Guide · Door styles
Shaker, slim shaker or raised panel?
The door is most of what you see of a kitchen. Every cabinet we sell comes in one of five door styles — three with a recessed panel and two with a raised one. Here is each, photographed, with the colours it comes in.
Recessed or raised
A recessed panel door has a flat centre set back behind a frame: the shaker, the slim shaker and the stepped shaker. A raised panel door has a centre shaped so it stands proud of the frame, with a bevel round its edge: the raised centre and the traditional raised panel. Recessed reads cleaner and more current; raised reads more traditional.
| Style | Panel | Frame | Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaker | Recessed | 2½" | 15 |
| Slim shaker | Recessed | ¾" | 5 |
| Stepped shaker | Recessed | 2½" | 1 |
| Raised centre | Raised | 2½" | 4 |
| Raised panel | Raised | 2¾" | 1 |
Shaker
A five-piece door: a square frame of two stiles and two rails, round a flat panel set back behind it. Plain enough for a modern kitchen and traditional enough for an old house, which is why it's sold in more colours than any other style.
Recessed panel · 2½" frame · 15 colours from American Royal and Forevermark Cabinetry
- White ShakerAmerican Royal
- Espresso ShakerAmerican Royal
- Urban WhiteAmerican Royal
- Urban EspressoAmerican Royal
Vista WhiteForevermark Cabinetry- Ice WhiteForevermark Cabinetry
Lait GreyForevermark Cabinetry
GreystoneForevermark Cabinetry
PepperForevermark Cabinetry
Nova Light GreyForevermark Cabinetry
XTerra BlueForevermark Cabinetry
Woodland BrownForevermark Cabinetry
Homestead OakForevermark Cabinetry
Blaze BlackForevermark Cabinetry
ChampagneForevermark Cabinetry
Slim shaker
The same construction as a shaker with a much narrower frame and a shallow square step to the panel. It reads cleaner and more contemporary — close to a flat door from across the room, with a shaker's shadow line up close. Forevermark sells it as the Petit colours.
Recessed panel · ¾" frame · 5 colours from Forevermark Cabinetry
Stepped shaker
A shaker frame with a stepped inner edge before the panel, so the frame has a small profile rather than a plain square edge. A touch more detail than a shaker without becoming traditional.
Recessed panel · 2½" frame · 1 colour from Forevermark Cabinetry
Raised centre
A shaker frame round a bevelled centre field that stands proud of the frame. The raised centre catches the light, so the door looks richer than a shaker while staying simple in outline.
Raised panel · 2½" frame · 4 colours from Forevermark Cabinetry
Raised panel
The traditional door: a raised panel inside an applied moulding. The most formal of the five.
Raised panel · 2¾" frame · 1 colour from Forevermark Cabinetry
Questions
- What's the difference between recessed and raised panel doors?
- On a recessed panel door (shaker, slim shaker, stepped shaker) the centre panel sits flat, set back behind the frame. On a raised panel door the centre is shaped so it stands proud, with a bevel round its edge.
- What's the difference between shaker and slim shaker?
- Frame width. A shaker frame is about 2½" wide; a slim shaker's is about ¾", which makes the door look lighter and more modern.
- Which door style is easiest to keep clean?
- The flatter the door, the fewer places for dust: a slim shaker has the least edge, and a raised panel door the most.
- Can I change door style after designing my kitchen?
- Yes. The door comes with the finish, and in the designer you can change the finish of the whole kitchen at any time without moving a cabinet.
Read next
- American Royal vs ForevermarkThe two ranges side by side.
- Order samplesSee a finish in your own light.
- Door styles in the shopEvery collection by door style.
See it in your room.
Draw your kitchen in the free designer and switch between door styles and finishes in 3D before you order.