Painted shaker cabinet doors look simple: a flat centre panel framed by four rails and stiles, with a clean painted surface. That simplicity is exactly why the specification conversation matters. Two kitchens can order the same shaker profile and end up with very different results, because almost everything that decides fit, durability and final colour is agreed before production starts, not on site.

If you are a contractor, developer or procurement lead ordering cabinetry for villas, apartments or boutique hotels, this is the checklist we work through with buyers on painted shaker cabinets, and it applies just as well to grey, two-tone and glass-front shaker doors.

1. Door construction and the profile itself

Start with what the door is made of and how it is built, because that governs movement, joint quality and how evenly the paint film sits over the frame.

• Frame-and-panel or one-piece routed door. A framed door lets the centre panel float, which suits wider doors better in changing indoor humidity. A one-piece routed door keeps a very crisp, shallow rebate but behaves differently across a wide span.
• Substrate choice. The core and skin decide edge quality under paint. Our shaker range is offered with material options, including plywood-based boards in the Shaker Style Plywood Cabinets line, so the buyer should state the indoor environment the kitchen sits in and let the manufacturer confirm which substrate is proposed for that site.
• Rail and stile widths. Narrow stiles read contemporary, wider ones read classic. This dimension should be drawn, not assumed, especially when doors are mixed with integrated appliances.
• Rebate depth and corner joints. Confirm the joint type at the four corners and whether the rebate is shallow or deep — both change how visible the paint build-up is on edges.

2. Paint system, sheen and colour matching

Painted cabinetry is a coating specification, so treat it like one. The points to settle in writing:

• Primer, basecoat and topcoat sequence. Ask what is used under the colour coat and whether the topcoat is formulated for kitchen use, where hands, steam and cleaning are constant.
• Sheen. Lower sheens hide less handling marking; higher sheens show every uneven panel. Most buyers specify a mid-range sheen and ask for a physical sample door before the full order.
• Colour reference. Supply a paint standard or RAL code, then require an approved sprayed sample rather than a printed chip. Painted doors in the same colour can read differently across a raised panel, a flat panel and a glass-front door.
• Interior versus exterior finish. Confirm that cabinet interiors, backs of doors and the visible faces are all finished to the standard you expect, and where that stops.

If a project needs a lacquered finish rather than a sprayed painted one, our shaker lacquer cabinets line is the alternative route, and the same sample-first rule applies.

3. Layout, sizing and internal fit-out

Our shaker cabinets are made to measure, so the buyer should send drawings with dimensions rather than choose from standard sizes. What to lock down:

• Cabinet carcass sizes and the run. Overall heights, base and wall unit depths, and how the run resolves at corners, returns and the ceiling line.
• Appliance schedule. Oven, hob, extractor, dishwasher, fridge and any wine cabinet need model numbers early, because ventilation gaps and door overlaps are set around them.
• Internal configuration. Deep drawers versus shelves, pull-out larder units, corner solutions, cutlery organisation, bin provisions and pantry racking all change the price far more than the door style does.
• Worktop interface. State the worktop material and thickness so the base units, scribes and any upstand detail are built to receive it.

4. Hardware and handle decisions

Hardware is where a shaker kitchen either looks intentional or looks generic. Discuss hinge type and soft-close specification, drawer runner brand and load rating, handle style and fixing centres, and whether any run should be handleless with integrated profiles. Integrated lighting inside glass-front units also needs to be planned at this stage, since the carcass has to carry the wiring and the transformer.

5. Consistency across a multi-unit project

For apartment blocks, villa portfolios and hotel fit-outs, add three more items to the conversation: batch control so that colour is consistent between production runs; a fixed spare-parts position for handles, hinges and one or two replacement doors; and an agreed packing and palletising method matched to site access. On multi-floor villas, decide how units are sequenced for delivery so that kitchens can be installed floor by floor instead of all at once.

For larger fit-outs we handle cabinetry as part of a wider package alongside custom built-in kitchen cabinets and other interior fixtures, which removes the coordination problem of matching painted doors to wardrobes, vanities and panelling supplied by different vendors.

6. Documentation and after-sales terms to confirm

• Approved shop drawings signed off before production, with every dimension, door elevation and hardware schedule on them.
• A physical approved sample door retained as the colour and finish reference for the whole order.
• Packaging and protection standard for long sea or land transit, plus a clear unpacking and storage instruction for site teams.
• Warranty scope, spare-parts availability and who carries installation — read these as project-specific terms to be confirmed in the order documents rather than assumed from marketing copy.

A short specification sheet saves weeks later

The buyers who get a smooth painted shaker job are the ones who send one consolidated document: drawings, appliance schedule, colour standard, sheen, hardware list, internal configuration and delivery sequence. Everything else follows from that. If you want to price a set of drawings, send them over with the colour reference and we will come back with a proposal built around your dimensions rather than our standard sizes.