How much can we learn from the Shakers today? Many artists and designers are trying to find out
Alexander Luckman | The Architect's Newpaper | 18th February 2026
As a religious group the Shakers have nearly gone, but their material culture still looms large. Seeing work as a kind of prayer, they brought a religious sensibility to everything they made. Tools, clothing and most famously furniture, all display meticulous craftsmanship. Most have an austere design but not all. A plain looking sewing box has a “gorgeous inlaid lid”, exuberant artistry meant only for the user. The Shakers belief in simple durability is, says one writer, significant “for this era of egregious glut and waste”.