How to choose your Hampton style door & cabinet handles
The Hampton style isn’t a defined architectural style per se. It is a derivative of a few styles driven by a certain subset of society congregating in a geographical location and climate.
Its genesis is in Long Island New York – the playground of the rich and famous. If any architectural name was to be preferred, perhaps Art Deco would come close. But then again, so would Post
Modern and Classical. It is really the infusion of several different styles that culminate in an easy going, beachside, cocktail driven atmosphere capped off by a summer vacation spirit.
Australians have added their own embellishments. As designer Dianna Bergeron put it to Home Beautiful;
“Often, clients will start by asking for a Hamptons-style home, as it has become a broad term here in Australia. What they are actually looking for is usually a mix of traditional American North East Coast style. A cross between modern American, Hamptons, Colonial New England, Cape Cod and Nantucket-Style.”
Therefore, the door and cabinet hardware possibilities are broad with the commanding influence being Art Deco. Art Deco is essentially an ornamental style with its lavishness a direct reaction to the austerity of World War I.
It is an eclectic form of design which draws on many different architectural styles, most influential of which is Modernism. It has a strong base in geometric shapes and forms and relies heavily on the repetition of these shapes to create surface aggrandizement and motifs. Stark and contrasting colours are usually used in an interior palette with highlights of chrome, gold, antique and silver.
Luxe – Futura Range
The combination of surface materials here, chrome and Brushed Nickel, and the subtle breakaway from a very clean and simple straight handle places this in the Hampton Style description.
Oxford – Futura Range
In this handle, the structural detailing on the handle arm is used purely for ornamentation. The subtle chrome augments this and the escutcheon plate is more reminiscent of a modern style. The overriding appeal of this handle is one that would suitably fit into Hampton society.
Juno – Astron Range
This handle relies on the Brushed Nickel finish to the metal and the overall curvature of the handle to place it within the DNA of Hampton. It’s neither over ornamented nor is it stark with an emphasis on linearity.
Balmain – Winchester Range
In this handle, the cylindrical detailing on the handle arm is used purely for ornamentation and perceived luxury and is not informed by the function. The antique finish is consistent with the Hampton look.
Copenhagen Winchester Range
This handle is marked by lineal design interfaced with contrasting circles. The finish and the aesthetics combine to give this handle a striking appearance establishing its lineage in the Hampton genre.
Choosing your kitchen cabinet handles – getting it right
Finish variations – from different manufacturers & suppliers
When choosing new hardware, options are key. Variation in finish from brand to brand is inevitable. Company A’s Graphite nickel may look completely different to company B’s Graphite nickel. It is therefore very important that specifiers and consumers are aware of this when selecting products.
Finish variations – door and cabinet hardware
One other problem relates to matching the door hardware with the cabinet hardware. Mostly there is no coordination of door and cabinet hardware selection. The builder normally supplies the door hardware and the cabinet maker supplies the cabinet hardware. Where this often plays out is when the two are finally put together and the discrepancy is noticed. By then it is always too late, and the end user is often left dissatisfied.
Therefore, be aware of this and where possible, it is by far the best option to ensure that the door hardware and cabinet hardware are selected from the one manufacturer. This ensures consistency in both style and finish.
Cup Pull – Winchester Range
This kitchen cabinet handle fits in nicely with the Winchester handles in terms of style and finish.
Mayfair Cabinet Handle
Holding its own against any Hampton contender, this beauty is imbued with Hampton luxury, subtlety and sunshine. Its lustre lies in the fact that there is enough elegance to recognise without moving it too far towards antiquity. Hampton it is. Also available in brass here.
Manhattan
This handle comprises elements of modernism, post modernism and art deco. It’s the kind of handle that stands out in any upmarket Hampton style kitchen. Its parallel lines are complimented by the squares that grace the legs and feet of its base.
So you can see, choice abounds, but selecting the right style is critical to getting it right. If you need some help with styles and understanding where your residence fits, this is a good read. Also, if you need overall help in choosing your door and cabinet hardware, this is a very comprehensive and helpful article which outlines the 12 steps needed to get it right.
Remember that the choices you make will have an ongoing sub conscious effect, either good or bad. This is a good read if you want to understand this further. As John Ruskin puts it, ‘the Joy of cheap price is soon overtaken by the prolonged bitterness of poor quality’. See here for more.
Take a browse at our gallery for more ideas and if you want to check out all the latest and greatest finishes including Satin Brass, Brushed Nickel and Graphite Nickel click here. What you spend is an investment not an expense. Getting it right adds value to your asset. It can add up to 10% in fact. Best wishes for you Hampton project.
