We ask is the slim Shaker just a modern tweak on classic furniture, or do healthy sales suggest actual design advantages?

The Farrington, by Caple, features cross rail doors, flat cornice and pelmet, with plain and reeded plant end panels

The love affair with the Shaker in kitchen design is seemingly endless. Its versatility and timeless appeal has seen the door able to meet most (if not all) interior and furniture trends.

Quiet luxury? Painted finishes and two-tone cabinetry? Handleless? Japandi? The simple Shaker door has been able to answer the needs of designers and their consumers, looking for a choice of on-trend styles.

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However to meet this wide variety of tastes, the Shaker has seen gentle reinvention, with its latest evolution featuring slimmer stiles and rails.  Welcome to the “skinny Shaker”.

It spans frame widths from 65-75mm, with ultra-slim options now measuring 20mm and even 12mm.

“The slim Shaker trend is an organic design development, offering a new take on the traditional look with its sleek modern frame”, says designer at Crown Imperial Sophie Devonald.

Marketing manager of Callerton David Knaggs explains why the slim-framed Shaker has become so popular: “Skinny Shakers bring a fresh, contemporary twist to a beloved classic.

“The slimmer frames offer a modern look without losing the essence of the Shaker style, appealing to those who appreciate its timeless charm but want something more current.”

Skinny sales

Such has been the impact of the skinny Shaker, it has been a focus of many manufacturer portfolios and launches.

Offering a budget-friendly alternative to solid timber, LochAnna Kitchens‘ Ainsdale is a slim-framed woodgrain effect Shaker

Managing director of Daval Simon Bodsworth comments: “In the market as a whole there is an increasing variety of Shaker styles and I’ve noticed that a growing number are slim-framed.”

Uform category manager Sara Cotter explains how the company has responded to the trend: “At Uform, we have adapted to the growing interest in skinny Shaker styles by introducing a choice of finishes and price points…Our product portfolio currently has seven ranges of narrow Shaker door styles.”

And kitchen category manager Sinead Trainor says the skinny Shaker trend has also influenced the portfolio at LochAnna: “The increasing trend toward skinny Shakers has encouraged us to diversify our offerings to include a wider range of slim-framed options…

“Currrently, slim-framed Shakers constitute more than 30% of our overall Shaker offerings.”

Although the Skinny Shaker kitchens are blossoming, there is still plenty of room for sales growth.

Head of UK operations at Rotpunkt Matt Phillips comments: “Given that slim-framed Shaker styles are the new kids on the block in the world of kitchen furniture, they have not reached the market penetration of more classic offerings but the proportion is growing steadily.’

Decor variety

Sales have and will continue to be supported by the skinny Shaker’s ability to complement a variety of décor choices, including the revival of woods.

Available in 2025, Walnut joins Rotpunkt‘s Shaker-Style Smala kitchen concept, which features a 12mm frame.

Matt Phillips of Rotpunkt states: “I think there’s a great opportunity to bring a new twist to the wooden kitchen with a sleek and slender frame around the natural whorls and grain of a solid oak front”.

Whereas furniture manager at Caple Doug Haswell believes painted finishes which will further drive skinny Shaker sales, with the company offering a bespoke paint service : “While wood and wood-effect finishes are seeing a resurgence, the real demand is for painted Shaker styles.

“Painted finishes provide versatility, enabling homeowners to choose from a wide range of colours that complement any décor from bold and modern to classic and understated.”

The skinny Shaker can also be used to complement or contrast with materials and door styles.

David Knaggs of Callerton adds: “Skinny Shakers are particularly well-suited to smooth painted finishes, but we also enjoy mixing them with contrasting textures for a unique look.”

Small spaces

However, the popularity of skinny Shakers is not just about creating style-led kitchen schemes but experts state they can offer design advantages.

Crown Imperial offers a slim Shaker with a subtle step in the frame to create a statement called Verona. It is shown here in a two-tone woodgrain kitchen

They point to Shaker as leading for small spaces and being suitable for whole house styling.

Sinead Trainor of LochAnna Kitchens explains: “The skinny Shaker offers clear design advantages beyond a simple update.

“Its narrower frame adds a modern, minimalist touch to traditional Shaker kitchens, making it ideal for smaller or more compact spaces by creating the illusion of more space.”

Sara Cotter of Uform agrees: “In terms of design, the slimmer profile of the furniture can be advantageous for smaller spaces, as it helps create a sense of openness and airiness.”

Whereas Simon Bodsworth points out skinny Shakers can “elevate the feel of a kitchen living space and be effortlessly carried through to laundry rooms, second kitchens, day pantries and breakfast rooms as a universal design.”

Staying pace

But is the slim-frame door an extreme of the pendulum swing for Shaker styling?

Photo credit Darren Cheung. Callerton‘s Balham 70 door skinny Shaker in two bespoke painted finishes, with a push-to-open bi-fold appliance garage and complementary Hamilton canopy.

Will the skinny version shortly be consigned to kitchens of the past, with the return of broader frames or completely revised?

“While future design trends are always evolving, industry experts can never be truly certain which way they could progress.

“With the current popularity of skinny Shaker doors, there could be leanings towards the adaption and variation of Shakers.

“An example of this being the features and aesthetics such as a bead or a step detail to the internal profile of the frame”, explains Sara Cotter.

But ultimately, kitchen leaders believe slim framed furniture is now essential for specialist retailers.

Sinead Trainor comments: “The current preference for sleek, slim profiles suggests that the skinny Shaker will continue to be a strong design choice for the foreseeable future.”

And design manager of Symphony Josie Medved agrees, concluding: “In terms of longevity, we believe the skinny Shaker style will remain a staple in kitchen design for years to come.

“It’s ability to offer a cost-effective, classic look that appeals to a wide range of tastes and budgets ensures its lasting relevance.”

Serenity, from Omega, blends traditional with more up-to-date shaker look, with a grained finish, thinner rail and detailed beading