I think there’s a difference between an oak shaker kitchen, and a big chain oak wrapped/vinyl kitchen. Solid oak is timeless in the correct house.
I wanted solid timber, but oak was mega expensive, so we went for a pine kitchen that we have painted and stained (furniture nation in google of anybody is iterated)
I’m a big fan of getting what you like and what suits your house and making your peace with that.
Personally, I associate the oak shaker with lots of detail on the cabinets and dark granite worktops with being quite an 80s/90s look. It seems much more popular in America but our design trends are not especially aligned and the kitchen for me is where the most obvious differences are.
What period is the house? If it’s old, I would say have a look at posh kitchen manufacturers like Devol, Harvey Jones and Plain English. They have loads of pics on their websites that are great for inspiration. There’s bound to be a few oak kitchens on there and they will be styled to look both traditional but also on-trend at the same time.
You're the person living there and will be using the kitchen. If you start making design choices around what everyone else likes, then you won't get the house you want.
It would probably look out of place in a new build, but in a country house I wouldn't bat an eye and it could make it look really lovely.
Unless you're planning to sell again in the next few years you can't really know what future trends are going to be anyway (blue and green cabinets will become dated at some point), so it makes sense to have something timeless, particularly if this is what you actually want.
I design and sell kitchens, this sort of style is still quite popular with customers. Grays are going out and blues and greens are becoming the trending thing at the moment. I find shaker styles are a classic that lots of people envisage their dream kitchen to be.
If that's what you like, then that's what you should go for. A kitchen is far too big an expenditure to settle for something you're only half-hearted about... imagine the buyer's remorse!
FWIW, I don't think it's dated. Might not be cutting-edge trendy, but I wouldn't walk into this and think it was old hat either. You may even find this style sees a resurgence in popularity once people start getting bored of the greys and deep colours that are fashionable right now, and tastes shift towards more natural finishes again.
I love oak furniture and certain design elements, but a full oak (or any full wood) kitchen always looks dated to me. My opinion it'd always look better in white.
I don't think it really makes sense to be particularly responsive to trends in kitchen design. They can last so much longer than the fashion cycle that its best to think about what you want and need. Maybe the only reason it would be an issue is that depending on trends what you personally want might be less available but that's about it I would think.
I think it depends on the home. If you’re in an older country cottage then it won’t stand out but if you’re in a new build it might look a little weird.
But if you like it the don’t worry about others. If you ever want to sell a buyer could easily paint the units if they want a different colour.
I, too, think it looks dated. I put in a cream colour Shaker kitchen last year.
If you want wood perhaps a paler finish would look more modern. That said all that really matters is that you like it and enjoy working in there
It isn't the current fashion, but it doesn't mean it is dated. Slightly depends on the house as to whether it fits, but if it is what you want, it's what you want - it's your kitchen!
In my opinion it is slightly dated and the only people I know who have kitchen like this are elderly.
However if you’re getting a countryside home like you say then this is the one scenario I think can still pull this off.
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