New Year, New Home: The Easiest Way to Instantly Upgrade Your Home
A fresh year always feels like a chance to reset, refresh and breathe new life into your home. The good news is that you do not need a full renovation to make your space feel new. One of the quickest and most affordable upgrades is as simple as changing your cabinet handles.
Swapping out old handles for something modern can transform kitchens, bathrooms, wardrobes and even your laundry. Think of it like jewellery for your home. A small detail that changes everything.
Shop some favourite new year upgrades
Why handle swaps are the perfect new year upgrade
- No trades needed
- Low cost and high impact
- Suitable for any room
- Takes only minutes to install
- Works for renters and homeowners
- Instantly change the style of a space and give it a facelift
The secret is choosing new handles that match the existing hole centres. That means no new drilling, no patching and no headaches.
How to check your existing hole centres
Most Australian cabinets use standard hole centre distances, which makes updating very straightforward.
Here is how to measure yours:
- Open your drawer or cupboard door so you can easily access the screws.
- Grab a ruler or tape measure.
- Measure from the centre of one screw head to the centre of the other screw head.
- This number is your hole centre size.
Hot tip: A soft fabric measuring tape can sometimes be the easiest tool because it curves around your hand and sits flat against the hardware. Just line up the midpoint of each screw head and check the distance.
Common Australian hole centres include 96 mm, 128 mm, 160 mm, 192 mm and 256 mm, along with some larger or specialty sizes. If you match this number, your new handles will fit perfectly into the existing screw holes.
Choosing colours and finishes that elevate your space
Once you know your size, the fun begins. Here are some style directions for a fresh new year look.
Nickel's
Clean, modern and timeless. Works beautifully with white, grey or natural timber cabinetry. See Nickel handles.
Brass
Luxurious & warm, brass handles are the perfect touch to give a kitchen (or any room in the house) an instant facelift. See all Brass Handles.
Brushed Aged Brass
Warm and textural. Perfect with shaker kitchens, earthy tones and warm neutrals.
See Brushed Aged Brass handles.
Gunmetal
Sleek and bold. Ideal for contemporary spaces, dark cabinetry or matte finishes. See gunmetal handles.
Bronze
Soft, elegant and refined. Similar tones ro Brushed Aged Brass, and amazing with stone benches, pink undertones or coastal interiors. See Bronze handles.
Mixed Materials
Stone, timber or onyx styles create a unique designer feel and introduce natural texture. These are great as a feature on some pantry doors - no need to run these through the whole kitchen! This can sometimes look a little too heavy.
Quick styling tips:
Match the handle finish to your tapware if you want a unified look. (these do not have to be exact! in a kitchen there are many colours and elements separating the tapware and handles. So you will likely never notice a slight variation in finish between the two) Choose contrast if you want handles to stand out. For a subtle effect, choose tones that complement the grain or colour of your cabinetry or even flooring.
Set the mood for the year ahead
Whether you love clean minimalism, coastal calm, bold statements or warm organic textures, your hardware sets the tone. A handle change can instantly shift your homes personality.
Go Custom!
If you are finding matching to your hole centers too difficult, a custom handle can be a great alternative. We can currently only create custom handles from timber. Click here for your custom timber handle quote.
Find handles that fit your existing hole centres
Once you know your measurement, you can shop by size and find handles that fit perfectly into your current screw holes. Select the hole centre that matches your kitchen, bathroom or wardrobe handles and explore all the styles available in that size.
If you have uncommon hole centers, and need to cover you previously made holes, there is a solution for that too! Handles with a black plate, handles with a larger face fixing area, such as the Flow bow, Ova & Circ, Cadello Crest & more.
Need a little help choosing?
If you are not sure which finish, style or size will work best, the Touch Handles team is always happy to help. Send us a message on the live chat, or contact us here. Refresh your home, elevate your style and start the year with details that make you feel inspired.
Be inspired
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