Australian-based hardware company Designer Doorware has an impressive knack for making ancient materials fresh and modern again. During this season of ICFF 2019 in New York City, the brand showcased a selection of door handles and knobs that bring traditional wood, metal, and stone to the 21st century.

House Tipster host and Arch-Interiors designer Christopher Grubb was able to speak with Designer Doorware Director Joseph Di Benedetto in the company’s showroom at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, where “families” of new offerings were on brilliant display.

This season, the international brand is showcasing several styles crafted from great mixed materials, like the Monte timber collection featuring kiln-dried wood, and the Bullet + Stone reinforced concrete hardware line, which is affixed on strong metal bases.

“I think the contrast between the metal base and the concrete gives a really beautiful effect,” Di Benedetto said of the latter. “From the most brutal era [the Stone Age], we’re bringing that back and I think it’s working quite well. We’ve won a couple of awards, and we’ve taken it from the timber handles that we’ve done and replaced the timber with the concrete.”

As far as the metals are concerned, the company is also now showing off a standard of 20 finishes of brass, with a “limitless” amount of further potential options.

To hear even more about the latest Designer Doorware collection designs and take a closer look around the brand’s ICFF booth, be sure to watch a recap of our Facebook live video with Christopher Grubb and Joseph Di Benedetto in the player below.

Want more of the hottest brands in interior design on your radar? Stay tuned for more exclusive brand coverage and expert interviews straight from ICFF 2019, coming soon to House Tipster Industry.