Shaker vs. Slab vs. Slim Shaker: Choosing a Cabinet Door Style

Your cabinet doors are most of what people see in a kitchen, so the style you pick sets the whole look. These are the styles we make most, what makes each one different, and where each works best.

Shaker

The Shaker door is the most popular cabinet door in America for good reason. It's a simple frame of 2 1/2" stiles and rails around a flat, recessed center panel. It looks right in a farmhouse kitchen, a transitional kitchen and even a modern one, depending on the color and hardware.

Choose Shaker if: you want a timeless look that won't date, or you're matching existing Shaker cabinets.

Slab

A slab door is completely flat, with no frame and no panel. It's the cleanest, most modern look, and it puts all the attention on the color and the hardware. Slab doors are also the easiest to keep clean, with no inside corners to collect dust.

Choose Slab if: you want a modern or minimalist kitchen, or flat drawer fronts paired with Shaker doors (a popular combination).

Slim Shaker

A Slim Shaker has the same recessed panel as a Shaker, but the frame is much narrower, about 1 1/4" instead of 2 1/2". It's the modern take on Shaker: a bit of detail and shadow without looking traditional. Slim Shakers look especially good on narrow doors and drawer fronts, where a full Shaker frame would leave a tiny panel.

Choose Slim Shaker if: you like Shaker but want something lighter and more current.

Beveled Shakers (60V and Slim 150V)

Instead of a square step down to the panel, these styles have an angled edge where the frame meets the panel. The 60V Shaker uses a crisp 60 degree bevel on a standard Shaker frame. The Slim 150V pairs a slim 1 1/2" frame with a shallow 150 degree bevel. The angle catches the light differently than a square edge, so painted doors get a soft highlight around the panel.

Choose a beveled style if: you want a Shaker-like door with a little more character.

Double Shaker

A Double Shaker adds a second step inside the frame, giving two shadow lines around the panel instead of one. It's a richer, more detailed door that still keeps the clean Shaker shape.

Choose Double Shaker if: you want more detail without moving to a raised panel.

Tips for choosing

• Mix and match. Shaker doors with slab drawer fronts is a classic combo. Slim Shaker drawer fronts also pair well with full Shaker doors.
• Think about small pieces. On short drawer fronts, a wide frame can leave almost no panel. Our builder automatically uses narrower rails on short drawer fronts so they stay balanced.
• Paint matters. All of these styles are made from one piece of MDF, so there are no joints to crack through the paint. See MDF vs. wood doors for why that matters.

Compare every style side by side on our door styles page, or go straight to the door builder, where you can switch styles on any door and see the price change instantly.