The idea for the Inverso door handle was to combine the progressive look of say a contemporary office with the playfulness of a children’s playground. This idea would eventually focus more on the contemporary aspects, but always keep underlying tones of playfulness in both shapes and textures.

From the initial sketch concepts I played with the idea of user interaction, integrating softer materials such as the wood and modifying shapes in an attempt to give the door handler a unique experience.

The next step was to refine the user interaction by defining a shape that would be comfortable for the majority of human hands. This in turn gave way to the idea of designing a vertical push/pull handle. The orientation of the shape dictates whether to push or pull
The use of two triangular shapes stacked in opposite directions for both a left and right handed approach.

To attach this handle to a door the bracket concept was tested with simple cardboard pieces. The brackets are meant to complement the twisting wooden figure without detracting from the overall composition. The templates for the brackets are created in a CAD program using the same technique as sheet metal. However, in actual production the will most likely be cast steel parts. The design of the handle brackets allows for a smoother and more conscious interaction between the user and the hardware. The wider opening on each side of the brackets is meant to direct the users hand to this side and in doing so it dictates their approach.

The final model is created from a piece of black walnut for the shaft and PVC foam for the brackets. The plastic is left in its original color for the visual contrast it creates with the wood. The inverse triangle shapes are milled and the opposing faces are joined by carefully sanding from one plane to another. Read Less