Cabinet Hardware

HEWI: etage8 is a relatively young designer office compared with HEWI. What distinguishes etage8? Is there such a thing as design principles?

etage8: We stand for provable and holistic design with a high level of commitment to universal design. Specifications and requirements which are given to us by the client during the design process are in no way restrictions or obstacles for us. Rather, they represent both an opportunity and a challenge for us. For us, design is infinite - every new task makes us specialists in another field. To dive deep into the matter of a task - and as freely as possible - is what distinguishes us. We question the product and develop something new from this gained distance.

HEWI: A furniture handle is a relatively unspectacular product. What possibilities for creative design are there anyway?

etage8: It is precisely this apparently unspectacular aspect that is the great attraction for us. That's where we come in. The challenge is to create something new. To resolve the apparent conflict that it is a purely functional product. To design something that is as good and works as well as the long-standing HEWI furniture handles and yet is a further development. Therefore it is not difficult for us to be creative here.

HEWI: Surface and colour options are something that distinguishes HEWI. What does this look like for furniture handles?

etage8: Colours and the materials that distinguish HEWI have always been present for us. Colour and flawless polyamide surfaces are elements that strongly connect us to the brand. We therefore consider it essential to incorporate this one hundred percent into the design of the furniture handles. We developed them from the colour. A colour changes considerably in the course of the day and is always dependent on the material. Therefore the consideration of the surface finish - matt and high gloss - was also an important factor.