Martin Pierce Hardware finds a home in sunny Florida

With every single project it is, of course, necessary for us to focus our attention on the details surrounding the project i.e.location, design details etc.  But there are wonderful people behind the scenes that we are privileged to work with.  Such is the case with this southern Florida residential project. We were approached by Theresa Wright, owner and principal designer of Interiors and Silks in Marco Island, Florida about some custom door hardware for her client.  She and the builder, Kevin William's Construction, Inc., have worked together for many years and came together once again to create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind home for their mutual client.

Theresa has been an interior designer on Marco Island, Florida for the past 20 years and is always searching for unique items for her clients.   In her words, having found our bespoke hardware pieces "...was a dream come true for me and my clients. I appreciate the artistic value of what you and your husband create.  My client, being an artist herself, truly understands the time and thought that goes into making something this extraordinary.  Thanks for creating this for us. The door hardware is the "crowning glory" on the spectacular, custom made one-of-a-kind front entry door".

We provided Theresa with pieces from our Willow hardware collection, including our new cremone or surface bolt, as well as front door hardware from our very unique and unusual Hedgerow collection.  We look forward to sharing photos of this completed project as soon as they are available.

You can view the Willow and Hedgerow designs, along with our entire collection of architectural hardware on our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Happy Birthday America!

If you are not already familiar with the history or the reason behind the celebration of July 4th, you can read all about it here. Regardless of whether you celebrate with a patriotic concert in the park, a family backyard barbecue or enjoying a small town parade, the day is certainly set aside to allow us all to reflect for a moment and then celebrate in an all-American manner.

Enjoy!

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, you can visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

A surface bolt and matching doorbell complete the Willow door hardware collection

Exterior doors are designed to allow you and your guests access to a building and make it possible to enter and exit said building.  And since every building obviously has a door, if not several,  people do not give them much thought.  During the design of the building you make decisions on door and hardware style, location and the finishes such as paint color and whether you want bronze or steel hardware.  But it is also necessary to consider security and ease of operation when it comes time to select your door hardware.

Door knobs, levers, backplates and locks are all part of a door's hardware and, like every successful team, they work together.  However, some door configurations require additional items.  For example, double doors for styles that include french doors, interior cabinet doors and dutch doors will also need a surface or Cremone bolt that is designed to keep one door in place when the adjoining door is open.  We have added a cremone bolt to our Willow collection, making it possible for you to fully coordinate the hardware in any space.  We recently paired this collection with magnificent Hedgerow Heroic Trees entry door pulls for a spectacular look.

Hospitality and residential designers alike know that attention to detail is the key to a well-designed space and the coordinating Willow door bell seen in the center of the photo above will add that all important detail to any project.

To view each of these collections, along with our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Summer has arrived and we have vacation plans

The summer solstice arrived at exactly  9:39 a.m. on June 21, 2015 marking the official beginning of summer for those of us who reside in the Northern Hemisphere.  Both the summer and winter solstice have historically been celebrated by ancient civilizations, including one of the oldest celebrations that took place in Stonehenge located in our native England.  But for many people, including ourselves, it is a signal that it is time for a vacation!

While our travel dates are not exactly a summer vacation, we will be traveling to Istanbul for one week in late September and can hardly wait!  I am trying my best not to think about it too much so I can stay focused on work.

This trip is, in part, inspired by our visit to Granada last year and the exposure to Moorish architecture along with the incredible work of famed architect Antoni Gaudi; all of which whetted our appetite to discover other architectural treasures. Needless to say we will be taking in the phenomenal architecture Istanbul has to offer and, like every good traveller, sampling the food.

Where are your summer vacation plans taking you?

To view the entire collection of architectural hardware at Martin Pierce, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Closer to home we will be going up to Point Reyes in July.

Drought gardening update

Our dream of a lush green lawn and garden like the verdant gardens at the Simpson House Inn seen here: have been dashed by the severe drought that California has been suffering for several years now.  Instead, we recently shared with you the process of turning our once green backyard into a drought tolerant "oasis" by allowing the grass to slowly turn a lovely shade of brown

and we are now the proud owner of a well-groomed patch of dirt

This brings us to the planning stage of the new drought tolerant garden.  To begin, we are mapping out the area to decide which areas will be pathways and which areas will be plant areas.  We find the most difficult part of this task is deciding on the "look" we want for each area.  What colors do we want to use, how tall should the plants be and which plants we want in the foreground and which ones do we want to place in the background are all topics earnestly debated.  We seem to be going in circles so it is back to the drawing board as we carefully re-draw our map and compare it to the dirt patch that is our current reality. We must then establish the location of the plants and lay down the drip lines of the drip system that we will be using to deliver water. Once the lines are installed it will be necessary to stabilize the dirt with a layer of decomposed granite.  The pathways will be created with pavers and somewhat compacted sand and the planting areas will receive a top layer of pea gravel.  We are searching for a pea gravel that doesn’t look as if it just arrived from a building site.   As you can see in the photo, we have made good progress on the grading of the back garden and Martin has dug down and removed a section of soil so that we have a seating area that looks into the garden.  We both agree that we would like to replace our archaic ceramic bird bath with a modest water fountain but since we want the water to be running and recycled we now have to think about getting power to that area of the yard.  The planning continues.......

To view the entire collection of architctural hardware at Martin Pierce, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Biophilia and biomorphism in interior design

We were so interested in the concept of biophilia design that we were introduced to at this years HD Expo and we shared our newfound knowledge and our new dragon egg wall sconce with a design that echoes this idea in a post here.

But the whole idea of furniture and "functional art" created in shapes inspired by nature and organic elements is an interesting one that I discovered has really been around since the mid -twentieth century  in a movement called biomorphism which  Wikipedia defines as:

Biomorphism is an art movement that began in the 20th century. It models artistic design elements on naturally occurring patterns or shapes reminiscent of nature and living organisms

Once you become aware of this artistic endeavor it can be easy to spot examples in the design of furniture, lighting, textiles and even in architecture.  For example:

This unique chair designed by Marc Newson and available through Christie's  auctions is designed to showcase the beauty of the wood and actually looks very comfortable.

Biomorphism can be easily translated into fiber and textile art as seen in this organically shaped, woven wall hanging  crafted of natural materials such as pine needles by artist Patti Chamberlin.

Biomorphism finds its place in architecture with the innovative design of the Selfridge's Department Store in Birmingham, UK, designed by Future Systems in which straight edges normally used in architecture have been replaced with more biomorphic rounded edges.  Also appreciate the juxtaposition of old meets new with this modern building sitting right next door to an old church.

Many of our own bespoke furniture and custom hardware designs reflect elements of biomorphism as well.  Martin has long been inspired by the shapes and movements found in nature, particularly in plants, birds, insects and other creatures and this is evident in the designs he creates.  For example, the rectangular dining room table from our Hedgerow collection with table legs and apron featuring the naturally occuring marks and shapes of a tree.

If you are interested in discussing a custom design for your hospitality design project or would like to view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

How to garden during California's drought

If you live in California you are painfully aware of the drought we are suffering and all the bad news that word conjures up.  As a result of new California regulations mandating water restrictions it has become necessary for all of us to make some adjustments.

As we are both from a country that is usually  too wet for words it is not surprising that we grew up with a fondness for green grass. Even though we moved to a seemingly arid city we still had an aesthetic dependency on that beautiful green substance.

In hindsight it appears we were not the only people who felt our small bit of Los Angeles could be kept green and, indeed, we buried our heads in the sand and clung to our nostalgic memories and to the hope that this would be the case.

Sadly,that is not the case so, after giving up the sprinklers which resulted in our “lawn” turning brown it seemed the time was right to embrace a deeper meaning of green.  Martin was still in denial hoping that some temporary solution could be found but eventually he conceded the dead lawn had to go.

The result is that we have decided to rip out the ugly brown grass and replace it with an orderly variety of succulents, paving stones and decomposed granite. With that as our goal we have photographed the old garden and will keep you posted as we move forward.

Not exactly the lush green landscape you expect from a home located in southern California.  But we have high hopes that the new plan will be just as beautiful in its own unique way.  Photos to follow.

You can view our entire collection of architectural hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles CA  90016

323 939 5929

2 newly discovered wineries in Paso Robles California

Iris is not the only one in our family who enjoys visits to Paso Robles. We are fortunate to have close friends in this area but on our most recent trip we decided to play tourist and give our friends a break from our company.

When you travel it can sometimes be difficult to find a really informative website that covers topics like where to stay, the best restaurants, hiking trails and other activities, but PasoRoblesWineries.net is just such a website. It is easy to navigate, is comprehensive and, better still, can be used on your smart phone, allowing you to make those spur of the moment changes.  And, personally speaking, it allows me to deal with a husband who says he does not like to plan holidays but still expects them to be hassle free and fun!  They also have a great blog where I was pleased to discover a recent post about wineries that welcomed dogs, making it possible to visit with Iris.

Here are a few highlights from our long weekend that may help you find places to sample and purchase wine, all the while enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings.

1. A visit to Sculpterra Winery & Sculpture Garden. Not only is ones palate stimulated but so is ones imagination. As you may know Martin is ,in his “spare” time, pursuing his sculpting and is currently casting 2 large stag beetles that we will be sharing with you soon.  Therefore, we were thrilled to discover this artful winery located in the eastern portion of Paso Robles which is an area we are just beginning to appreciate. Some of the bronze sculptures were created by sculptor John Jagger and their scale and movement is quite awe-inspiring.

2. Lone Madrone is also a great winery to visit and is located in the bucolic landscape on the west Adelaida side of Paso Robles. The winery is run by a fellow ex-patriat Neil Collins who, over the last few years, has  brought his heritage and his fondness for cider to fruition with his  Blackbeard Cider.  True to its roots it is a hard cider with plenty of flavor but also a little buzz to it.

To view our beautifully detailed Grapevine series of bespoke hardware for your next wine cellar or winery project, as well as our entire collection of architectural hardware, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Iris travels to Paso Robles

We recently traveled to Paso Robles to visit friends and tour the wineries (more on that later) and Iris was able to join us on this trip. It has been said many times before but Iris literally springs to life and is charged by the smells and sounds of the countryside.  While all dogs are different, our experience has been that all of the dogs we have owned over the years have shown a different side to themselves when they leave their city persona behind and hoof it uphill in pursuit of real or imaginary prey. With Iris her eyes almost pop and, if her tail were not a mere stump, it would be pointed sky high as she becomes absorbed in her "new" surroundings.

Unfortunately it is not always possible for Iris to join us on our weekend getaways but when she does there is no doubt that she enjoys every single moment of life outside the city.

When I look at this photo I am struck by how well Martin captured her features in the bust he recently created for our personal enjoyment.  Can you see the resemblance?

How about your dog or pet--do they accompany you on vacation?

To view the entire collection of architectural hardware by Martin Pierce, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Recycling and a new use for old wood

The concept of recycling is certainly nothing new.  In fact, the idea of reusing products actually dates back to ancient times but we are more familiar with this process as recently as World War I when rationing and recycling metal, for example, was necessary to our survival.  However, during the 1960's and 70's as we became more aware of the impact certain activities and products had on the environment, it was "trendy" to be environmentally conscious, as it were.  Labeled "The Green Movement", industry and individuals began to search for ways to live that would decrease the impact our existence has on the earth and the motto "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" was born.

Designers, architects and retailers in the hospitality design world have a unique opportunity to make a difference by applying this motto to their own projects.  For example, one of the many trends that made an appearance at this year's HD Expo was the use of reclaimed wood.

Strolling through the exhibitor's hall we saw reclaimed wood used in many creative ways both in the products being shown and in the construction of the display booth itself.  One would expect a company like Urban Evolutions  to utilize reclaimed products in their own designs and they did not disappoint.  Their booth and the furniture located inside the booth were all constructed from reclaimed products, giving everything a unique and environmentally friendly look that is so appealing.

Here at Martin Pierce Hardware we do everything possible to produce our products in an eco-friendly manner and are happy to see that so many of our fellow hospitality industry partners do the same.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Biophilia and interior design

One of the true highlights of the 2015 HD Expo this year was the time we spent and the very enlightening conversation we had with artist Ted Morrison.  A visit to his website will be worth your time. Ted introduced us to the concept of biophilia, defined by Wikipedia as:

“means "love of life or living systems." It was first used by Erich Fromm to describe a psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital.^[3] Wilson uses the term in the same sense when he suggests that biophilia describes "the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” He proposed the possibility that the deep affiliations humans have with other life forms and nature as a whole are rooted in our biology. Unlike phobias, which are the aversions and fears that people have of things in the natural world, philias are the attractions and positive feelings that people have toward organisms, species, habitats, processes and objects in their natural surroundings.

This is such an interesting concept especially in the way it pertains to the arts.  This idea can certainly guide and inspire future designs as we begin to better understand the way our clients are drawn to the "things" that appear in their natural surroundings including plants, creatures, animal and insect habitats etc.  In truth, Martin has always been interested in studying the habitats of the subjects of some of his designs and we have shared some of our trips to the local mountains to locate these habitats with you.

During the Expo Ted attended a round table seminar where designers and show attendees discussed how, on its simplest level, biophilia offers an explanation as to why curved and fluid shapes are more pleasing to people and more relaxing, if you will, than straight- edged pieces.  He returned to our booth after the lecture and commented that we must be “ahead of the curve” as the Morphic and Ergo designs were inherently “biophiliac designs”. While the compliment was well received, both Martin and I pay tribute to the Art Nouveau movement for much of our design inspiration and think this  period was perhaps the most biophiliac movement we have seen in centuries.

One of our new designs attracted a lot of attention at the HD Expo, our new Dragon Egg sconce, and with its membrane like cutout pattern certainly falls into the biophiliac category.

To view these items as well as our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Recipients of our 2015 HD Expo giveaway

We were thrilled to be able to hand out ten orchid knobs to the first ten visitors to our booth at the 2015 HD Expo.  Some of the recipients included:

• Enrqiue Crespo of CASA NOVA DESIGN GROUP
• Michael Nicola of Makram inc.
• Deborah Mayne of CHARLES RAMM ASSOC INC

This beautifully detailed silver plated knob can be used on a desk, cabinet or file box as a reminder of their visit to this year's Expo.

Floral inspired custom hardware will enhance many different hospitality and residential projects including spas, hotels, particularly those located in a tropical or warm locale, retail establishments and vacation homes.  Along with the orchid knob, our Flora collection features daisies, trumpet flowers, vine and leaves or you can opt for custom designed hardware that will be unique to your project and celebrate special qualities, brand etc.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

next post

discuss biophilia and also some of the winners of the orchid pull

Memories from the 2015 HD Expo

Unlike many who leave Las Vegas, we did return home from the 2015 HD Expo with our bank account intact. We also returned home with a pocketful of memories.

I had an opportunity to have a very interesting conversation with photographer Ted Morrison on a concept called biophilia and how it is used in design. I will share some of those details in a later post.  In the meantime, some of Ted's work can be seen by visiting his website at www.tedmorrison.com.

Coincidentally, one of the items that attracted a lot of attention during the HD Expo was our Morphic cylindrical pull with a striking blue hot patina color added that we feel falls into the biophilia design category.  Or maybe it is just further proof that blue remains a universally popular color!

To view other Morphic pieces or our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

The release of our new wall sconces was timely as we continued to see open work designs both nature inspired and organic throughout the floor.  In support of this, our dragon egg sconce enhanced with green lighting also received quite a bit of attention.

Designers can view all of these items with a visit to the showroom located at 5433 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Making friends and spotting trends at the 2015 HD Expo

After a very interesting and successful opening day at the 2015 HD Expo we are looking forward to today. We discovered several trends as we toured the floor but the one that caught our eye was the presence of stylized nature inspired designs and shapes  similar to those found in our new Dragon Egg wall sconce.  Open work designs were spotted in ceiling fixtures, lamp shades, floor screens and room dividers.  Take a look at these room dividers and wall panels from artlinegroup.com.

We also spotted several interesting lighting fixtures including this unique, contemporary table lamp by Van Teal, Inc that, when lit, casts such as interesting pattern onto the wall.

Be sure to stop by our booth #2277 and see some of our products that celebrate this trend, including our new and VERY interesting Dragon Egg wall sconce.  Game of Throne fans will be delighted, we are sure!

You can view our entire collection including architectural  hardware, furniture and, most recently, wall sconces on our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit our showroom located at 5433 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

The doors are open at the 2015 HD Expo

We are all set-up and ready to welcome the thousands of hospitality professionals that crowd the halls of this annual event.  Along with over 900 other exhibitors you can locate us in the Exhibitor's Hall in booth #2277.  As you can see from the photo, we have brought along many of your perennial favorites such as the Iguana entry pull, but we are also debuting several new products including our new wall sconces

and our Morphic door pull enhanced with LED lighting.  Please stop by early and claim your very own orchid knob that will be awarded to the first ten visitors to our booth.

You can view our entire collection of architectural hardware by visiting our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

HD Expo 2015---We're here!!!

Finally, after all of the preparation, we have arrived at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada to exhibit at the 2015 HD Expo.  You can find us in booth #2277 in the exhibitor's hall which is open from 9:30-5:00 each day of the conference.

It is a flurry of activity here in the Exhibitors hall, as you can see by this photo.

I love the dramatic impact our backdrop showcasing our new LED entry door pull has on the space.

We are excited to be here and experience our 5th Expo and look forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

Remember that the first TEN visitors to our booth #2277 will receive, as our gift, one of our silver plated orchid knobs.  These are miniature works of art that you can install on a desk or cabinet and enjoy for years to come.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can tour our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Game of Thrones inspired wall sconce

Game of Thrones fans will love this new wall sconce inspired by the mythical creatures on the show.

Martin and I are both avid viewers of this series and while the show may have its critics, we both really enjoy the fantasy world that has been created.  In particular, we love the dragons.  We have watched them from their immersion as eggs into the pit of a fire in order to hatch to their development into powerful and lethal fiery predators.

The sconce was inspired by those eggs and features a gourd-like shape similar to our new floral wall sconce.  In the case of the dragon egg sconce, Martin carved out sections to give it the feeling of membrane and coral.

We will be introducing this new Dragon Egg sconce at the upcoming 2015 HD Expo being held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Nevada beginning on May 13th and continuing through May 15th.  You can see this stunning light fixture in person by visiting our booth #2277 located in the Exhibitors Hall.

We feel we have created something very different and fittingly organic in design with this wall light which measures:

5" in Diameter

7" in depth from wall to outer edge

17" in height

and will be available in steel, as shown, or in bronze.

And don't forget that the first ten visitors to our booth will receive one of our orchid knobs as our way of saying "Nice to meet you."

To view our entire collection of lighting and architectural hardware please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Trends blossom at High Point Market

The semi-annual Market at High Point North Carolina just closed, much to the delight of the aching feet of over 75000 designers and other professionals who attend. Fortunately for those of us who are not able to attend this spectacle, there are plenty of "style spotters" who share the new trends that we can expect to see in the near future. Along with plenty of mixed metals, Pantone's color of the year and the resurgence of brass accents, one other trend that stood out was the use of  nature inspired accents on furniture.  Tree branches wound their way across the front of a buffet, wood grain took center stage on case goods and botanical and garden motifs were visible in all forms from textiles to hand-painted designs to the metal floral sculptures of Tommy Mitchell.  Here is just a sampling of what was debuted at the Spring Market:

The beauty of nature is nothing new at Martin Pierce Hardware.  In fact, some of our most popular hardware designs were inspired by our natural surroundings and we have discussed that often on this blog.  One of our very first collections is the Hedgerow collection, inspired by the shrubs and greenery in our small hometown in England.  This unique design is available on both hardware and custom furniture pieces.  Here you can see the Hedgerow chair being used in the Four Seasons Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and it fits in so nicely with the beautiful and mountainous surroundings.

Included in this custom furniture line are beds, dressers, dining chairs and other case goods.  You can view our entire custom furniture collection by visiting our furniture site.

For more nature inspired architectural hardware collections, please visit www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

2015 HD Expo update

We are just a few short weeks away from opening day of the 2015 HD Expo where we will be exhibiting in booth #2277.  We will be debuting several new items including our first foray into wall lighting with our floral wall sconce.  You can learn more about this new piece here.

We are very excited to hear your comments on this beautiful piece.  We will also be debuting the new Morphic entry door pull enhanced with LED lighting.

Not only does the lighting offer a beacon, of sorts, to the entry of a building but the soft glow is unique and inviting.  Plus, additional lighting at the entry of any building is always a good safety tool.

And keep in mind that the first ten visitors to our booth will receive one of our orchid knobs. This little gem is sure to add a touch of elegance to a desk drawer or storage cabinet in your home or office.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929