History of the Traditional Kitchen

Traditional kitchens are very much classy, elegant and stand the test of time. They date back to a time when quality and class were a priority, making them a warm and homely place where you could lose yourself in for a good few hours. In this blog, we will look at the history of the traditional shaker and how it is used in today’s home. We have a number of projects that feature our traditional shaker design.

A traditional style offers a sophisticated decoration that might just be up your street, and here at Nicholas Bridger, we can design the ultimate handmade kitchen that’s traditional and suits all your needs as well as be the multi-functional space that today’s kitchens are designed for.

People consider the traditional style in a few ways… they often think… that the traditional style is made up of natural wood, painted wood, a shaker kitchen or an elegant Edwardian and an opulent Victorian kitchen.

The traditional kitchens of today have doors that are set within a frame (in-frame). The kitchens from the 1970s and 80s had doors covering the whole frontage of the cabinet or carcase. Kitchens as a whole today have become the main hub of the home to focus on family life, implement modern appliances and luxury materials for worktops, islands and flooring.

Winchmore Hill Project

The project we created in Winchmore Hill features our exquisite traditional shaker style which has been pushed to the limit within this large open-plan kitchen. All of the doors and end panels feature the raised and fielded panels, which give such a luxurious and high-end look to the kitchen, while the drawers feature a flat front panel, making this a unique combination.

It features a two-tone colour scheme with Cornforth White hand-painted on the main kitchen runs and Plummet being used on the island, both paints from Farrow & Ball.

We also added award-winning cooking appliances specified by our client. Wolf Range Top, Wolf Convection Steam Oven, Wolf M-Series Professional Built-in Oven and the Wolf Warming Drawer.

Our traditional shaker style kitchens feature a luxurious raised and fielded door and drawer panel. You can choose whether the doors and drawers are deep-set or raised. This is for those who prefer an opulent, timeless and bold look – much like the Devine collection available from Tom Howley.

Each and every one of our bespoke kitchens are designed specifically to your requirements, combine elements from our different kitchen styles to create your dream kitchen.

The carcasses within are traditionally made from your choice of Oak, Venner, solid Pine, solid Oak, Walnut veneer or Birch ply all using dovetail joints. The doors use mortice and tenon joints and can be specified with soft-close hinges or traditional butt hinges. Our dovetailed drawer boxes use the dovetail joint and are on Grass soft-close runners.

We have been designing beautiful kitchens for discerning clients for two decades, matching them to fit perfectly within their lifestyles.

Bobbingworth Project

This divine project we hand-built in Bobbingworth is the traditional shaker style designed in a complex space to ensure it stayed within the boundaries of the Grade II listed status of the property. A number of the kitchen furniture have been built into the walls to expand the usable kitchen space and storage.

The traditional bead has been added to the recessed panel on the doors with a 6-panel pantry visible at the back of the kitchen. We hand-painted the kitchen in a two-tone colour scheme with paints from Farrow & Ball. The sink and cooking area is Railings and the rest of the kitchen is Dove Tale.

Cuffley Project

The project we produced for our client in Cuffley features our traditional style with raised and fielded door panels making it a luxurious look and a more popular style. For a more original look, our client opted for flat-fronted drawers to complement the raised panel doors.

The furniture has been hand-painted in Charleston Grey by Farrow and Ball to accentuate the warm and luxury vibe, which the Carrara style quartz worktops also add to.

Potters Bar Project

The project we designed in Potters Bar is our traditional shaker with an exquisite bespoke raised and fielded door panel set into an in-frame carcass. The carcasses have been built using an oak veneer and a tulipwood front frame, completely bespoke and built to fit the space perfectly.

We used layers of grey to create a cohesive feel. Blackened was used on the main part of the kitchen and the utility room with Down Pipe hand-painted on to the island to create an instant impact. Both colours are from Farrow & Ball.

Ongar Project

The kitchen design we created in Ongar features luxurious blue hand-painted units with an in-frame featuring raised and fielded doors and drawers set into a cock beaded front frame.

Our client only wanted drawers and doors as base units, meaning no wall units and making the space feel larger than it is. It has been hand-painted in the popular Railings by Farrow & Ball.

Chelmsford Project

We created this traditional shaker in a country style kitchen with a modern twist. Our client customised the look at every last detail. The kitchen features tongue and groove doors, stainless steel Belfast sink, hand-forged hinges and handles, integrated dishwasher, two integrated fridge freezers, bespoke beech chopping boards and a dog bed area.

This kitchen certainly oozes a rustic charm, combined with the homeowner’s individual taste to create a beautiful kitchen perfect for any home in the country or suburbs.

Contact us today at Nicholas Bridger to discuss your requirements on creating a Traditional shaker style that will appeal to anyone who appreciates fine English cabinetry and an understated style. We look forward to hearing from you.