturer of hardwood plywood in North America. They have transformed their business to supply only formaldehyde-free products, an extremely beneficial factor for the environment, as well as your home. Checking to be sure that the products you are placing in your home are manufactured and sold in eco-friendly ways is half the battle of keeping your home environmentally-friendly.
