The Shakers: A World in the Making

Mea Hoffmann: The Shakers have a remarkable 250-year history. Although only a few Shakers remain today, what do you think is the reason for the longevity of their ideas?
Jerry Grant (JG): The strength of their faith is central. Joining the Shakers wasn’t a casual decision; it was a serious commitment to their beliefs.

Sharon Duane Koomler (SK): A key factor was their sense of community. It grew organically, yet they were conscious of maintaining unity – not just within individual villages but also within the broader Shaker society. There was an interest in creating a physical landscape that was recognizable to every Shaker, including the furnishings, the personal dress, the way they spoke. Shakers in Maine might have travelled to a Shaker community in Kentucky, and it might have looked slightly different because of the craftsmanship, the local design aesthetic, the available material, over 400 miles or so distance, but it was still recognizably Shaker.

The Shakers produced many goods, but their furniture stands out. Why do you think it’s better recognized than their other creations?
SK: Shaker furniture is the most accessible because it doesn’t require much interpretation. We can directly interact with it—sit in a chair, for example. Their other work, like farming, is more difficult to relate to for modern audiences. The Shakers didn’t see their craftsmanship as separate from their faith; every action, from farming to furniture-making, was an expression of their spirituality.

Does it make sense to understand the Shakers as precursors to modernism or minimalism?
SK: While the Shakers’ design aesthetic shares similarities with modernism or minimalism, it wasn’t driven by the same ideals. Their focus was not on aesthetics for the sake of form or style, but on creating functional, simple, and durable objects that supported their communal lifestyle and religious devotion. Their commitment to simplicity came from a desire to eliminate excess and vanity, not as a design movement, which makes their aesthetic more of a practical response to their spiritual and community needs rather than a precursor to modernist or minimalist design.

Many contemporary designers and artists are inspired by the Shakers. What can today’s creatives learn from their approach to both market and ideology?
SK: Initially, I viewed designers and architects as taking from the Shakers, but over time, I’ve come to see that they contribute significantly to our understanding of Shaker material culture. They don’t simply take; they expand on Shaker principles, adapting them in ways that make them relevant today. Each interpretation is personal, and what excites me is seeing how artists and designers integrate Shaker design into their own work, not as mere reinterpretation, but as something that resonates in new contexts.

The Shakers’ material culture is fascinating because, while their intentions are clear, the design process often isn't documented. This leaves us with questions about how personal craftsmanship and innovation interplayed.
JG: Shaker inventions were often solutions to everyday challenges, but they didn’t always get recorded as formal "inventions." Many innovations were born out of the community’s skills and needs, with requests often coming from outside the Shaker world. Their commitment to quality was crucial to their success in the marketplace.

SK: The Shakers patented certain designs not to seek recognition, but to protect their ideas after others began copying their inventions. Patents helped the community safeguard their innovations, like the tilt button on chairs that solved issues with scratched floors and potential injury. This innovation, while simple, saved time and effort, demonstrating practical problem-solving central to Shaker design. It is often said that the Shakers eliminated any decoration and ornament…

JG: The Shakers didn’t dismiss decoration entirely; they just controlled it. A simple dish towel with stripes, for instance, wasn’t an unnecessary ornament but a subtle way to make an object feel complete. They believed in organizing principles for every detail, from color choices to function, creating designs with intent and meaning. Indeed, Shaker design wasn’t about embellishment for vanity’s sake but about creating functional beauty. Even their use of color was intentional—perhaps to define spaces, but always with a clear purpose.

‘The Shakers: A World in the Making’ on view until 28 September 2025 at the Vitra Design Museum. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication that features its historic exhibits as well as artist contributions, in addition to thematic essays and interviews from leading scholars and academics.