Authentic antique Shaker furniture is hard to come by, but not exceedingly rare. “Shaker style” describes furnishings and interiors that are both warm and simple, centered on unpretentious wooden chairs, tables and cabinets without ornament or embellishment.
The term derives from the popular name for an all-but-vanished American religious sect, whose members crafted modest household furniture and objects as part of their belief in purposeful living and simplicity in all things.
Members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing — called Shakers, derisively, because they writhed and danced in religious ecstasy during worship — arrived in the United States from England in 1774. Within 50 years, the sect had established 19 self-sufficient communities from Maine to Kentucky, where they lived pure, humble and industrious lives.
The furniture and objects the Shakers made reflected their strict rules of behavior. Pieces such as ladder- and slat-back chairs and trestle tables were painstakingly crafted from native woods like maple and cherry, using traditional methods such as mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joinery and lathe turning. They employed strong, straight lines and symmetrical proportions, and decoration of any kind — carving, veneers, inlays — was prohibited, as it would encourage the sins of pride and vanity.
The Shakers movement included some 6,000 members at its peak in the 1860s, but the group practiced celibacy and could attempt to sustain their flock only by recruiting new adherents. Modernity proved too alluring. Today only one tiny Shaker community, in Maine, still exists, though the sect’s heritage is preserved at several historical sites.
To support their communities, the Shakers sold furniture to outsiders, who appreciated its superb quality. While the “Shaker style” label is today given to many plain, simple wooden pieces, it should also denote superior construction and solid materials. As elements in interior design, Shaker furnishings work best in a quiet decor. Modest pieces such as these can become lost among more ornate works. The style is most suitable to a country home — although a Shaker chair or cabinet can make a striking counterpoint in a modernist, urban setting.
Shaker furniture and objects have a deep appeal for their warmth, honesty and graceful simplicity, which make them welcome almost anywhere.
Find antique Shaker furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Shaker Trestle Dining Table c. 1830
By Shakers
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Shaker trestle dining table c. 1830. Pine and cherry. Harvard, MA community. Early repair to base dating to early 20th century. Provenance: Adelaide...
Pine, Cherry
$1,400 / item
Sommar Dining Chair in White Oak with Spindle Back
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by the casual elegance of Scandinavian cafes with their clean, minimal aesthetic and just enough whimsy to keep the vibe fun, the Sommar Dining Chair was designed to fill a ...
Oak, Walnut
Charming Beige-Cream Color Contemporary Shaker Style Flat-Weave Rug 9 x 12
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Shaker Style Flat-Weave Carpet ( 9' 3" x 12' 4" - 282 x 376 cm ) Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched ...
Wool
Assemblage No. 08 - Found Object Minimalist Welded Steel Wall Sculpture
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...
Steel
Enchanting Earth Tones Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet10'0" x 14'0" Shaker rug handwoven from wool foundation. This rug is made of four flat woven panels which have unique mu...
Wool
Oblong Wooden Basket
Located in South Salem, NY
Vintage basket with great shape & short, stout and sturdy handle. The basket was previously painted and has since been used so there is a worn patina of paint and wood. Great for sto...
Wicker, Wood
19th Century Chrome Yellow Shaker Box with Original Surface
By Shakers
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oval Shaker box in chrome yellow paint with four swallowtail joints. Northeastern United States, 19th century. Completely original, dry, untouched surface. Measurements: 3 1/8” ...
Maple, Pine
Set of Four Velvet Chairs by Willy Rizzo, Chrome Frame, Circa 1970
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A sublime set of four chairs with a refined design typical of the 1970s, attributed to Willy Rizzo, renowned for his style blending modernism, luxury, and clean lines. Each chair fea...
Chrome
Pair of American Modernist Shaker-Inspired Benches
Located in Chicago, IL
A chic pair of mid-20th century American modernist Shaker-inspired pine benches with striking silhouette that bend seamlessly into any style interior. Painted black with signs of wea...
Pine
Fabuluos Brown Field Color Contemporary Handwoven Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet ( 10' 3" X 14' - 312 x 427 ) Shaker rug handwoven from wool foundation. This rug is made of four flat woven panels which ...
Wool
Great Muti Blue-Gray Color Contemporary American Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet ( 10' 2" x 14' - 310 x 427 cm ) Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched t...
Wool
Vintage Hand-Painted Wooden Checkerboard with Original Red and Black Game Pieces
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A striking mid-century hand-painted wooden checkerboard, crafted from richly grained solid oak and adorned with vivid red painted squares. This vintage Americana game board captures ...
Leather, Wood, Paint
Swedish Folk Art Birch-Bark Cradle Basket
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rustic and beautiful folk art birch-bark cradle basket from Sweden. The basket is crafted in a traditional Nordic artisanal style, made from woven birch bark and leather. The upper e...
Birch, Leather
Gorgeous Contemporary Handwoven Wool American Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug 9 x 13
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet 9'3" x 13'0". Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched tog...
Wool
Superb Earth-Tones Color Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet 9'0"x12'3" Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched together...
Wool
Mid Century Traditional Sea Shell and Brass Salt and Pepper Shakers - a Pair
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Beautiful pair of tall cylindrical sea shell-covered brass salt and pepper shakers. Sourced from a beautiful estate in Oklahoma. A gorgeou...
Metal
Awesome Orange Color Contemporary Handwoven Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug 10 x 14
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet 10'0" X 14'0" Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched tog...
Wool
Attractive Combination of Gray-Yellow Contemporary Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet ( 8'9" x 12' - 267 x 366 ) Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then ...
Wool
Brilliant Rose Background Color Contemporary Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug 10 x 14
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet ( 10' 2" x 14' - 310 x 427 cm ) Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched to...
Wool
$1,480Sale Price / set|20% Off
Antique Pennsylvania Shaker Style Tall Ladderback & Rush Dining Chair Set
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Set of 4 solid Oak ladderback Shaker era style chairs. We believe these to be early 1900s version. Woven rush seating have nice warm aged patina but no signs of use. These are al...
Oak, Rush
Historic Set of 6 Shaker Dining Chairs, Mount Lebanon c 1935
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Historic set of six Shaker dining chairs made by Lillian Barlow, Mount Lebanon, c. 1935. Believed to be the last shaker chairs made (see image of letter from Lillian Barlow to Flore...
Wood
Shaker Inspired Settee, Shaker Style in Painted Repurposed Steel by Jim Rose
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
This Settee offers a revealing counterpoint within Jim Rose’s legacy, demonstrating his ability to work fluently within historical forms while subtly expanding his material and visua...
Steel
American Mission Drip Glazed Earthenware Urn
Located in Queens, NY
American Mission style earthenware urn with brown speckled glazed body with a gray-blue drip glaze on the top (impressed signature on base)
Earthenware
$799Sale Price|20% Off
New Transitional Area Rug with Cozy, Hygge Vibes and Warm Amish-Shaker Style
Located in Dallas, TX
30459, new transitional area rug with cozy, hygge vibes and warm Amish-Shaker style. This neutral transitional area rug emanates function and versatility with warm, hygge vibes. It f...
Wool
Shaker Work Shop Style Cherry Wood Music Stand
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Shaker Work Shop style solid cherry wood hand crafted (bench made) music stand. Clean elegant lines, perfect in a modern style home. Adjustable height from 42 inches to 58 inches. ...
Cherry
Extraordinary Multi Blue Ground Color American Shaker Style FlatWeave Rug 8 x 11
Located in New York, NY
Shaker 8'11" X 11'8" hand-woven. Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched together in a gradient of hues which express ...
Wool
Hand-Crafted Oak & Metal American Mission School Desk, Shaker Style
Located in Queens, NY
American Mission metal and oak small child's school desk with attached chair and flip top to desk.
Metal
Awesome Rose-Green Color Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug
Located in New York, NY
Shaker 10'0" x 13'8" Hand-woven. Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched together in a gradient of hues which express ...
Wool
1972 Abstract Tapestry, Hand-Knotted Wool, Vibrant Colors, Spain
By Hernandez
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Aabstract tapestry with vibrant colours from the 1970's , hand knotted , design Mariano Hernandez , Spain Hernandez's work is inspired by Mirò Cycles of monumental or intimate work...
Wool
New England Farm Table, Shaker Modern Dining Table in Blackened Ash
By Carter Ellis
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Our modern take on a classic shaker farm table. The New England Farm Table features slim rails, neat but bold reveals, and a chunky tapered leg. When...
Wood, Ash
Pair of Shaker Style Cherry Wood Side Tables / Nightstands by De Padova, 80s
Located in Roma, IT
We are pleased to offer for sale a pair of side tables with drawers, whose design is inspired by the celebrated Shaker movement, the most influential and visionary American utopian c...
Cherry, Plywood
Abstract Sculpture by Jim Rose, Found Steel Objects, Custom Base, New
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...
Steel
Objects No. 01 - Found & collected steel objects - Original Jim Rose sculpture
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...
Steel
Vintage Solid Teak Farmhouse Dining Table with Extension Leaves
By Pierre Chapo
Located in New York City, NY
Crafted from solid teak, this vintage dining table highlights traditional farmhouse craftsmanship with subtle Shaker-style influences. The table’s construction showcases precise mort...
Teak
New England Farm Table, Shaker-Modern Dining Table in Walnut
By Carter Ellis
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Our modern take on a classic shaker farm table. The New England Farm Table's features slim rails, neat but bold reveals, and a chunky tapered leg. Wh...
Wood, Walnut
American Mission Wooden Engraved Vase
Located in Queens, NY
American Mission tapered four-sided wood vase on a square base, with a flat rim and engraved geometric design
Wood
Early American Shaker Solid Pine Twelve-Drawer Dresser or Credenza
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Early American or Shaker style solid pine wood twelve-drawer dresser or credenza USA, Late 20th Century Measures: 68"W x 18.75"D x 35.25"H. Very good original vintage ...
Pine
$1,100 / item
Beachcomber Counter Stool in Walnut in Stock
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Light and strong, the Beachcomber Counter Stool evokes the sight of an old wooden single hull; its lean, sturdy mast together with the riggi...
Maple, Walnut
Wash Stand, Country Style, Worn White Paint Finish, Solid Pine by Eddie West
Located in Toronto, CA
A pine wash stand made by Eddie West, with a vanilla color antique style paint finish. There is one drawer in this washstand.
Pine
Vintage Primitive "Hermès Orange" Painted Wood Storage Box with Original Patina
By Shaker Style
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Primitive Table Top Painted Wood Storage Box with Lid in "Hermès Orange" with Original Patina - Artist Unknown "a treasure to keep all of your other treasures in" "new felt ...
Wood
Early 20th Century American Shaker Rag Rug ( 3' x 26' - 90 x 792 )
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th Century American Shaker Rag Rug ( 3' x 26' - 90 x 792 )
Cotton, Wool
$9,900 / item
Santa Rosa White Oak Bed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Santa Rosa bed is inspired by time spent in small coastal towns and their ever present modest clapboard homes with sun bleached siding. It's almost as if the older they get, the more beautiful such dwellings become. The salt and the sun and the constant wind lending a certain weathered nobility to their facades. Such is the aesthetic essence we attempt to capture in this piece, named after a certain Gulf Coast town we are particularly fond of. Each bed begins with carefully selected, sustainably harvested rift sawn white oak...
Oak, Walnut
Bullet Table, Country Shaker Table with Walnut and Exposed Joinery
By Carter Ellis
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Our first design, the bullet table received its name when we found an antique fired round inside one of the boards we were milling. Featuring a classic ta...
Wood, Walnut
Vintage Shaker Style Candle Stand, Leather Top, Wood, Mid-Century, USA
Located in Vero Beach, FL
Vintage Shaker Style Spider Leg Candle Stand. Classic Shaker style tripod spider leg candle stand in beautiful, refined minimalist design. It ...
Leather, Wood
Fantastic Gray Color with Square Design Contemporary American Shaker Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet 9'3" x 12'2" Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched toge...
Wool
Modern Vintage Walnut Circular Side Table Turned Legs Italy 1970s
Located in Vienna, AT
Modern vintage side table in circular shape from walnut with turned legs, 1970s Italy. An amazing side table in circular shape from walnut with delicate turned legs works perfectly a...
Walnut
Set of 4 Shaker Cherry Ladder Back Dining Chairs in the Style of Nichols & Stone
Located in Chino Hills, CA
**Set of 4 Shaker Style Cherry Ladder Back Dining Chairs – Nichols & Stone** Classic American-made **Nichols & Stone** ladder back dining chairs crafted in solid cherry, emb...
Cherry
Found Object Sculpture - Collected Steel Assemblage by Jim Rose
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...
Steel
Abstract Sculpture by Jim Rose: Modern Design with Found Steel Objects
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...
Steel
Minimalist Welded Steel Wall Sculpture by Jim Rose, 2011
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...
Steel
Large Antique Shaker Box, Trunk in Bentwood, 19th Century Scandinavia
Located in Esbjerg, DK
God only knows what this large bentwood Trunk has been through. It has scuffs, ware and patina all-over. Yet it is still very useable, stabile and decor...
Bentwood
American Mission Heintz Art Metal Bronze Patinated Vase
Located in Queens, NY
American Mission bronze with brown patina loving cup vase with silver deposit overlay (Heintz Art Metal)
Metal
Bullet Table, Rustic Oak Shaker Table with Exposed Joinery
By Carter Ellis
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Our first design, the bullet table received it's name when we found an antique fired round inside one of the oak boards we were milling. Featuring a class...
Wood, Oak
Nice Light Brown Ground Color Contemporary Handwoven Shaker Style Flat Weave Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet9'2" x 12'6" Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched toget...
Wool
1890s Gray Checkerboard American Shaker Rag Rug 3'x12'6" Flatweave Wool Carpet
Located in New York, NY
19th Century American Shaker Rag Rug ( 3' x 12'6" - 90 x 380 ) Antique American Rag Rug America Flat Weave, Circa Date: 1890s. This exceptional piece of Americana represents the uti...
Wool
Found Object Sculpture - Collected Steel Assemblage No. 05 by Jim Rose
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...
Steel
Antique 19th Century Childs Shaker Maple Rush Ladder Back Small Side Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique 19th Century Childs Shaker Maple Rush Ladder Back Small Side Chair. Circa Mid 19th Century. Measurements: 28" H x 16" W x 15" D x 12.5" Seat h...
Maple
Sensational Gray-Brown Color Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Handwoven Wool Shaker Style Flat Weave Carpet 9'0" x 12'7" Shaker American Shaker carpets have that textural rag rug vibe. Woven in strips that are then stitched toget...
Wool
$5,000 / set
Jeffrey Greene Designed Rush Chairs
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Set of six Shaker style dining chairs with rush seating and tall ladder backs. Designed by Jeffrey Greene with exposed nail trim going up the back. Side chairs: 43"h, 20"w, 22"d Armc...
Rush, Wood
$1,250 / set
Pair of Shaker Style Ladderback Chairs
By Shaker Style
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th c. early New England Shaker style Ladderback Chairs.
Pine