Shaker retiring room with a wall of built-in drawers and cupboards and a wooden peg rail — The Metropolitan Museum of Art. CC0 (Met Open Access). View source

Retiring Room Built-ins from the North Family Dwelling, Mount Lebanon (c. 1830–40)

Built-in cupboards, drawers and peg rail from a Shaker retiring room in the North Family Dwelling at Mount Lebanon, New York, the Shakers' central community, made about 1830–40.

Shaker retiring rooms were bedrooms shared by members of a 'family' within the community, and their storage was built into the walls. This installation at the Metropolitan Museum shows the essentials of Shaker interiors: a wall of drawers and cupboards with plain panelled doors, a continuous peg rail for hanging chairs, clothes and tools, and simple, well-proportioned trim. Every element is functional, and the beauty comes from proportion and finish. It is perhaps the most influential storage design in American history and still looks modern today.

Have this made · Signature tier

Floor-to-ceiling built-in drawer and cupboard wall with flat-panel doors and a peg rail; Signature tier in cherry or pine.

A custom version typically runs $700–$1,050 per linear foot, installed in Colorado.

Request a custom version How custom work and pricing work

Style: Shaker
Element: Built-ins & Bookcases
Date: ca. 1830–40
Maker or designer: United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing (“Shakers”)
Materials: Wood
Dimensions: Dimensions unavailable
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Built in drawers Peg rail Pine

More Shaker built-ins & bookcases · all Shaker · all built-ins & bookcases

Retiring Room Built-ins from the North Family Dwelling, Mount Lebanon (c. 1830–40)

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