Handcrafted wooden furniture will never go out of style. If you’re looking for a timeless trend that’s endured for hundreds of years, Shaker furniture is a wonderful addition to your home.
Still as popular as it was in the 18th century, Shaker design is all about clean lines, effortless functionality and quality that lasts. These worthy traits are a large part of this furniture’s continuing appeal. After all, in our increasingly hectic modern lives, more and more of us are yearning for practicality, longevity and simple home comforts, which is perhaps why Shaker furniture still has such a strong appeal.
Shaker style furniture is also versatile and wonderfully simplistic in its design, which means you can easily introduce it to any room, no matter what décor you have chosen. But what exactly is Shaker furniture, how did it originate, and – most importantly – how can you bring this aesthetic into your own home?
In this blog post, we’ll answer all your questions about our Shaker style bedroom furniture. Whether you’re on the hunt for a Shaker style bed frame or simply want to fill your home with high-quality pieces that are built to last, read on to find out more.
What is Shaker style bedroom furniture?
Shaker furniture was born in America in the 18th century. It takes its name from a religious movement known as the United Society of Believer in Christ’s Second Appearing, whose followers are commonly known as the Shakers.
Originally from England, the Shakers settled in the American North-east and soon became renowned for embracing a simple, devout and very hard-working lifestyle. Over the years, they also became known for their skill at handicrafts – particularly their talent for furniture-making.
This fame is rather ironic, as the Shakers had no wish for fame. In fact, everything they made was carefully designed to be as plain and functional as could be, as they considered ornamentation a sign of pride, which they deemed sinful.
The Shakers also believed that making their own furniture – and even their own houses – was a sacred act. Like prayer, crafting pieces out of wood gave them the time to focus on their religion and embrace the creative process.
Shaker style furniture is made from solid wood and built with a focus on functionality and quality. Unlike the decorative styles that were developing in France around the same time, Shaker style bedroom furniture typically features no ornamental elements. Every part of the design has a purpose, providing the perfect balance of function and form.
Hallmarks of Shaker furniture include tapered legs, clean lines, mushroom-shaped knobs on cupboards and drawers and a very simple design with no flourishes. In fact, you could go so far as to describe Shaker style furnishings as 18th century minimalist.
Because of this emphasis on simplicity and practicality, Shaker bedroom furniture is still just as relevant today as it was when it first originated. After all, elegant, sleek lines and a timeless aesthetic will never go out of fashion.
Though, of course, if you do want to add some extra flourishes and splashes of colour, Shaker style furniture is easy to personalise with our custom paint service. Use it to adapt your chosen piece to suit your individual tastes, while retaining a classically stylish backdrop.
How to bring Shaker style to your bedroom
Want to create a Shaker style bedroom? From bed frames and bedside tables to stools and chests of drawers, there are numerous ways to bring Shaker design to one of the most important rooms in your home.
1. Choose your bed frame
Your bed is the centrepiece of your bedroom and is arguably the most important piece of furniture in your home, essential for healthy sleep and a refreshed body and mind. Whatever style you’re hoping to achieve in your bedroom, we can all agree that the principles of Shaker furniture – comfort, solid construction and functionality – are crucial for an item you’ll use for around eight hours every day!
If you would like a more modern version of a Shaker bed frame, why not try one of our Edward Hopper double beds? Slatted chairs are a Shaker classic and we’ve channelled their timeless design in the slatted headboard of our Shaker style bed frame, which is extra-tall for added comfort and support.
Contrasting wonderfully with those slats, is the delicately arching panel at the foot of the bed. Combined with the Shaker-inspired tapered legs, this solid piece of furniture oozes a notable element of grace and beauty.
The bed frame is painted white for a fresh, contemporary look, without obscuring the gorgeous grain of the natural oak. That means it’s perfect for complementing a modern bedroom while also embracing the beauty of the natural world.
2. Add thoughtful storage
When it comes to interior design, perhaps one of the biggest conundrums is how to make your storage look chic. Keeping everyday items close at hand without cluttering up our bedrooms can be difficult. But thanks to the functional design of our Shaker style furniture, it’s simple.
From bedside tables with in-built storage to our space-saving chests of drawers, we thought carefully about the best storage solutions when designing our Edward Hopper range. Our solid wood pieces feature clever details such as chamfered tabletops, providing extra surface space without taking up more room on your floor.
The Edward Hopper oak dressing table (which doubles up as a handy desk) has also been designed with Shaker principles in mind. Eight deep drawers provide plenty of space for your makeup or stationery, while the high tabletop gives you more legroom than other styles on the market.
3. Take a seat
The American scholar Thomas Merton once noted: “The peculiar grace of a Shaker chair is due to the fact that it was made by someone capable of believing that an angel might come and sit on it.” The slatted chair might be the pièce de résistance of Shaker style furniture, but you can embrace the movement’s focus on function by adding any kind of comfortable seating to your bedroom.
Available in white or classic oak, the Edward Hopper dressing table stool is the ideal combination of function and form (without compromising on either). Designed to fit perfectly underneath our matching dressing table, this stool is padded for comfort and features elegantly tapered legs.
Create a beautiful bedroom with furniture.co.uk
At furniture.co.uk, we believe handcrafted furniture is the ultimate style statement. Like Shaker furniture, our pieces are created to last for generations, withstanding the wear and tear of daily life while adding beauty to your home.
Of course, we also understand that, while you may relish the Shaker aesthetic, it can be good to mix things up with a few personalised touches. With that in mind, if you would like any of our Shaker style bedroom furniture to be customised to fit your décor theme, don’t hesitate to use our unique customisation service.
Whether you want to change the colour of your furniture or add some personalised handles to a piece, we are more than happy to take care of that for you. We’ll then deliver your new Shaker style furniture to your home and place it wherever you like.
Want to find out more about our Edward Hopper range? Browse the full range online or drop us a line on 01989 763343 to have your query answered. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch.
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