06 / Journal

Cabinet Handles by Interior Style: From Japandi to Hamptons & Everything Between

Hardware is almost always the last decision in a renovation — and often the one that does the most quiet work. The right cabinet handles confirm the design intent of an entire space; the wrong ones quietly undercut everything around them. Most people know their interior style long before they know which finish or form belongs in it. This guide maps five major Australian interior styles — Japandi, Hamptons, coastal, contemporary, and maximalist — to the specific handle finishes, forms, and Lo & Co collections that suit them.

Japandi Style — Considered, Calm, Minimal

Japandi merges Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian warmth — wabi-sabi meets hygge. It's one of the most searched interior styles in Australia, and its material logic is precise: nothing superfluous, everything honest.

The palette runs through warm neutrals, natural timber, soft clay and sage. Materials are tactile — linen, rattan, ceramic — and hardware should feel like a natural continuation of that palette. When hardware is included (handleless kitchens are common at the purest end of Japandi), restraint is everything.

Clean geometric bar handles in natural or aged solid brass are the most tonally appropriate choice — a living finish that deepens gradually with use, developing an authentic patina that no plated alternative can replicate. Tumbled nickel suits those drawn to cooler silver tones without anything too bright or reflective. Matte black works in more contemporary Japandi interpretations where a deliberate graphic note is part of the brief.

The Linear collection is the natural starting point — a minimal bar handle with nothing extraneous. The Carlisle is an equally understated option worth considering.

Hamptons Style — Crisp, Classic, Coastal

Hamptons translates East Coast American coastal living into the Australian context: white shaker cabinetry, navy accents, marble benchtops, a relaxed but polished feeling. Hardware should feel refined and classic — proportional, unhurried, and designed to last.

Classic bar handles, T-bars, and straight pulls carry the clarity the style calls for. Polished or brushed nickel is the defining Hamptons finish — cool, crisp, and with a timelessness that has kept it in the design vocabulary for decades. Aged or natural brass suits warmer coastal Hamptons interpretations, bringing a softness and material depth that feels coastal rather than formal. Matte white integrates quietly in all-white kitchens where the brief is cohesion over contrast.

The Carlisle collection and the Luna Pull are both well suited here.

Coastal Style — Relaxed, Warm, Textural

Coastal is warmer and less structured than Hamptons — organic materials, earthy tones, texture over precision. The feel is ease rather than polish, and every material choice should earn its place in that conversation.

Warm whites and sandy neutrals form the base, with natural timber, rattan, jute, and terracotta providing depth. Marble and travertine handles are a particularly natural fit — crafted from solid stone with genuine natural variation, no two pieces identical, and no applied finish to consider. Aged or tumbled solid brass is the right metal choice: a warm living finish with lasting integrity that improves with daily use rather than showing wear. Avoid cool nickel or anything sharp and industrial — both introduce a precision the style doesn't call for.

The Arc collection and the Tropez collection are the strongest coastal options in the Lo & Co range.

Contemporary Style — Clean Lines, Bold Choices

Contemporary means current — and right now that means intentional contrast, bold material choices, and hardware that can carry visual weight. Dark cabinetry against light stone, strong architectural lines, surfaces that make a statement. Hardware has room here to be a focal point rather than a background detail.

Long bar handles and architectural pulls suit the scale and linearity of contemporary cabinetry. Matte black delivers the most graphic contrast — a lacquered finish over a solid brass base that holds its appearance over years of daily use. Polished brass brings warm drama, particularly effective against deep charcoal or navy where the contrast between warm gold and dark ground reads as genuinely considered.

The Prism collection is the most distinctly contemporary option in the range — a statement form with the material quality to match.

Vintage and Maximalist Style — Character, Patina, Personality

More is more. Maximalist interiors are layered, personal, and unafraid of ornament — referencing Art Deco, mid-century, Victorian, or eclectic design with confidence. Hardware here isn't a background decision. It's part of the room's material story.

Rich jewel tones, antique and aged finishes, surfaces that carry the marks of time and use. Aged and tumbled solid brass carry the patina and weight that make hardware feel genuinely collected rather than recently installed. Oil rubbed bronze adds a darker, richer depth — a handcrafted quality with slight natural variation that gives each piece a sense of individuality. In a maximalist space, hardware doesn't need to be restrained; it can be the standout detail.

The Orbe collection — curved, sculptural, crafted from solid brass — is the most maximalist-appropriate option in the Lo & Co range.