The classic panelled door, made properly.
Shaker kitchens in Manchester and Cheshire
What makes a kitchen shaker
A shaker door is made from five pieces: a flat centre panel set inside a plain square frame. It has been around for a very long time, and it has lasted because it's simple enough to suit almost any house. Paint it soft white and the room feels light and classic. Paint the same door deep green or charcoal and it looks confident and thoroughly modern.
Two ways to build a shaker kitchen
You can have a shaker kitchen made in a factory in Germany or the Netherlands, or handmade by joiners in Manchester. Both give you the classic door. The difference is in how the cabinets are built, how far the design can bend around your room and which colours you can choose. Your designer will show you both in the showroom and explain where each one makes sense.
Factory-made
Schüller and Keller both make shaker doors, built on the same precision cabinets as the rest of their ranges and finished in the brand's own colours. Keller even created a custom colour for a couple in Prestwich, and it's now available to every Keller customer.
Handmade
Suga Handmade is our own range, made by joiners in Manchester. The cabinetry is built to the exact measurements of your room and painted by hand, so it suits alcoves, chimney breasts and anyone who wants a colour of their own.
Why the lines matter on a shaker door
A shaker door draws the eye to its frame and to the gaps around it, so a run of doors that drifts with a sloping floor or a leaning wall is easy to spot. Our 40-point check measures the walls, floors and ceiling heights in your room before anything is ordered. The design allows for them, and every frame lines up with the next once it's fitted.
The brands we use for shaker kitchens
Three of our four brands build shaker kitchens. Schüller and Keller suit you if you want factory-built cabinets and a wide choice of finishes. Suga Handmade suits rooms that need cabinetry built around them, and anyone who wants their kitchen painted by hand. Whichever brand you choose, the design brief, the two surveys and the installation by our fitters work in exactly the same way.
Schüller
Shaker doors in a wide range of colours, including the warm white Seashell we fitted in Prestwich and the forest green Newport, which pairs shaker panels with a handleless rail.
Explore Schüller
Keller
Made to order in the Netherlands and known for calm, muted tones. Our Prestwich kosher kitchen is a Keller shaker in deep charcoal, with integrated handles.
Explore Keller
Suga Handmade
Our own range, handmade by joiners in Manchester. Dovetail-jointed, hand-painted and built to the exact measurements of your room.
Explore Suga Handmade
Choosing a colour for your shaker kitchen
Colour does most of the work in a shaker kitchen. Our Heaton Moor clients wanted it bright and warm, so we paired crisp white runs with a sage green island. In Bowdon, dark heritage paint is balanced by lighter base units, and in Ashton on Mersey olive green runs right up to the ceiling. Bring a photo of anything you love and we'll hold the samples up beside it.
Shaker kitchens we've designed and installed
Every one of these was designed in our showroom, surveyed twice and installed by our fitters. Open a project to see the colours, worktops and appliances we chose, and what each household asked us for.
Green and white shaker kitchen in Heaton Moor
A bright two-tone shaker kitchen with a sage green island, for a client who wanted warmth and plenty of character.
See the project: Green and white shaker kitchen in Heaton Moor
Light and dark shaker kitchen with a range cooker in Bowdon
Dark heritage-painted units and lighter base units around a Falcon range cooker give this shaker kitchen a confident, traditional feel.
See the project: Light and dark shaker kitchen with a range cooker in Bowdon
Light shaker kitchen-diner in Levenshulme
Traditional white shaker cabinetry balanced by modern appliances in a light, welcoming kitchen-diner.
See the project: Light shaker kitchen-diner in Levenshulme
Seashell shaker kitchen by Schüller in Prestwich
Schüller shaker doors in a warm Seashell white, with a Wilde and Sons herringbone floor.
See the project: Seashell shaker kitchen by Schüller in Prestwich
Deep charcoal kosher kitchen in Prestwich
A kosher kitchen designed with a Rabbi's guidance, with separate sinks and dishwashers for milk and meat and a custom Keller door colour.
See the project: Deep charcoal kosher kitchen in Prestwich
Olive green and pearl grey double galley kitchen
Olive green units run to the ceiling along one side of this double galley, with pearl grey handleless shaker doors.
See the project: Olive green and pearl grey double galley kitchenWhat our clients say
Here's what clients have said about working with our designers and fitters.
“Lindsay took time to plan and design the kitchen with us, within our set budget. The end result was even better than we expected.”
“Patient, helpful and attentive to every little detail. Lindsay truly listened to what we wanted and guided us through the whole process.”
“A comprehensive site survey from Danil, and Gary installed the kitchen with great care and expertise. We love our new kitchen.”
Questions about shaker kitchens
See all FAQsWill a shaker kitchen look dated?
Not if the colour, worktop and appliances are chosen with care. Shaker has stayed popular because the door is so plain, and the rest of the room decides whether it feels classic or modern. Our Levenshulme kitchen pairs white shaker cabinetry with modern appliances and clean detailing, and Schüller's Newport range even combines shaker panels with a handleless design.
What’s the difference between a shaker kitchen and an in-frame kitchen?
Shaker describes the door: a flat centre panel inside a square frame. In-frame describes how the cabinet is built, with the doors set inside a face frame instead of covering the cabinet edge. You can have a shaker door in-frame, as with Suga Handmade, or on a modern cabinet, as with Schüller and Keller. Your designer can show you both side by side.
How much does a Suga kitchen cost?
It depends on the size of the room, the cabinetry and the appliances you choose. Our pricing guide shows real project costs at three levels of specification, so you can set a realistic budget. For a figure for your own kitchen, book a free design appointment.
Explore other styles
Handleless
Long, unbroken lines and German engineering you can feel every time a drawer closes.
Explore handleless kitchens
Contemporary
Ceramic, glass, veneer and confident colour for rooms that need to make a statement.
Explore contemporary kitchens
Traditional
In-frame cabinetry, handmade to the exact measurements of your room.
Explore traditional kitchensStart whenever you're ready
Pick whichever suits you best. Whichever you choose, you'll be speaking to a designer who can answer your questions properly.
Book a free design appointment
Meet a designer, talk through your ideas and get a quote for your own kitchen. Choose a time → 02Download the pricing guide
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See the kitchens in person, or take the virtual tour from home. Plan your visit →Or call 0161 962 7261