Boxer dog door knobs

Having officially launched our new collection of dog themed door hardware we wanted to share some of the background behind each dog breed.

We have four boxer dogs in our neighborhood with wonderful names, 2 are named Tank and Pistol, they are difficult to tell apart which given they are brothers is not too surprising. The other 2 are rescue boxers named Doctor and Dolly. Dr is a white boxer named after the well- known British show “Dr. Who” the other is named Dolly and as you probably guessed is a nod to Dolly Parton. My neighbor is a long- term fan of boxers and all his dogs have come from Boxer Rescue Los Angeles, a non-profit rescue center funded solely by private donations with a fully staffed kennel facility in the San Fernando Valley.

The creative end result of our neighborhood boxers  is a boxer head door knob set. The door knob exists as a functioning passageway set or can be used as a fixed door knob. The boxer head is also available as a simple door pull, or coat hook or as front door knocker. So far we have 8 breeds of dog but have 2 more on the design board which we hope to add by the end of this year or early part of next year.

All of the dog door knobs are made with the same eye for detail as our other lines of door hardware and made the same way using the lost wax method to create intricately detailed castings.

New Directions in Custom Door Hardware, Lighting and Art

Starting a new year always provides impetus for new designs for our wide range of door hardware, lighting and now art. While the creative process lacks boundaries, the demands of work place requires that we treat these 3 areas differently, with “art” still being relegated to third position almost as an indulgence. This year we intend to indulge ourselves.

Art

Bronze Stag Beetle 20”W 15”D 6”H Limited Edition

Over the last few years when time permitted Martin Pierce has been sculpting and painting large scale insects and what he sees as their small-scale humanoid companions, the scale is deliberate and focuses attention on the species that matters. Sculpting insects began when Martin sculpted his first “Hornet on Apple” sculpture which was carved in Yew- wood in England in 1977. His most recent insect sculptures are stag beetles rendered in bronze or steel and available as single freestanding pieces or as dueling pairs mounted on tree bark cast in bronze

Tall Door Handles

Perhaps another indulgence but the scale of large door grips provides the opportunity to create some beautiful pieces. The brand of a hotel or resort can at once both inspire and restrain a design and that challenge is what makes custom commercial door handles fun to conceive and cast.

Morphic Serpentine Long Door Pull

Lighting

As our door grips become longer so too do the illuminated Morphic door handles. These organic lace- like handles will be customized in 2019 to offer a range of lengths from 16” to 64” and we are experimenting with a version of this handle that would have alternating sections of steel and bronze.

Shown 16” to 32”H but new taller sizes in development

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Martin Pierce Custom Door Hardware

It has been quite a bustling creative year making door handles and creating a wide range of custom door hardware. Our work took center stage at the Gensler designed Post Oak Hotel in Houston with large lace and oak styled handles for the public areas and braid inspired handles for all of the suites and we will be sharing more of this project’s highlights in early January.

Martin’s raven has taken a back-seat to the demands of these large projects but I am pleased to report that the raven mold has been created and his first red wax replica has emerged.

We look forward to a creative 2019 and wish you all well.

Anne and Martin Pierce

Baroque carving a training ground for nature inspired door handles

The Willow collection of custom door handles in part owes its existence to Martin Pierce’s early training as a wood carver. On leaving school at 16 he served an apprenticeship as wood carver and finisher and spent countless hours carving acanthus leaves, oak leaves and acorns as decorations for reproduction baroque furniture. The training was invaluable in developing carving and drawing skills and for focusing his awareness on leaf styles and movement in nature.

As a free-lance wood carver, Martin was able to reflect nature in a less stylized manner and he began sculpting trees and leaves with more fluid lines. As an antique reproduction carver Martin’s work was limited by the formality of each period he was copying. As a hardware designer and pattern maker his work is now constrained by the practical needs imposed by door hardware. In this composite shot you can see how the same willow leaves have been sculpted to act as small tight easy to hold knob for door bolts and how the same leaves have been carved as a looser vortex of flowing leaves to make a large entry door knob whose purpose is largely decorative.

Swirling Vortex of Leaves Central to the Willow Collection

The pattern for the center of the Willow leaf vortex  was carved in basswood and then painted with a grey primer to conceal the grain and pores of the wood and too create a smooth surface for reproduction in wax (red image). The wax replica is made by creating a mold from the pattern and it is approximately 4% smaller than the pattern.

Luxury Handles for Windows by Martin Pierce

When we began our venture into functional art we started by assessing how doors and cabinets function and endeavored to make all of our art hardware suitable for most uses. We have described in other posts how we adapted our custom door levers and escutcheon designs so they would be compatible with privacy and passageway latches, deadbolts and mortise locks and could be specified according to the door function they performed. Needless to say we did not think of all the possible ways that a door lever could be used and so when our Willow collection was specified as the style for furbishing a complete home, including the windows, we had to create several custom pieces to fit the narrower dimensions of the window frame as well as act as a trim for a lift and slide mechanism that was being used to push open the heavy windows with minimal effort. Thankfully we had seen this type of window in use in Europe and New York so had a rudimentary understanding of the challenge. The results were 2 new additions to our collection of custom door handles.

                                                     Handle for a lift and slide window mechanism

As our homes and commercial environments evolve so we are regularly challenged to adapt and customize our work and recently this has taken us into adding LED lights to our door handles and soon we will be adding a new section to our site devoted to this new and growing area

What Do We Mean by Custom Door Handles?

We decided to launch 2017 with some notes for designers who may be looking for custom door handles and hope to explain when custom work is a viable option. To begin with, for many people, the term “custom” is used to describe the production of a piece for a specific customer, in other words it is made to order for that customer and not a stocked off the shelf item. In this sense, all of our work is custom as we make every piece to order and each handle is cast, machined and finished according to the designer’s requirements. In this context while the product may be made to order, the patterns, molds and tooling jigs already exist hence the relatively short lead time of 4 to 6 weeks.

Custom - each handle is cast, machined and finished to order

The term custom is also used to describe a product that we already make but that needs to be adapted or modified to fit the designer’s specific site conditions. In this context, the viability of adapting an existing piece is determined on a case to case basis. The first consideration is whether the existing mold can be used to create a wax replica that can be modified to achieve the required adaptation. For example, if a designer has a narrow door stile then she made need a narrower escutcheon plate to fit the door comfortably. The grapevine lever set and our large lizard handles have both been customized in this way and the wax replicas were re-shaped by hand to remove ½” to ¾” from the base of both escutcheon plates. Clearly this takes time and not all styles lend themselves to being so adapted.

Custom - the escutcheon plate can be made 1/2" narrower to fit a narrow door stile

If the adaptation is too great or the number of pieces too many then the next option is to develop a new pattern and mold(s). This process is inherently expensive as it involves;

Designing and often re-designing a piece.

Creating full scale drawings showing the piece from several perspectives.

Creating a 3 dimensional pattern – one for each piece, if the design calls for a right and left directional piece, then two patterns will be needed.

Creating a rigid mold which will be used to create wax replicas of the original pattern and will be used in the lost wax process to create either bronze or steel castings.

The above steps add considerable time and cost to the production of the piece but if it is a piece being ordered for multiple doors then these costs can be amortized over the cost of the project.

Having The Right Door Pull - The Benefits of Working With An ASID Designer

We were recently featured in the Los Chapter of the ASID magazine and want to share with our readers the benefits of working with a creative designer, like Bonnie McIntyre.  Working with a professional designer is especially important when a home owner is choosing custom door hardware for their existing home that needs renovation.  Bonnie began the project by reviewing Martin’s wide range of hardware designs and assessing each style as to its scale, design aesthetic and compatibility with her client’s existing front door. The client, a keen birder, loved Martin’s woodpecker door knocker and so Bonnie continued this natural theme by taking the bark texture of the mounting plate for the door knocker and using it as back-plate for the door set.  The result of this collaboration was a custom one of a kind willow bark door set.

One of a kind custom door set in bronze

The Willow series was continued into the renovated kitchen where Willow cabinet knobs and Hedgerow  pulls were nickel plated and gently oil rubbed with a dark patina to create a sophisticated finish and one that paired well with the pewter faucets and steel range.

Hedgerow Plant Style Cabinet Pull

The transition from the kitchen to butler’s pantry and then to the breakfast room was a point of departure and here more whimsical bunny knobs were used for the passageway doors.

Custom Nickel Plated Bronze Bunny Door Knob

While the project was very satisfying to all who were involved, had it not been for Bonnie McIntyre’s creative restraint and her amazing eye for the smaller finer details I do not think we could have created a space that was both sophisticated and soothing.

Hawaiian Door Pull

We have added a new cabinet door pull to our animal and bird collections and have used the inspiration of Hawaiian birds and fauna to create this piece. The pull is substantial in scale measuring 12” high and 3” wide and can be used either for large cabinet doors or for interior doors.  It is cast in solid bronze and made using the lost wax method of casting which allows us to achieve incredible detail and fluidity in design that is difficult to achieve by other casting methods.

Fusion of bird, vine stem and human attributes for abstract cabinet pull

The pull is a fusion of bird, vine stem and even human features all of which flow together to create an abstract mythical piece.  The pattern for this piece was sculpted in wood and was carved as a 3 dimensional sculpture, both sides having the same design. In the picture we are showing 2 pieces and  by turning the piece over we are able to create pulls that are the mirror image of each other. The mounting posts are attached after the casting has been made and so on this occasion we were too able to create a left and a right pull using one pattern and one mold.

We have named this new addition the “Grand Hawaiian” pull to distinguish it scale wise from the single and double-headed  bird pulls in the same collection.  If you are looking to use other Hawaiian inspired cabinet pulls we also have an orchid stem and bamboo design  to complete your  tiki dream room.

Add color to your custom hardware

 

Most of us are familiar with and expect oil rubbed bronze, stainless steel, nickel and brass finish choices when it comes time to select door and cabinet hardware.  But we are here to tell you that you can add color to your hardware.

Adding a specific color will not only add interest but it can offer other positive influences. For example, hospitality designers will appreciate the ability to incorporate a client's specific brand color to a project's hardware, thereby highlighting the brand.  If the hardware selection incorporates design features such as floral motifs, animals, bugs etc., adding color will allow these patterns to really "pop".  Our lizard pull shown below is a fine example of the impact color can have on custom hardware.

A subtle introduction of color can also have a big impact.  The effect is seen in the color we added to our Morphic cylindrical entryway pulls and debuted at this year's HD Expo in Las Vegas.  The cutout design offers the perfect opportunity to add color to this sleek and contemporary collection of custom hardware.

Is there a place in your next project for some color?  If so, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com to view our entire collection of architectural hardware.

Get to know your entry door hardware up close and personal---backplates

A front door is something we all have in common.  And while the appearance of our entry door hardware varies from building to building, they all have parts in common.  Let's break it down and review the proper terminology and purpose of this very necessary hardware.

Back plate or to some, escutcheon: The plate to which a door handle, be it a lever or knob, is attached, making it possible to open the door. The back plate was often referred to in England and Europe as an escutcheon plate which tends to imply that it is more decorative.  The back plate not only is the mounting for the handle but it also covers up the "guts" of the lock in the door be it a tubular lock or mortise lock.

At Martin Pierce  our back plates are extremely decorative and very stylized.  They are designed to continue the artistic style of the handles.  With our lizard handles shown in the photo we designed a back plate to look like the bark of a tree; our Willow knob uses a circular back plate or rose in the form of overlapping willow leaves; the Hedgerow handle uses a back plate that has fretted sections at the top and bottom that are stylized tree branches.

Our entire collection of custom architectural hardware for both entry and interior doors can be seen at www.martinpierce.com.

Join us at the 2014 HD Expo

My how time flies!  We are less than 90 days away from this year's HD Expo, held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We have been excited to watch the anticipation grow as vendors post information about their new products and expectations for the event on the HD Expo facebook page. We will debuting a couple of new pieces of custom hardware including our Morphic cylindrical door handle imbedded with LED lighting.  Imagine how the addition of this lighting can enhance your hospitality projects by not only improving the appearance of the facility but also the safety of it's occupants.

And don't forget---the first ten visitors to our booth #4659 will receive one of our scarab beetle or dragonfly drawer pulls.  These miniature works of art will add beauty and luxury to your desk drawer and make you the envy of everyone in the office.

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

2014 design trends for the hospitality industry

As we familiarize ourselves with all the aspects of LED lighting, it will offer many opportunities for the innovative designer or architect to introduce it into their designs.

Bellacor Lighting recently discussed upcoming trends specific to the hospitality industry: "Interior design trends this year are influenced by the sometimes dueling forces of technology and nostalgia. On the one hand, technologies like LED's are influencing not only how lighting works within a space but also how it can look and where it can be utilized. Meanwhile, our longing for simpler times is creating a demand for mid-century modern design as well as simpler lines, natural materials and calming textures." These ideas will influence which products manufacturers place on the market including textiles, lighting, hardware and case goods.

Here at Martin Pierce Hardware we are in the process of developing a door pull with LED lighting embedded in the handle.  Our Morphic cylindrical door pull is the perfect candidate for this new technology as the cutouts that are part of the design offer a natural spot for the lights to shine through.   Our plan is to debut this innovative custom hardware at the 2014 HD Expo in May.  Please stop by our booth #4756 and see if this unique design will fit into your current projects.

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

Where to find us at the 2014 HD Expo

We recently shared with you our excitement about attending the 2014 HD Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas Nevada.  We will setup residence in the exhibit hall and can be found in booth #4659.

Many of you have visited our booth at past events to view our custom hardware as well as see new products being debuted at the Expo.  This year will be no different as we will be debuting several new pieces.  We are particularly excited to share our new Morphic cylindrical door pull complete with LED lighting in the handle.  Not only will this make it easy to locate the door handle in a hotel, spa, nursing home or retirement facility for your hospitality clients, it is sure to cast a beautiful shadow due to the cutout pattern of the Morphic design.

So be sure and stop by our booth #4659 to introduce yourself, say hello and see what we have in store for 2014.

Dissecting door hardware

Door knob from the Ergo Collection of custom hardware from Martin Pierce Custom Hardware

When is a door knob just a door knob?  Never!  There are several components that come together with the end result being the door knob you or your customers take for granted several times every single day.

If you were to dissect a door knob you would find:

• Door Lever – you depress the door lever or turn the knob to activate the locking mechanism. There are springs inside the lever and knob that return it to its resting position

• Back plate - also known as an escutcheon plate. This is the decorative metal cover that usually conceals the mechanism that allows allows the door lever to function. Each manufacturer has their own way of making the lever functional but there is a lot of commonality.  For example, the “stem” end of our door levers is cast and machined so that it is a square hole that accommodates an 8 mm square spindle. This “8mm on the square” spindle has its roots in Europe but most of the really top notch American lock companies, the premier being Accurate lock, use this configuration in their mortise locks so we have too. Alternatively the spindle can be diamond shaped and is often 7mm. One end of the spindle fits snugly into the end of the lever or knob and it is held in place by various springs, screws and clips. The other end passes through a hole in the back plate and then goes through the door into the lock regardless of whether it is a mortise or tubular lock, and then passes through to the end of the lever on the other side of the door. 

• Rose - typically used for door knobs it is the equivalent of the back plate but, as its name suggests it is round in shape.  Many of our custom decorative roses are organic and tend to be irregular in shape.  The rose is also used to house the cylinder lock, again serving the purpose of concealing the moving parts.

• As with many items we encounter in our daily lives, you can see that an ordinary door knob is anything but ordinary and involves a great deal of creativity to make them work properly and in an attractive way.

• If you would like to see some of the pieces shown above or view our entire collection of architectural  hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Contemporary custom hardware designs

We spend a lot of time on this blog discussing the various custom hardware collections we offer, most often with a nature or organic theme.  But we are equally proud of some of the more contemporary and modern collections we also offer such as those pieces found in our Textured collection.  Our Ergo door handle, the subject of our recent naming contest, is also from this collection.  This grouping offers shiny stainless hardware that is in sharp contrast to the handsome and very textural pieces like our chiseled pull and coordinating hardware items.  Any of the hardware pieces in this collection are guaranteed to enhance your interior spaces and impress your clientele.

You can view our entire collection or contact us for bespoke orders at www.martinpierce.com.

The third cousin of custom door hardware: deadbolts and hinges

We are all familiar with drawer pulls, door knobs and levers and how they can add interest, texture and a custom touch to any home or place of business.  However,  the smaller, but very necessary door and window hardware pieces like deadbolts and hinges are equally important and an often overlooked detail.

This deadbolt from our Hedgerow collection will finish the look on any door in both the interior and exterior.  Imagine a door that features the beautiful Hedgerow Multi Point door hardware with a standard deadbolt in place of the beautiful corresponding piece we have designed...not a pretty picture!

If the mere sight of the keyed cylinder even with beautiful trim is too much of a distraction from the artistry of our door trim we have some clever ways of concealing the mechanism.  As shown here we use a swinging stone plate, in this case in the form of a beautiful butterfly that looks like it is going to be lunch for our popular lizard door handle,  to conceal the "working" part, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of your hardware.

Take a look at all of your interior and cupboard doors as well as some windows and you will notice that the one thing they all have in common is some sort of hinge mechanism.  Again, you can install a standard off the rack hinge or you can continue your bespoke look by having custom hinges that coordinate or match your hardware to complete the look.  Don't overlook these small but important details when designing your own home, a public building or hospitality venue.

For more information on these products or to view  our complete line of custom hardware and get the latest news on what is happening at Martin Pierce, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com

Hospitality design trends for 2013

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend that included time spent with family and friends as well as some bargain hunting if you were so inclined.  Now it's back to work....

The hospitality design industry is on a never ending quest to determine what their discriminating clients and guest are seeking and then figure out how to deliver it to them.  This process can be tricky as the goal is to provide all the amenities necessary for guests and create a memorable experience, all the while maintaining individual brand identity.

Guests of boutique or upscale hotels are always looking for a unique experience that provides all the comforts of home while they are far from home, either on business or visiting for pleasure.  There are several ways hospitality designers can create an environment that insures and enhances this experience and still meet the needs of the corporate parent as well.

• Spa like bathrooms offer a respite from the harsh realities of daily life and business and "spoil" the guests with items such as large soaking tubs, exquisite linens and luxurious bath products at their fingertips.
• Inviting and comfortable lobbies that not only create a positive first impression but also provide a gathering spot for guests during their stay.
• Consumers continue to be interested in seeing that businesses they support maintain an energy efficient and even an eco-friendly environment.
• The use of local craftsman and artists' work in the design of a hotel will enhance the experience of guests.  Large  photos of the surrounding areas or sculptures and artifacts that celebrate local cultures are just one of the many ways hotels are able to introduce their clients to the area.
• Small details like custom door and window hardware, hand-made furniture, high quality linens and personalized items that meet a guest's individual needs will set your hotel apart from your competitor.
• Many hotels are looking to attract local "staycationers" who do not want to roam far from home but are looking for a pleasant getaway.  Design that, again, celebrates the local countryside and/or culture will provide a romantic anniversary getaway or make a family reunion more memorable.

To view our complete  line of hardware and get the latest news on what is happening at Martin Pierce, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com.

Limited Edition hardware series at Martin Pierce

Isn't it wonderful to know that you own something that no one else owns?  Perhaps it is a piece of art or a treasured antique.  Or, in the case of a limited edition, you and a few select people are privileged to own a specific item.  Well, we are excited to say that it is now possible to own beautiful custom hardware from the new limited edition series at Martin Pierce. We are not new to the idea of limited edition pieces.  In fact, our Aspen Buffet with a limit of 30 pieces, of which 20 have sold, has been popular as has our vine series with a limit of 100 (76 have sold). 

We are now offering the large vine door handle in a limited edition of 100.  Two of these signed and numbered pieces of "functional art" have already sold with the help of LaForce Decorative Hardware in Madison Wisconsin.  We have shared the creative process of this piece from design drawing to pouring of the mold to actual functional item and are now ready to release this to 100 discriminating home and business owners.  As you can see, the incredible detail and thought that has gone into this design makes this a very special piece.  Look closely and you will spot several critters and knot holes among the leaves and vines.

For more information on these new products, view our complete line of hardware and get the latest news on what is happening at Martin Pierce, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com