Shaker Design

The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers, was an American Protestant sect of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In their attempts to separate themselves from the outside world and create a heaven on earth, members grew their own food, constructed their own buildings and manufactured their own tools and household furnishings under the guiding principles of honesty, utility and simplicity. Furniture makers focused on form and proportion, rejecting excessive ornament but works were painted or stained to protect the wood and to make them more attractive. Colours were strictly regulated and monochromatic treatments were preferred. Shaker furniture and household object design is renowned for its functional yet elegant design and unstinting quality.