Particularly in the kitchen and bath, decorative hardware is a key aesthetic element. Here decorative hardware manufacturer Emtek shares emerging and ascendant design trends.
Traditional Finishes: Making a Comeback
Leaning more towards aged brass and bronze finishes with patina recently? You’re not alone! Classic, polished finishes (think Unlacquered Brass and Polished Nickel) are great options for adding character when paired with traditional shapes. Satin Nickel, Pewter and Oil Rubbed Bronze can also look updated with more contemporary hardware silhouettes.
Shabby Chic 2.0: New Traditional
Traditional styles continue to grow in popularity, offering a timeless look with staying power. The cutesy “Cottage Core” look can be achieved with whimsical hardware choices in classic finishes: a crystal or porcelain door knob (above) in an antique brass finish, or a bronze. cabinet knob in a geometric style. These styles tend to look fresh in more modern finishes like Satin Brass, Polished Chrome and Flat Black as well.
Fun and Fashionable
Unique finishes like Rose Gold and Matte White can add a bit of fun personality to a space. Pewter and French Antique also look fashion-forward in more modern lever styles, and trending contemporary finishes like Satin Brass and Polished Chrome offer a fresh look in more traditional shapes. Small but important functional details like door and cabinet hardware are a great place to experiment with new colors, shapes and textures without the commitment of painting a room or buying all new furniture in a space.
Contrasting Finishes: Mix & Match
Mixed finishes between hardware, plumbing, and lighting components grow in popularity as they add a deeper dimension to interior spaces, but the ability to integrate those finishes within a single element, like your door hardware, provides a deeper and more intentional detail. Not only do contrasting finishes draw the eye, but they also bring more personality to a room.
Texture: Organic & Man-Made
When applied to a detail that is touched often, texture can turn a mundane task into an experience: enhancing the tactile grip and acting as a decorative element. Knurling provides an industrial detail, and straight knurling or fluting can offer a more dramatic look and hand feel. Or play with a more organic texture like a hammered, stone, or wave lever grip from Emtek’s Select Collection (above). You can even carry that door hardware texture theme through your space with other hardware accessories like knurled cabinet pulls, knurled hinge tips and knurled flush pulls.
Long Cabinet Hardware: Oversize & Dramatic
We’re seeing designers and architects gravitate towards cabinet pulls that are more playful and grandiose in scale. Appliance pull styles are growing in size but the prevalence of longer cabinet hardware in 12” center to center and up is also starting to increase.
