For their latest collaboration, Bankston has partnered once again with Yasmine Ghoniem of YSG to design a hardware range that “registers the sensorial importance of human touch”. Spanning bold timber tones and patinated bronze, The Streaks explores the tactility of timber and its emotional pull when placed under the hand, shifting how we perceive the most familiar hardware in a room.
“We wanted to shift the way people thought about door handles, focusing on the way they could feel both looking at and interacting with them,” explains Yasmine Ghoniem, Director of YSG. “We welcomed a sensation that was smooth and warm to the touch, hence the timber and patinated bronze pieces.”
The outcome is playful hardware – two words one might not have believed possible to sit alongside each other so aptly. “When you think about it, door handles are the first and last tactile elements people engage with when entering and exiting a space, so we wanted them to be more conscious of this and feel as though they’re about to encounter something special.”
The collection was launched at Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign – a fitting environment given the convivial nature of the fair. The Streaks was embraced by an international audience, surprising visitors who could tangibly interact with the pieces. “YSG were instrumental – not just with the hardware design, but also with the showroom experience and all communications around the collection,” say Emily and Steve Bradley, Co-CEOs of Bankston.
That attention to experience carries across the collection, as Ghoniem notes: “You can certainly scale the tonal intensities of the different timber banding pairings up or down, given the three combinations offered.” The bold pairing of New Zealand Purpleheart and African Padauk – “definitely the boldest” – contrasts with the subtlety of American White Ash and Australian Blackbutt. The collection is flexible given “several pieces are offered in different sizes,” she continues. “We don’t think the collection’s age-sensitive. We can see some pieces suited to kids’ bedrooms, like the bronze Narcissist Cupboard Knob or the Lunacy Sliding Door Pull, with its easy-to-grab moon-shaped crescent, but then again, they’re also great expressions in a kitchen or bathroom.”
The shapes drawon instinctual, global sensibility behind the YSG oeuvre. Ghoniem reflects: “The Kooky Streaker is a personal favourite. When you place your hand on the striped elongated lever and press down, you feel like you’re opening a vault – given the lever’s 45-degree orientation. There’s an element of excitement about what you’re going to encounter. In its closed position, it also provides a more interesting profile than your typical vertical handle.”
That versatility underpins the entire range. Every design amalgamates aesthetic and functional demands, especially in inclusive settings. “The Streaks by YSG was created for inclusivity,” Bradley reflects. “Each piece was carefully designed with usage in mind – they suit kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces, equally adorning key entry points in hospitality, commercial and retail environments.”
Related: Superfreak is a YSG-designed cafe
Intuitive elements like the Straight Streaker Return Lever and Accessibility Privacy Turn comply with Australian Disability Discrimination standards. “Engineered for ease of use,” Bankston continues, “these pieces make them suitable for hospitality or commercial projects. The bronze touchpoints will continue to alchemise over time to rich golden shades and are equally appropriate for both internal and external settings.”
Materiality is treated with equal care. Every timber is FSC-certified and sourced responsibly – “we adhere to a set of standards within the timber industry for best practice in material sourcing and waste minimisation,” says Bradley. The range explores three tonal palettes – Light, Dark and Colour Bands – allowing the timber’s natural splendour to intone. “Each species, with its hue and grain, has been carefully considered,” Bankston adds. “The raw timber pieces are finished with a clear oil rubbing, accentuating the natural colouring and grain. Every timber is a precious natural resource and we’re committed to protecting our forests for generations to come.”
Reflecting on the design process, the Bankston pair reminisce that this partnership has led to an evolution in their approach. “It involved a high level of trust,” they say. “Our hardware expertise lay in metal but given YSG are connoisseurs of custom timber pieces – from iconic entrance doors to tables and joinery – we knew they’d design an incredible range.” The forms that emerged were new territory: “exaggerated scales for some of the pieces,” Bradley notes, “and a whimsical strength that feels timeless.”
