- No Products In The Cart
- start shopping
About Otto Tiles & Design
In Conversation with Plank Hardware
Otto Tiles & Design catch up with Tom Reville, co-founder and creative director of Plank Hardware to discuss how to choose hardware for your home, and upcoming trends that will make your cabinets dazzle!
Damla Turgut, Founder & Creative Director, Otto Tiles & Design
Which hardware finishes are trending for 2025, and how can we incorporate them into our space?
With interior trends seemingly gazing back nostalgically to a more traditional aesthetic, we’re seeing our Antique Brass finish surge in popularity — across all categories; cabinet hardware, light switches, kitchen taps and even lighting. Its warm, bronze-coloured tone looks perfectly at home in shaker style kitchen designs or living rooms in period properties.
How should we choose between knobs, pulls, or a mix of both for cabinetry?
Cabinets hardware offers more than just access to your kitchen utensils, board games or clothing. When chosen thoughtfully, with design, usability and sizing in mind, your hardware can create a thread of sophistication and finalise your culinary space.
Cabinet knobs tend to be small in size, which immediately gives them a more subtle appearance than pulls. If you want all eyes to be drawn to your sophisticated cabinetry or colourful backsplash, go for cabinet knobs that align with your décor, but don’t distract from your overall look.
Cabinet pulls typically come in larger formats, meaning they can create greater visual impact when styled on cabinet fronts. Cabinet pulls can be easier to grasp than knobs, making them a great choice for people with small, weak or arthritic hands. With pulls, your hands also have less contact with your cabinets, which helps to keep their surfaces clean.
How can cabinet hardware complement whimsical design trends like English Storybook Interiors?
The English Storybook trend strives to hone a look that is both charming and ‘lived-in’. Function is as important as form here, where a kitchen may have practical floating shelving for storage, paired with playful primary coloured wall tiles and gingham cafe curtains. Cabinet hardware in unpolished, aged or antique brass finishes look best within this design trend, since it’s suggestive of a space that’s well-used — not one full of pristine perfection.
Is it worth investing in high-end cabinet hardware, and why?
Hardware should stand the test of time, so it is something that requires an element of investment. It’s important to consider both the finish and usage of your hardware, since both will impact how your products age. Stainless steel is a great option for heavy duty spaces like kitchens, since it’s non-corrosive, hardy and antibacterial by nature. If you’re choosing hardware for a high traffic space, that might need lots of scrubbing, you might choose to avoid lacquered brass — which is the protective coating applied to minimise natural oxidation, but isn’t a forever solution.
People seem to be opting for more creative hardware choices, what do you predict will
catch attention in 2025?
At Plank Hardware, we’ve seen our ‘trending’ silhouettes prove popular in the past year. Our award-winning BOBBIN Cabinet Pull was influenced by turned wooden furniture from the 18th century, but it also straddles the resurging trend for bobbin-motif accessories that have crept into the mainstream in recent years. Our SQUIGGLE Pull is equally playful, and we’ve seen it be interpreted so many ways in varying interiors projects.
For 2025, we predict burgundy to be a popular shade within homes, which is why we’ve launched a series of new products in this indulgent shade.
What are some creative ways to use unique hardware to make a statement in my kitchen or bathroom?
If you’re looking to add some dynamic visual elements to your kitchen design, consider cabinet hardware in unconventional shapes of colours. Selecting statement pull handles and knobs is a simple way of elevating existing, or simple, kitchen cabinet fronts — at relative affordability.
You should also consider your lighting fixtures in these spaces. Instead of conventional spot lights of pendants, get creative with your choice of shapes, colours and materials. Our NOVI Wall Lights are available in both dark oak and colourful ceramic finishes — immediately introducing highlights and depth to these functional rooms.
How can mixing different hardware finishes create a cohesive look?
Whilst many of our customers choose to coordinate the finish of their hardware products, there’s a lot to be said for throwing away the rule books and mixing-and-matching metallic finishes. This more relaxed approach to creating spaces helps to achieve an environment that feels less tailored, more organic and one that’s infinitely more unique.
Do paint and tile colours affect which hardware finish we should choose, are some options more complimentary, and others to be avoided?
Hardware can be chosen to complement other design elements in your kitchen or bathroom space, such as the tiles and paint colours, or it can be used to create distinction and contrast. In a minimalist design scheme, in which tiles are black and white and paint neutral, you might consider choosing black aluminium hardware for a seamless look. In a more flamboyant, Cottagecore kitchen — in which eclecticism is key, your hardware choice might be more standout, like BOBBIN Pulls in brass. Imperfect zellige tiles in punchy colours, plus butter-yellow paint, would only add to the busy look.
