brass "hand" door knocker on exterior black door

HARDWARE – THE ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY

Those who won in Rio can be found post-games posing with their hard-earned medals (gold, silver and/or bronze) at news conferences, talk shows and celebrity events.  Olympic hardware is pretty delicious — and not just because the athletes like to take a playful chomp during photo-ops — the heft and quality of the medals is obvious.  That’s why hardware is one of my favorite elements in design.  Well-crafted hardware not only looks good, if feels good.  Handling a door knob or drawer pull that’s cast and detailed to perfection is like nothing else.  Install beautiful, substantial hardware throughout a residence and the home will have guaranteed gravitas and soul.

 

nicky kehoe display case with brass and oil rubbed bronze cabinet hardware

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Make an Entrance

Door hardware is often one of the first impressions a home can make; it’s an introduction to the story inside … and an opportunity to have a little fun!

  L vintage fish knocker C antique siren door knocker R vintage brass door hardware with starburst escutcheons

(left) antique fish knocker from Comer & Co. (center) beautifully handcrafted and complex set via Tumblr and (right) vintage brass door hardware with starburst escutcheons via Pinterest

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The Finishing Touch to Cabinetry

A lot of care goes into the design of millwork, so we want to honor the craftsmanship with the right choice of hardware.  Whether it’s nickel or bronze, knob or pull, ornate or simple — all depends on the vernacular of the residence.

    antique silver cabinet hardware - rectangular pull and pair of round knobs

(above) We settled on this hardware collection for a Florida master suite because it has a rustic and organic elegance, a perfect fit for the casual but sophisticated beach-side residence.

    4 sets of cabinets with varying types of knobs

(clockwise from top left) The following hardware styles – traditional in Darnestown, contemporary in Delray Beach, transitional in Bethesda, and Colonial in Arlington – installed in Huntley & Co. projects.

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Jewelry for Furniture

Sometimes the success of a furniture piece depends on the hardware.  This handcrafted gold pull wholly represents our credo of modern glamour and was just the magic this custom H&Co. console required.

huntley & co. interior design, architectural digest, dc interior designer, bethesda interiors, custom furniture

Gold ‘Branche’ pull by Objet Insolite glows against the grey shagreen finish of the console.

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Designing from Scratch

Hardware is always essential, but in some cases, it is actually at the heart of the design – as it was in the case of this custom H&Co. trunk.  The antique brass English plate handle was integral to the design process and chosen specifically for our Irish client.  From inspiration, to drawings, to fabrication — no detail was left behind!

  colonial brass bin pulls and nailhead hardware for furniture    

(above) The selection process.
(below) Detailed drawings for our fabricator; (bottom right) the finished upholstered trunk with plate handles, nailheads, pop-up lid and concealed drop-down door.

huntley & co. autocad elevations with shading of custom trunk design

  custom upholstered trunk designed by huntley & co. with nailheads and hardware

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On the Road Discoveries

These are the kind of photos I download from my trips.  Forget tourist traps and lounging on the beach.  No, my idea of heaven is snapping shots of door hardware and cabinet knobs.  Can you say #designaddict?

      brass knobs on wardrobe, elegant and detailed lever, selection of horn pulls with tricia's hand

(left) egg knobs and chicken wire at the Marlton Hotel(center) Incredible Van Cronenburg at the AD Design Show; (center) selecting horn pulls at Ochre

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I could easily post a hundred more photos of hardware.  Instead, go to Luxe & Lucid’s “interior architecture+details” page on Pinterest.  This much great hardware will make you a #designaddict too! 

Tricia signature

 

2 Comments

  • Jennifer Sergent

    So true! Hardware can dress up pieces like bathroom vanities and old dressers when you don’t quite have the budget to replace the piece itself. We inherited a dated bathroom in our new house, and while we’re years away from affording a redo, some awesome drawer pulls from Anthropologie gave it some quick updating and a bit of bling that makes me smile every morning :-)

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