What is a Shaker Door? | 9 Shaker Style Doors for Your Home

If you’re looking to upgrade your home in a way that adds both beauty and functionality to your space, a panel door is a great option to consider. By swapping out your old, hinged doors and door frames for sliding panel doors, you save an average of 10 square feet of space, and there’s nothing like the feel of the smooth, silent glide of a door on rollers. One of the hottest trends in sliding doors right now are shaker style interior doors.

9 Shaker Doors for Your Home

Classic 6 Panel Barn Door
Contemporary Panel Barn Door
Contemporary Double X Barn Door
Contemporary X Barn Door
Contemporary Z Barn Door
5 Panel Barn Door
Contemporary 3 panel Barn Door
Contemporary Single Panel Barn Door
5 Panel Mirror Barn Door

What is a shaker door? You’ve probably heard the term shaker door or shaker furniture before, but may not know what it means. A shaker style door is a flat, inset panel door framed by a square, raised edge. It gives the flat panel a recessed look. There are no other decorative features to it (such as fancy beadwork or patterned trim). The simplicity of it makes it a favorite for minimalists around the world. A shaker door is a flat panel that has a trim glued and added to at least all four edges, but will often have either more vertical, horizontal, or even diagonal trim added for extra style options. As simple as shaker doors sound, there is a surprising amount of variety—from finishes to wood types. The possibilities are endless when it comes to selecting which ones to buy and install in your home, not to mention the number of upgrades you can do with glass, acrylic, metal, or wood inserts.

A shaker door is typically made of solid wood, but you can get different inserts added to your piece to give it a customized look, such as acrylics, glass, metal, and mirrors. The trim itself doesn’t necessarily have to be plain either. A plain, single pane is the most common shaker style door, but the X and Z patterns are popular as well. The shaker style isn’t just for use on doors either—it’s also a popular option for cabinet doors, including bathroom shaker cabinet doors, a kitchen cabinet door, and kitchen drawers. Some DIY pros will even incorporate the look on dressers, using plywood, trim, wood glue, and paint to turn them into updated, modern pieces of furniture.

What are Shaker Doors Made of?
Shaker doors are made of a variety of different wood species: alder, poplar, cedar, walnut, birch, white pine, hickory, and cherry to name a few.

Professional shaker doors typically run a bit more due to the extra cost for material and the skilled labor to perfect the clean lines. You can DIY your own shaker style door, however, you definitely get what you pay for.

If you are buying a shaker door for an exterior entryway, it’s especially worth making sure that the shaker door you buy is made out of quality, real wood so that it stands the test of time.

9 Shaker Doors for Your Home
If you’re on the fence about which shaker door style would work best in your home, here are nine popular shaker doors to choose from:

1. Classic Six Panel Barn Door

One of the most popular styles is the two panel shaker door, which has two “panels” or segments of recessed center panel. This is the style most people visualize when they hear the term, and the one you will see most often used, especially in kitchen cabinetry.

However, you can’t go wrong with a six panel barn door if you want something with a little more visual detail. This door looks great paired when with clean, straight lines echoed in other elements of the home. It is more of a decorative look, so be sure to keep it as the focal point of the room.

2. Contemporary Panel Barn Door

The triple X contemporary panel barn door takes the traditional, shaker panel door and turns it on its head! It adds three vertical Xs down the length of the panel, which adds dimension and pattern to your room.

This shaker style door looks phenomenal when placed as sliding closet doors or as an entryway between the master bedroom and the master bathroom. This would also be a great piece to consider painting a fun pop of color, such as a brick red, mustard yellow, or sage green.

3. Contemporary Double X Barn Door

One of the most popular styles of shaker exterior doors is the contemporary double X barn door. The double X overlay on the door slab allows these shaker doors to double up on function and style. Our favorite application of these are on actual barns or backyard sheds, especially the oversized barn doors.

4. Contemporary X Barn Door

Another favorite for both interior doors and exterior shaker style doors is the timeless contemporary X barn door. The reason this style is popular is because it isn’t as plain as a flat panel door, but it’s not as busy as other styles, making it a happy medium to choose that will go with any style of house.

These shaker doors look exceptionally great in pairs over a closet door frame or a utility room, either as sliding track doors or bypass doors.

5. Contemporary Z Barn Door

Zs aren’t just for snoozing anymore. The tail end of the alphabet just might wind up finding its way into your home as a new raised panel door.

The contemporary Z barn door is a fun twist on the traditional shaker style, this door can make a statement on its own or as part of a pair. This style is perfect for kitchen doors—for example, heading into the pantry, laundry room, or mud room. They also go well with shaker style cabinet doors, as well as thermofoil doors in the kitchen.

6. 5 panel Barn Door

This door is made just for you—literally! With a 5 panel barn door, you get to choose what the door panel or insert panel is made of. This means you have your choice of acrylic, frosted acrylic, traditional wood, or metal. Add hardware, and you’ve got yourself a beautiful, one-of-a-kind statement piece.

Bear in mind that a five-piece door is typically only referred to as a shaker style door when the inserts are made of wood.

7. Contemporary 3 Panel Barn Door

Contemporary 3 panel barn doors are the perfect addition to any kitchen space, especially if you already have shaker kitchen cabinets. Three panel barn doors have two middle horizontal trims added to create the illusion of three different flat panels, which adds more dimension to the door.

Having the extra detail of the three panels helps break up the uniformity of the standard shaker just a bit and gives the door an extra edge to stand out while still mirroring the beautiful style of shaker cabinets or drawer fronts. You can further customize it by choosing from a variety of hardware to complement the look.

8. Contemporary Single Panel Barn Door

There are some things in life that are perfect as is, and a single panel shaker door is one of them. The simplicity and beauty of the clean, straight lines leaves plenty of room to dress it up or down—including the door itself and the decor around it. If you’re going with a single panel shaker door, we’re guessing it’ll fit right into your contemporary, modern lifestyle as-is. Sometimes less really is more.

Contemporary single panel barn doors can also be a budget-friendly option, as there is less material and less time needed to build the door. Consider buying a plain one and adding paint it to fit your color scheme, or go for a classic, timeless white to compliment any room.

9. 5 Panel Mirror Barn Door

One of the best design hacks to enlarge a small space is to utilize mirrors, and the 5 panel mirror barn door definitely doesn’t disappoint. If you have a smaller bedroom, for example, swapping these in place of your hinged closet doors can help make the room feel bigger. The mirrors brighten the space by reflecting the light, but they also give you a place to check your outfit each day while getting ready for work or school.

A great reason to swap to sliding doors for your bedroom doors is the amount of space you save. Bedrooms are notoriously small, and a swinging door on a hinge eats up valuable real estate. A sliding single panel shaker door will free up lots of floor space; giving you room add furniture or increase the ease of navigating the bedroom.

The 5 panel mirror barn door isn’t just for closets! You can also use it between the master bedroom and master bathroom. The living room is another location this door would excel in, with the reflection of your couch, coffee table, and other furniture making the space look more high-end.

Shaker Doors Bring Simplicity and Style to a New Level

Shaker doors may be simple, but they are far from boring. They bring a high-class element of style and sophistication to any space, creating a timeless look for many years to come.

If you want to add a classic shaker style interior door or exterior door to your home, Rustica has plenty of options to choose from. Whether you’re going for the classic and clean look or want something a little more contemporary, we’re confident we can help you find the perfect shaker door. Consult with our design team today by calling (888) 382-7210.