It is all about the details.
Discover my favourite go-to places to find simple hardware for your home.
When designing your home, it is easy to be dazzled by a new piece of art or spend hours scouring through beautiful sofas and your dream beds. However, quite often, we forget about the practical details. Yes - I am talking about those doorknobs, handles, hinges, light fixtures, and other little details that quite often we don't give a second thought. It is not unusual to paint the walls of a new home when moving in or indeed replace the carpet, so why are the fixtures often overlooked? You interact with these tactile parts of your home every day, and therefore getting finishes that not only are really great quality but also are efficient is really important. I do digress thought that replacing these details is surprisingly rather expensive. However, the joy is that they are an investment, and therefore it will absolutely not be an annual occurrence.
Before I dive into my favourite designers and manufacturers, I am just going to run through some tips that will help you make the right design decisions and make your investment worth it.
1. Make sure that what you choose is in keeping with the door itself. If it is a traditional Victorian door, a matte black modern handle may look odd.
2. Placement is everything. Firstly, there is nothing worse than a door handle that is too close to the wall, and secondly, an aesthetic decision is, of course, important, but it also needs to be practical. For example, in a bathroom, a lever would be far easier to grip than a circular handle knob, and a brushed finish may look better to combat the condensation.
3. Keep it consistent. Match your door handle to the hinges. And although it is okay to mix it up a little and use different colours and finishes in one room, make sure that it still looks cohesive.
4. By all means, shop vintage, and although I have not provided an example below, you can often find fun and artistic pieces on websites like Etsy. The only problem with vintage is that it's hard to find a set.
5. Take your time and do not rush into a decision. You will most likely live with your decision for as long as you live in that home.
Joseph Giles
Joseph Giles began in 1998 by importing mostly European brands and selling them to the UK market. However, they now design their own products, and collaborate with leading designers to release beautiful collections. They have a huge range of hardware on their site and therefore it may seem a little overwhelming at first. I have chosen to feature their collaboration with Kelly Hoppen, as they are some of my favourite pieces on their website. Made from grade-solid brass, each of these pieces are available in their signature finishes. I think these would work perfectly in a kitchen. I adore a brass handle on a darker kitchen cabinet.
Corston
Corston does traditional hardware beautifully. They don’t particularly take notice of trends, but as a result their pieces are truly timeless. They take inspiration from the classic design traditions from around the world. For example, their T-Bar handle is typically Belgian, their light switches are inspired by the timeless dolly switch, and their Poplar Mortice doorknob could be seen in many Old English homes. Choose from antique brass, polished brass or a bronze finish.
Schoolhouse
Schoolhouse was founded by Pacific Northwest native Brian Faherty in 2003 with the intention of creating a new generation of heirlooms that inspire people to create unique, meaningful spaces in which to live and work. They are the masters of simplicity and monochromatic handles, and I particularly like their black brushed brass hardware, which has a matte finish. Schoolhouse marries the domestic with the industrial seamlessly.
Buster & Punch
London born Buster and Punch are famed for their feature diamond-cut, cross knurl pattern. And although I adore their beautiful handles, I would suggest looking at their plug sockets. Nice plug sockets are endlessly difficult to find, and we have all seen the plastic, white sockets in older homes, but I think having a metal socket elevates your space. Buster and Punch work with rare, solid metals.
https://www.busterandpunch.com
Mark Lewis
London born Buster and Punch are famed for their feature diamond-cut, cross knurl pattern. And although I adore their beautiful handles, I would suggest looking at their plug sockets. Nice plug sockets are endlessly difficult to find, and we have all seen the plastic, white sockets in older homes, but I think having a metal socket elevates your space. Buster and Punch work with rare, solid metals.
https://www.marklewisinteriordesign.com
Ochre
London born Buster and Punch are famed for their feature diamond-cut, cross knurl pattern. And although I adore their beautiful handles, I would suggest looking at their plug sockets. Nice plug sockets are endlessly difficult to find, and we have all seen the plastic, white sockets in older homes, but I think having a metal socket elevates your space. Buster and Punch work with rare, solid metals.
