A shaker door is a flat panel inside a plain square framed border. No mouldings, no bevels, no ornament. That simplicity is why it sits comfortably in a Victorian terrace and in a new build, and why it has outlasted every door fashion of the last fifty years.
What makes a door shaker rather than panelled?
The frame is square edged and the panel is flat. A traditional panelled door has moulded edges and often raised panels.
Run your hand over the join between frame and panel. On a shaker door the transition is a clean step with no moulding on it. On a Victorian four panel door there is a profile there, and often the panel itself is raised.
That difference is why shaker reads as quieter. It carries the same shadow line and proportion without the ornament.
How many panels should the door have?
One, two or four, and the guide is the proportion of the door and what is already in the house.
A two panel shaker is the most common and the most forgiving. Four panel suits a taller door and an older house. A single large panel reads most modern and works best on a wide door.
Where you are only replacing some doors, match the panel count of the ones you are keeping. Mixed panel counts through one hallway is the sort of thing nobody can name but everybody notices.
What finish suits shaker doors?
Painted, almost always, and increasingly in the same colour as the walls or the architrave rather than brilliant white.
The flat panel and square frame take paint beautifully because there are no mouldings for it to build up in. That is part of why the style survives; a shaker door repainted looks new, where a heavily moulded door starts to lose its crispness after a few coats.
Painting doors the same colour as the surrounding joinery, or even the wall, makes a hallway with a lot of doors feel far calmer. See our white and painted doors page.
Can shaker doors be glazed?
Yes, with the glass set into the panel opening, and it is a good way to light a hallway without losing the style.
A shaker frame with a glazed upper panel keeps the clean square lines and borrows light from the room behind. Frosted or reeded glass gives the light without the sightline.
The glass is toughened safety glass to CE standard. Our glazed internal doors page has more on the options.
Doors carry a ten year warranty against defects.
Who our doors are for
Everything we supply is premium and made to the highest spec, and it is priced to that standard: semi-solid and solid core doors, new hardware, frames checked and replaced where needed, and a 10-year warranty on doors and windows. Quality at this level is not a budget purchase, and we would rather say so here than after you have waited for a quote. If you are working to a tight budget, we are honestly not the right fit.
Doors are usually quoted as a whole-house order, and the minimum is 5 windows or doors in any mix.
How it works
We call out, measure the space and talk through what you want. Our designers draw it in 3D so you see the finished piece in your own room, and you get one complete itemised quote. Nothing is ordered and nothing is charged until you say yes.
One team for this and the rest of the job
The same team that makes this fits it, and we also do kitchens, fitted wardrobes, internal doors and windows. If more than one thing needs doing, it is one contractor, one schedule and one point of contact rather than four. See the rest of our work.
Frequently asked questions
Do shaker doors suit an older house?
Yes. The square framed panel echoes period joinery without the ornament, which is why it sits well in both old and new.
Can you match my existing architrave?
Matching the paint colour and the proportion of the existing joinery is what makes new doors look original, and it is decided at the measure.
Prefinished or primed?
Both available. Prefinished is quicker and cleaner; primed lets you match a specific colour after hanging.
Is a shaker door more expensive than a flat one?
Usually a little, because a framed panel is more pieces than a flat slab. On a whole house the gap is smaller than people expect.
Is there a minimum order for windows and doors?
Yes. The minimum order is 5 windows or doors, in any mix: 5 windows, 5 doors, or 3 doors and 2 windows. We do not quote for one or two on their own, because the freight alone would cost more than the door or window.