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aran04

Need Help: Raised Panel vs Shaker for White Kitchen Cabinet

aran04
9 years ago
I need to choose between Shaker vs Raised panell Styles for Kitchen Cabinets. The kitchen layout is very similar to the photo. In the photo, shaker is selected, but I have a choice to select either, shaker or raised. All the doors in the house are raised.

Can you please give your advice on which cabinet style looks better - shaker or raised. The raised panel sample is also in the picture, next to microwave gap for reference.

The knobs are going to be round, kitchen counter will be giallo ornamental, floor is going to be wood, The pictures are attached.

Please Help!!

Thanks!

Comments (41)

  • apple_pie_order
    9 years ago
    Photos of the two doors?
    aran04 thanked apple_pie_order
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    The door choice is only raised panel.and is exactly the same as shown in the picture.
  • anne dee
    9 years ago
    The raised panel coordinates with the door if that makes a difference to you.
    aran04 thanked anne dee
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    Yes, I thought so too. However, I am a bit hesitant because raised looks a bit traditional and may make the kitchen look heavy. Also, shaker seems to be in so much style now, I am afraid the kitchen may look dated.
  • zazfuzzroc
    9 years ago
    I'll pick shaker! :)
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    ok, that's a tie :). Its the same in my home too.

    I see a bit of conflict between the raised panel door and the shaker cabinet door. Not able to decide if it is minor or major.

    Shaker seems too light and raised may be too heavy but raised blends in with the door style better.
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    The raised panel does echo the door nicely. I personally would go with the shaker, but you should only do that if you lean toward clean lines and a more contemporary aesthetic. Don't pick a door based on what's in style.
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • zazfuzzroc
    9 years ago
    I just said shaker, because I have raised and really like the shaker doors now. I think it gives you more design options. My next kitchen I think will be shaker. Good luck, enjoy your new kitchen, no matter what you choose. :)
    aran04 thanked zazfuzzroc
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago
    I am new to shaker style and have raised panel in my current home. The first time I looked at shaker cabinet door I didn't like it. It looked too plain and boring to me and raised looked more artistic to me. But I am beginning to like both now.

    I have another decision to make. Here is the link: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/urgent-please-help-cream-tile-or-white-tile-dsvw-vd~1289953

    If possible, please give your suggestion there too. Thanks.
  • intown123
    9 years ago
    I prefer shaker as it is more versatile in terms of switching up your style. It would not bother me that the doors are raised panel. You often see more modern kitchens against traditional backdrops and the shaker can still go traditional anyway.
    aran04 thanked intown123
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    Is the floor's wood color choice and granite color(gaillo ornamental) okay? Small samples are attached as pictures.

    Do you think they will all blend well with white cabinets?

    The appliances would be all steel.
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    This is picky, but the wood color seems a little pinkish to me. I think the granite will work well with the white cabinets.
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    The only wood picture that I see is at the very top of the dilemma.
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    There's a "help" section under the "about houzz" tab. Try posting the picture again and see what happens.
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago
    stryker, Do you see it now?

    I have attached real pictures of our wood sample. It is called Camino but I am not sure if that is a standard name in the industry.

    The previous picture I just took off from the web, it looked similar to the wood sample I have, you can ignore that one.

    Does it look better or worse? I still have the flexibility to change it.

    If you have some other wood color or floor tile in mind, please do share
  • sandradclark
    9 years ago
    Sometimes color is very different from one's PC to another. I prefer the Shaker and I think all choices you made are great. Are you doing a backsplash?
    aran04 thanked sandradclark
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    The kitchen comes with a standard 6" inch backsplash through out the kitchen, and a full backsplash behind the stove.

    Also, the kitchen has a huge granite island. I have attached sample pictures (not my home, but it has the same design).

    I have a choice of covering the entire wall with granite backspash but I am not sure if I should extend the backsplash any further as it may become too overwhelming.

    The choices for granite are Gaillo Ornamental, Santa Cecilia and New Venetian Gold. I am leaning towards Gailo Ornamental, but am open to the other two. They are all good for me.

    Which granite would you choose? And would you do a full backsplash or just leave as is?
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    You may have to hover over the picture in the previous post to make it big. Can you see it?
  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    9 years ago
    I think one of the things you need to consider as well is your layout, specifically the door sizes.... you can't compare a small 12 x 12 door sample to a kitchen of full sized shaker doors... I have found that if you have tall wides doors in the shaker , they can look plain because the center panel is now so big, while the opposite is true for a raised panel - if the doors are too narrow, the raised panel will look much busier....
    I agree with everyone else - do worry about "trends" go with the one you like the best....
    Good luck and enjoy your new kitchen!
    aran04 thanked Debbi Washburn
  • PRO
    City Cabinet Center
    9 years ago
    It really depends on the look you want. The raised panel is going to have a more traditional look and feel. If you're worried about it looking to heavy, pick a simple raised panel doorstyle, which should aid in a more transitional appearance. I wouldn't let the fact that shaker is popular right now deter you, as it a classic doorstyle and timeless.
    aran04 thanked City Cabinet Center
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago
    Forgot to mention that in the completed kitchen picture above, it is not showing the pantry door which is raised panel. That door would be on the top right corner of the top picture of the completely furnished kitchen, if included. The pantry door is right along the stove side but it is cut off.

    The raised panel door for that pantry is exactly the same as in my first picture, but that kitchen is a different design than mine. The furnished kitchen picture is the exact same design as mine.
  • wendykommany
    9 years ago
    We will be redoing our kitchen in a few months God willing, and i have already decided to go with shaker, I think it is much more versatile than a traditional raised panel... I am more of a traditional style person but like to mix up a little bit of modern so shaker allows me to go both ways without any problems, now I did not chose shaker because it is trendy but because it meets my needs, that is what should determine which one you pick...
    aran04 thanked wendykommany
  • User
    9 years ago
    If you are on the fence with both of them, go with the raised panel. I say this because of the pantry door and the entrance door which do not blend with shaker and would be quite expensive to replace. And, if you replace those doors, you pretty much have to carry the look through the house. If the cabinets were wood the difference wouldn't be so noticable.
    aran04 thanked User
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, aran. The floor looks good. Granite looks good. I don't know if it will look weird to have the pantry door be raised panel and everything else be shaker. Can you show us a picture of this? With regard to the backsplash, I personally hate it when the granite or quartz goes a few inches up the wall. That's what I have and I don't like it at all, because if you then want tile up to the bottom of the cabinets, it looks like an add on, which it is, or you have to have paint only bridge the gap. See if you can get them to let you tile the whole thing from the get go.
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    stryker, I have attached a sample picture of my would-be kitchen.. Please hover over the picture to enlarge it.

    The pantry door(not shown) is to the right end of the upper picture, along the same side as the stove. You may use the floor plan to see the exact location which I have also attached..

    The raised panel cabinet door is very simple. Sorry, I don't have a picture of the raised panel cabinet door but I have seen it.

    The pantry door style is exactly like the one shown in the picture in my very first post.
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    Not to throw too many variables in here...but I like this unpainted wood. Too dark for you? Normally, I'm not so much into raised panel or the country kitchen look (unless it's totally in keeping with the person or the setting). Here it looks good and has a fresh contemporary feel, and again, raised panel might be more consistent stylistically with other fixed elements in your house. Did you see my comment on the partial backsplash?
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago
    You mean the wood shown in the sample picture? . I usually like very light wood say beech, and that too with not too much grain showing and minimal color variation. I don't mind a very dark wood color either, but I don't like in between wood colors as shown in this kitchen too much. Either light or very dark, with preference to light wood.

    For the backsplash, the standard 6" backsplash and the backsplash behind the counter is included. I have the option to make it a complete full backsplash which means makes it all granite behind the counter up to the cabinets. I don't know if that will be too much granite as there is already a big island of granite. I have some more time to decide on that one so I am not thinking about that choice too much right now.. These other things need decision right away.

    So you like the raised panel here or do you still prefer shaker? There are lots of doors in this house and bathrooms and kitchen pantry door are right by the kitchen and bathroom cabinets.. But I can see if I go with shaker, the doors will provide a slight contrast and the whole setup may look light and fresh. Generally, I like things light and consistent.
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    I'm surprising myself, but I think you should go with raised panel. I know this is in contradiction to my earlier opinion. Having consistent style through the house will make it look planned and intentional. I mean, it's ok and at times desirable to mix styles, but it seems wrong to me in your case to have a new build look like it's had its kitchen renovated! I showed your options to my husband, who is definitely more inclined toward a modern aesthetic, and he also strongly favored the raised panel.

    Take a look at anne dee's picture up there. That's a pretty kitchen. It has raised panel but doesn't look fuddy duddy. Some things that are helping it look crisp are that the granite does not have fancy profile edge. It's simple. The darker granite and the cool tone of the backsplash contribute to the freshness of the white cabinets. And it is nice to have the island in unpainted wood as a break from the white.

    If you go unpainted wood, I think darker would be better considering your floor color. Two pales that don't match won't look good. You'll need some contrast there. I haven't figured out why, but it always strikes me as wrong when cabinets are lighter toned wood than the floor.

    So your options for backsplash are 6" of granite vs granite all the way up? See if they will do something else. I agree granite all the way up might be too much, unless they offer an option that has minimal activity. I guess if I had to choose between granite all the way up, or just 6" of it, I'd go all the way. Tile sure would be nicer though.
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago
    Thanks stryker for your advice. I am also slightly leaning towards raised panel too , though shaker looks beautiful too because of its simple design. The more I look at shaker panels now, the heavier raised panel looks. Just wasn't sure of the visual disconnect of shaker cabinet with the raised panel door right by it.

    What do you mean by unpainted wood? I don't really know what that is.

    For the backsplash, I have to pay extra to get granite all the way up, only 6" is included in the home. If I go all tile for backsplash, I will have to pay extra too and also let go of the standard 6" granite offer. Not sure if that's such a good idea financially to not use the standard granite backsplash offer.

    Also, I am not sure how much work cleaning up tiles would be - the ones I saw had lots of grout lines in between. Granite seems easier to clean compared to tiles, but I may be wrong.

    Did you see my question on the 'Cream White or White Tile'. Does cream in the other bathrooms(walk - in shower) look clearly better to you than the white? Both tiles don't look too attractive to me - so, knowing others like one better than the other helps. That way I have a higher chance of making a safe choice.I am leaning towards cream because it is similar color in master bath so there is some uniformity , but if cream looks terrible to most people I am fine doing white too.

    Thanks a lot for your help.
  • des1gnchick
    9 years ago
    I would go shaker for kitchen and white in bathrooms. Cleaner lighter and less fussy. I think shaker works great with door b/c it echoes door but is lighter. Never been a fan of cream - it can look dirty or pinkish if there is any white around, and white towels r my go to b/c you can bleach them :)
    aran04 thanked des1gnchick
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    When i said unpainted wood I just meant stained, as opposed to painted white.
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    I think if you don't tile that backsplash you'll regret it.
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    Thanks for letting me know, stryker. I did observe that most buyers were taking tile and found it odd that they were letting go of the included standard granite backsplash offer and spending extra money to do tile.

    Luckily, I have a bit more time to think on that one. Tiles are totally new to me, so I need to study them more.

    I assumed that since granite has a smooth surface, it would be much more easy to clean it rather than tile which have so many grout lines in between.
  • stryker
    9 years ago
    Yes it would be easier to clean. If you have only the 6" though, like I do, then you have paint above that, which is less easy to clean. If you seal the grout and have smooth tile it shouldn't be much of an issue. The only place it's going to see much dirty action is behind the stove. It's good that you have time to think.
    aran04 thanked stryker
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    The offer includes full granite backs plash on the entire wall behind the stove and the 6" back splash every where else. So the wall behind the stove is totally covered with granite.
    May be a little extra on the sides would have been nice too, because when I cook, there is always some spill/splatter going on the sides of the stove wall too, but the major one- wall behind the stove is covered.

    There is not much uncovered wall remaining after this, and to cover that they are asking $1500. So, if we take it, it will be only for looks because I feel functionality wise it is pretty much covered.

    I am not sure if the looks are worth that much price, but I will have to look into this further. I did see most people covering up the back with tiles or full granite all the way through and that seems to be the strongest reason for getting it so far.
  • PRO
    Sustainable Dwellings
    9 years ago
    Shaker is very timeless. Most raised panel cabinets tend to look very dated.
    aran04 thanked Sustainable Dwellings
  • PRO
    ReMax - Lisa
    9 years ago
    I've had both - I like the look of both but prefer raised panel for cleaning. I hated the little ledge that collected dust in the corners of the Shaker ones
    aran04 thanked ReMax - Lisa
  • Sheryl Horton
    9 years ago
    You do not have to match your cabinet door to your doors!
    Although we display & have many different raised panel cabinet doors in our showroom, I haven't had a request for raised panel cabinet doors in years except for an historic home. Buy what you like, but there is a strong preference for shaker doors. It is a classic style that can go both traditional & contemporary based on hardware, tile, accessories, & flooring.

    I would strongly suggest the lever type door handles instead of the one shown. They are easier for everyone to open.
    aran04 thanked Sheryl Horton
  • PRO
    lisa furey interiors
    9 years ago
    Might I suggest doing raised on the island and shaker on the perimeter? The cabinetry does not all have to match - and then you don't have to choose! I am not sure what is going on with the door knobs but the back plate or escutcheon is very large for the size of the actual knob - not sure if it is just the photo or how they really look - if they really look like this I would avoid altogether and reselect.
    aran04 thanked lisa furey interiors
  • aran04
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago
    Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

    Sheryl, the door handles are not put in yet, neither the cabinet handles. So, it looks weird right now because they are all missing, and you only see holes. But it will be the standard level type door handles when they put it in. :)
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