Shaker panel joinery for every home
Shaker style joinery originated in America in the 18th Century and has since evolved to be a staple detail in Australian homes. Shaker profiles are a type of joinery profile characterised by a central panel surrounded by a raised rectangular frame. All of our projects featured shaker style joinery; it’s a classic design and, as you’ll read below, is versatile for all styles of homes. There are a lot of different size options and details, so here’s information to help you choose the best shaker profile for your project.
4mm - Cremorne House Two
A 4mm shaker profile - a profile with a 4 millimetre frame - is the smallest we design. As you can see in our Cremorne House Two kitchen, it looks super clean and modern. Due to its simplicity, it looks great paired with a statement handle like these half moon pulls from Lo & Co.
20mm - Mosman House Three
A 20mm shaker profile is another modern option, but it does have a place in more traditional homes like our Mosman House Three project. It’s a great choice if you’ve got a larger kitchen because it’s minimal without getting lost in the scale of the room. It is a really versatile profile that balances well with statement marble bench tops - holding its own while allowing other features to be celebrated.
30mm - Mosman House Four
A 30mm shaker panel toes the line between modern and traditional. It’s really versatile and can be used in many styles of homes. It’s ideal if you’ve got a smaller space, like a bathroom vanity or a small kitchen, but want a profile with a bit more visual weight to it than a 10mm or 20mm profile. This size of shaker panel is best with at least 40mm thick bench top so that the joinery feels well proportioned, like you can see here in the bathrooms at our Mosman House Four project.
40mm - West Pennant Hills House
With a 40mm profile or thicker, you will start to see the joinery take on a more traditional feel. This can be balanced out with more modern features like square bench tops profiles and arch details, like we designed in our West Pennant Hills House project, to create a timeless design. Again, with careful design consideration, it’s a versatile profile.
50mm - Roseville House
A 50mm profile is perfect if you’d like a classic look but on smaller cabinetry. It’s really important to consider proportion when designing joinery. Our Roseville House project was informed by Hampton’s style, and we added a traditional element with the layer of beading along the shaker panel, which you can read about below. You can see how the 50mm profile creates a solid and chunky joinery design, grounding the room.
55mm - Mosman House Four
We use a 55mm shaker profile in our projects often. It provides a traditional Hamptons/Plantation look which a lot of people associate with shaker panels. The key to this size of shaker profile is to ensure your cupboard and drawer fronts are big enough to still leave a decent centre panel, so you have the right proportion of frame to panel. Pairing this profile with traditional style tap ware, handles and lighting will keep your space looking cohesive. In this kitchen at Mosman House Four we added a powder coated rattan weave to the range hood panels, which you can see adds a little bit of texture and depth to this kitchen cabinetry run.
Additional Details
Beaded shaker profile
A beaded shaker panel has a small moulding, usually 10mm, running along the perimeter of the profile. It looks really great on thicker profiles to add a bit more of a traditional look to the joinery. It softens the shaker panel to add an extra bit of elegance and charm into your home. You can also swap out the traditional recessed frame and choose a flat panel with a beading on top , creating subtle dimension to otherwise a flat panel, like you can see on the right on the wardrobe doors.
Mesh inlay panel
Mesh inlay panels are one of our signature details. They allow us to conceal appliances like washing machines and bar fridges whilst still allowing for the ventilation these appliances require. The key to pulling off this look is to get the mesh powder coated in the same colour as the joinery. Like all little extra details, this is an extra cost but it’s one that our clients agree with time and time again due to how much it elevates the design of a room.
VJ Panel
Adding a VJ detail (also called V-groove) in the panel of the shaker profile is a really effective way to add additional texture into a room. It’s perfect for a project aiming for a coastal or farmhouse style, and gives the joinery a more casual look. You can see this featured here in our Cammeray House mudroom joinery and Pymble House kitchen island.
