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• Great Brits: 9 Brands We Love from Across the Pond

  

  

  

  Nine years ago, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum opened “British Design 1948-2012: Innovation in the Modern Age” — an exhibition comprising more than 300 objects exploring three key themes: the tension between tradition and modernity; the subversive impulse in British culture; and Britain’s leadership in design innovation and creativity. 

  

  In a promotional video for the exhibition, Edward Barber (of the London-based industrial design studio Barber Osgerby) made a compelling point: “It doesn’t matter where you go in the world, you’ll find a British designer working there, whether it’s in architecture, industrial design, fashion design or graphics, we are everywhere.” Hailed by the museum as “one of the most exciting creative practitioners working in the UK today,” London Design Medal winner Thomas Heatherwick echoed Barber’s sentiments: “When I think of British design, I find that somehow one is talking about people from all over the world who have chosen Britain to base themselves. A lot of modern history has been rooted in what has come from the United Kingdom.”

  Undoubtedly due to this global network of British designers, their wide-ranging influences and the diversity of the UK, it’s futile to try to categorize or summarize British design. It can be regal or rebellious, minimalist or maximalist, eccentric or restrained. Ungovernable stylistic inclinations aside, Brits are also behind numerous innovations and inventions, including the tin can, the chocolate bar, the toothbrush, the thermos, the kaleidoscope, the bagless vacuum cleaner and the ATM — not to mention the popularization of the miniskirt (courtesy of swinging ’60s designer Mary Quant) and punk culture (thanks to the Sex Pistols, Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren, et al.). On the home furnishings front, Sir Terrence Conran is credited with “revolutionizing retail and decor” in the 1960s with Habitat — a London-born chain that brought modern design to the masses and introduced a build-it-yourself format later adopted by IKEA.

  Fittingly, the British brands represented by Alexander Marchant champion myriad styles and points of view. Some uphold age-old traditions, others buck tradition altogether — but all maintain a razor-sharp focus on quality, craftsmanship and innovation.

  

  Armac Martin

  Launched by brass founder Harold McGrail in 1929, Armac Martin celebrates the timeless elegance of brass and takes heritage and craftsmanship seriously. Based in Birmingham, the fourth-generation family business offers more than 30 distinct collections of cabinet hardware that run the gamut from industrial (the customizable MIX series is beloved for its tactile, diamond-knurled knobs and pulls) to ornate (Aberdovey takes stylistic cues from seashells). Adding geometric flair to cabinets, doors, vents, panels and more, Armac Martin’s decorative brass grilles are an undeniable fan favorite that are assembled by hand and available in nine unique finishes.

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  Buster + Punch

  The brainchild of architect and industrial designer Massimo Buster Minale, Buster + Punch boasts unusual roots in a motorcycle garage in East London. Drawing inspiration from “London’s fashion, music and sub-culture scenes,” the company strives to “transform everyday functional fittings into extraordinary home details” and succeeds with flying colors. In addition to solid-metal door and cabinet hardware (the multicolored “burnt steel” finish is truly something to behold), the edgy lifestyle brand creates industrial-chic pendant lights outfitted with covetable bulbs, diamond-knurled brass candle holders, dog collars, jewelry, metal coffee tables and home bars fit for a rockstar.

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  Croft

  Built by five generations of a family with 150 years of manufacturing history between them, West Midlands-based manufacturer Croft isn’t afraid to use the word “perfection.” In fact, it’s what they call their “default standard.” Since opening its modern chapter in 1972, the company has earned a reputation for impeccable brass and bronze door, cabinet and window hardware as well as bespoke furnishings for royal palaces, historic castles, stately museums and luxury hotels. Encompassing an array of styles (from Art Deco to contemporary), Croft fittings can be personalized in an assortment of signature finishes and patinas including matte black bronze, marbled brass, pearl nickel and polished chrome.

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  Frank Allart

  Established by George Allart in 1914, Frank Allart (exclusive to Alexander Marchant in Central Texas) made a name for itself in WWI-era Birmingham by manufacturing brass fittings for the architectural, marine and railway trades. Proud inventor of the 5640 flush bolt that’s still in heavy rotation in the door hardware industry, Frank Allart now designs and manufactures a comprehensive selection of residential hardware (including more than 100 door lever and knob designs) available in 30 metal finishes and patinas. Last year, the century-old company introduced Allart Precision, a new range of door, cabinet and window hardware distinguished by engineered knurled patterns and precision cuts.

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  Ged Kennett

  Based on a quaint, country estate in Southwest England, craftsman Ged Kennett got his start in hand-forged ironwork for residential projects but found his calling in the realm of bespoke cabinet hardware. Formed in 1997, his niche operation is filled with “beautiful old machinery” and proprietary tools used to create stainless steel and brass handles adorned with distinctive textures. Inspired by a trip to India and produced in collaboration with Jodhpur-based designer Gajendra Shanane, Ged Kennet’s Precious Hardstone Collection places amethyst, banded jasper, bloodstone, fossilized agate, green aventurine, lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones in an exquisite yet functional context likened to “jewelry for furniture.” 

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  Kast

  You might not know how desperately you need a colorful concrete washbasin until you get familiar with Kast, the design-forward outfit Swiss designer Tim Bayes formed in 2013. Situated on the edge of Sherwood Forest of Robin Hood fame, the company admittedly focuses “relentlessly on one thing” — crafting concrete sinks in a rich and earthy rainbow of 28 colors (storm, mint, peach, brick, golden  and duck egg among them). While concrete (or “liquid stone”) is the sole medium of choice, Kast’s  shapes, sizes and styles encompass everything from the compact Nilo to the twin Flor Double and the texturally patterned options of the Kast Canvas Collection.

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  Original BTC

  Hailed as “one of the first designers to capture the appeal of industrial styling,” Peter Bowles founded Oxfordshire-based Original BTC in 1990 with a goal to produce “lights that you are instantly at home with.” In addition to running six factories — including facilities for ceramics, glass and metal — the family-run company serves as an umbrella over the Davey Lighting and Beadlight brands. While industrial sensibilities are a common thread (the aluminum Titan pendants are to die for), some Original BTC designs skew elegant and even delicate — especially those rendered in translucent bone china (a signature material). Another hallmark described as “one of Original BTC’s best-loved design features” is the use of braided cotton flex in lieu of unsightly plastic cords.  

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  Samuel Heath

  With an astounding 200-year history, Samuel Heath (exclusive to Alexander Marchant in Central Texas) is both an authority and a pioneer in the realm of British design. Established as a traditional Birmingham brass founder in 1920, the company initially produced bed frames, fireplace accessories and giftware but is now known for bathroom fixtures and architectural hardware that deliver “perfect function and beautiful form.” Complementing collections that take design cues from Art Deco, industrialism, “Nordic chic,” the Bauhaus movement, “quintessentially English” neoclassical styles and plenty in between, Samuel Heath’s distinct One Hundred Collection showcases the company’s rich heritage with taps, showers, tub fillers and accessories distinguished by mirror-polished black levers, knurled escutcheon detailing and even translucent crystal glass.

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  Turnstyle Designs

  Formed by Steven Roberts and based in “glorious North Devon,” Turnstyle Designs arrived on the scene in 1992 with the amusing slogan “Bored of Brass.” Over the course of nearly three decades, the company has proven its nonconformist point of view by creating innovative door and cabinet hardware from perspex, concrete, hand-stitched leather, dyed marble and the proprietary composite Alupewt. Awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2018, Turnstyle offers more than a dozen unique collections ranging from the geometric Labyrinth (a collaboration with London-based Winch Design) to the organically inspired Bamboo.

  Bryan Rindfuss

  August 25, 2024

  Spotlights

  Ged Kennett, Luxury bathroom fixtures, Kast Concrete Basins, luxury hardware, Original BTC, door hardware, Samuel Heath, cabinet hardware, Turnstyle Designs, bespoke hardware, British style, Armac Martin, Buster + Punch, Croft, Frank Allart, British design

• A Peek Inside the Multifaceted Work of Designer Marion Cage McCollam

  

  

  The exacting work of New Orleans-based designer and architect Marion Cage McCollam encompasses projects both tiny and massive — from delicate stud earrings to full-scale residential buildings. “The way I look at it is: it’s all design — [but with] different scales and different applications,” McCollam told Alexander Marchant during a recent Zoom conversation.

  This wide-open approach to design has afforded McCollam a multifaceted career. Outside of her architecture practice, McCollam operates a Magazine Street gallery and showroom that displays her contemporary jewelry and cabinetry hardware — the latter of which is made to order — along with a curated assortment of works by other artists and designers. 

  After studying at Parsons School of Design in New York and the École Supérieure des Arts Graphiques in Paris, McCollam earned a master’s in architecture from Columbia University. She cut her teeth working in Europe for starchitects — including the late Iraqi-British icon Zaha Hadid and Swiss deconstructivist Bernard Tschumi.

  “I’m very sad she’s no longer with us,” McCollam said of Hadid. Intriguingly, her pre-digital duties in that studio included creating drawings and large-scale watercolors designed to convey Hadid’s vision for prospective buildings.

  “When you worked for her, you had to get it. She would scribble something on a cocktail napkin and say, ‘Here.’ If you didn’t get that, you didn’t last long. So you really had to learn her language.”

  

  

  By the mid-2000s, McCollam had branched out on her own and was practicing architecture in New York City. A pivotal moment arrived while she was working on a retail space for a jewelry designer who wanted to outfit her display cases with truly special cabinetry hardware. Serendipitously, McCollam had been taking casting classes at the 92nd Street Y and felt up to the challenge.

  I was like, “Well, I could probably just make some. It’s just like jewelry — only bigger. So that’s kind of how I started [designing cabinetry hardware]. And then I went on to do her loft and she wanted me to do more hardware. So it got bigger. It’s a really nice melding of the art and architecture worlds.”

  That project laid the groundwork for McCollam’s first collection of cabinetry hardware, Camille. Distinguished by subtle curves and surface details, Camille is minimalist and modern but also warm and tactile — thanks in part to the nuances of lost wax casting. Fittingly, this fusion of old and new sensibilities works equally well in the industrial New York spaces it was originally designed for and the historic buildings of New Orleans. “It does a nice job of tying together traditional architecture with contemporary interiors,” McCollam explained.

  

  

  Homage to Zaha 

  Highlighted by elongated, shard-like forms, McCollam’s Peak series began as a jewelry collection that she later scaled up into a suite of cabinetry hardware. “One of the advantages of working across multiple disciplines is that it sets up the possibility for designs to be adapted or translated from one discipline to another,” McCollam explained in a blog about her creative process. Referencing Hadid’s geometry-driven architecture, McCollam named the collection after the Peak Leisure Club — a would-be landmark Hadid proposed to carve into the Hong Kong hills and punctuate with cantilevered beams and manmade cliffs.

  

  Sacred Stones

  Although wildly different from a stylistic perspective, McCollam’s Narmada collection parallels Peak in that its creative spark sprang from personal experience. While visiting India to attend a wedding in Jaipur, she set off on a three-week trip through Rajastan and was especially inspired by Shiva Lingam stones — striated river rocks believed to symbolize the Hindu god Shiva. Composed of cryptocrystalline quartz with iron oxide deposits, the sacred stones get tumbled smooth by the currents of the Narmada River and then polished to accentuate their earthy stripes. Although it wasn’t immediately clear how these organic forms would factor into her work, McCollam eventually drew a connection between Shiva Lingams and sinker cypress — fallen logs that absorb rich colors after lying in lakes and rivers for upward of 100 years. Simultaneously earthy and elegant, the resulting collection of cabinet knobs and pulls showcases the unique juxtaposition of cast metal and reclaimed wood.

  

  

  Expanding Collections

  While Cage McCollam admits she’s had to “pivot during the pandemic,” she’s also seen a flurry of orders as clients from near and far invest in home improvements. The inevitable retail downtime has allowed her to take on more architectural work and even branch out into furniture and lighting design. Her very first light fixture — a spectacular pair of sconces that mirror one another — fits neatly within the geometric confines of her still-growing Peak collection. She’s also been sourcing stones to incorporate into her Narmada designs and developing door hardware to complement each of her collections. Musing about her interdisciplinary endeavors, McCollam offered, “If you talk to most architects, we just have this love of getting our hands dirty and making things. … That’s why I was so drawn to making jewelry — and then hardware — because there’s craft to it. .. As long as I can make something beautiful, it doesn’t matter to me if it’s a building or a piece of jewelry.”

  Bryan Rindfuss

  May 2, 2024

  Spotlights

  Marion Cage, Marion Cage McCollam, Architecture, New Orleans design, Zaha Hadid, Bernard Tschumi, Shiva Lingham stones, Jewelry design, House jewelry, cabinet hardware, bespoke hardware

• Sun Valley Bronze’s Aimee Commons Talks Design, Innovation and Sustainability

  

  

  Eco-friendly. Family-run. Award-winning. All too often these claims amount to mere marketing terms without much supporting evidence. But on the flip side, there are honest-to-goodness businesses that can back up all the above without exaggerating. One shining example is Sun Valley Bronze, known familiarly in design circles as simply SVB.

  As one might gather from its name, SVB champions the ancient alloy of bronze from a picturesque post in the Sun Valley region of Idaho — a destination arguably known best for alpine skiing. Founded in 1992 by master craftsman Robert Commons, the company has evolved from a one-man operation into a boutique manufacturer offering a comprehensive line of decorative bronze door, window, kitchen and bath hardware along with plumbing, lighting and accessories. Encompassing a wide range of styles — from rustic and traditional to contemporary and minimal — SVB hardware is something of a gold standard in the realm of architectural hardware. Created from art-quality bronze, it boasts unparalleled quality, functionality and lifespan.

  

  

  Nearly three decades into the game, founder/owner Robert Commons still works in the machine shop while his wife Debbie runs the business. Their children Josh and Aimee serve as lead design engineer and creative director, respectively. Working together as a family, they’ve managed to grow SVB responsibly while making sustainability an utmost priority. In addition to working exclusively with pre-consumer bronze and green sand technology, SVB recycles its scrap metal and follows Lean manufacturing principles — a super-efficient production model that results in zero waste. 

  Rightfully, these efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2018, SVB was named a Pollution Prevention Champion by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for demonstrating “tremendous leadership in reducing its environmental footprint.”

  In hopes of learning more about the inner workings of one of Alexander Marchant’s favorite brands, we caught up with Aimee Commons, whose role as SVB’s creative director involves everything from brand identity to photography and design.

  

  What can you tell us about the formation of Sun Valley Bronze and how the company has evolved?

  It’s been steady, and very organic. We’ve just grown over the years — increasing in square footage and adding tools, improving technology and promoting innovation. It’s a family business my father started. He’s a really talented craftsman. He started out hand-carving these beautiful designs — just kind of doing it by feel — and that’s how a lot of our original designs came about. Then it really started to take on a life of its own. … We got really into innovation and the technical aspects of the products. That’s been a huge focus for us. We put a ton of time into testing the hardware and improving the functionality. My brother Josh is our lead design engineer, so he’s really focused on making the hardware work well and ensuring its lifetime. These are not products you replace — and that’s a big part of our sustainability. We add new designs organically based on jobs. We’ll fill voids in our collection based on what’s needed for a job, sometimes we’ll develop a whole new line, it kind of depends. A lot of it is client-driven.

  So the design process is happening in-house as well?

  It’s all happening in-house and it happens in a bunch of different ways. Sometimes a concept will come to us from a client and we’ll help design and engineer it — or the concept is coming from an architect and they’re trying to carry a specific look through their project. Sometimes we will do an actual collaboration with an architecture firm or designer. We’re doing that with several different architects right now. … And then sometimes we design new products completely in-house, when we want to try something or we have a concept and we’ll design a single product or a whole collection — maybe it’s cabinet hardware or a line of door hardware or lighting. 

  

  Which architects has Sun Valley Bronze worked with on those types of projects?

  We created The Lift Series with CLB Architects, which is more of a contemporary style of hardware. CLB is a great firm based in Jackson, Wyoming and Bozeman, Montana. And we’ve also worked with de Reus Architects, which is based in Hawaii and Sun Valley, Idaho. Mark de Reus has an eye for Hawaiian, island-style architecture. We created a collection with him called the Kyoto Collection that’s pretty unique. 

  The bronze production process can be difficult to wrap one’s head around. Are you able to break it down into terms almost anyone would understand? 

  It all starts with the design process. Designs can either be made by hand or machine. We have a 3D printing lab where we can prototype samples from a CAD model. We also build patterns on CNC machines. Our tech is pretty sophisticated for development. It’s kind of mesmerizing actually because you see this pattern come to life in the machine. After the approval process, we’ll create something called a match plate, which allows us to take a single product and replicate it over and over again. That two-sided match plate gets pressed into a sand mold. Then the match plate is removed and leaves a void in the sand — and that’s what we pour the bronze into. We heat the bronze up to about 2,200 degrees. Once the bronze has cooled, we break it out of the sand, and it goes to cutoff, grinding, and then the machine shop — which is another super-high-tech part of the process. And then it goes to our finishing shop, then assembly and then it’s sent out.

  

  

  The sand mold, is that where the green sand comes into play? And does Sun Valley Bronze always work with that?

  Always. And we have a lot of special practices around that process. Back in the day, sand used to be oil-based — it was really unhealthy and not good for the environment. We use a green sand, which is water-based. We have systems where we can recondition the sand, so it gets used over and over again. Any moisture that’s in it gets collected and filtered and reused. Our whole casting process is extremely green — especially for this kind of manufacturing.

  And you also reuse scrap metal, correct?

  We source high-quality art-grade bronze that is 85% pre-consumer bronze — so the majority of the alloy is recycled. Once it goes into our system, the sprues, or channels, that connect all the parts during the casting process get cut off and remelted. And as it goes through the process in machining, little shavings come off and all of that’s collected and recycled. So, every single bit of cutoff is recycled. It comes recycled, and then it’s recycled afterwards — so there’s no waste at all.

  

  There’s a strong sense of continuity within the Sun Valley Bronze look. What can you tell us about maintaining brand identity?

  The casting informs the design because it has certain limitations and qualities — and it definitely has a certain character. Then our finishes, the quality of our metal, the surface texture and the honest, natural look of it applies to everything. Anything that is Sun Valley Bronze has that same look — the same finishes or same texture. I think that’s definitely the connection between all these different designs. But we have a range of styles — we have designs that are really traditional, designs that are more rustic, and some that are very contemporary and minimal. We have this minimalist hardware that we’ve been selling a ton of and it has the tiniest escutcheon, where it almost looks like the knob or lever connects directly to the door. This look is really popular right now. And then we have some more eclectic, transitional collections. The hardware range encompasses all design styles. But it’s definitely connected by quality, texture and finish.

  You mentioned that there are certain limitations with bronze casting. Are we talking about intricate embellishments and tiny little parts? 

  We can make tiny parts. It’s just that casting has an organic, natural feel. So it’s not that highly machined, super-tiny detail type of a product. We have the capability to do that, it’s just not really our look. The metal actually gets this gentle pitting in it and every piece is slightly different because of that. Our casting is really good, so you don’t get a ton of it, but it still has a little bit of natural character.

  

  Is it fair to describe Sun Valley Bronze as a boutique manufacturer?

  We really are a family business, and a bunch of artists and makers. We’re not trying to be everything to everybody. We’re focused on making a super high-quality product. And we haven’t had a goal of being enormous. We’re committed to growing at a sustainable rate and making a luxury brand. So yeah, I would say that’s intentional.

  Do you see a common thread between the people who choose Sun Valley Bronze hardware for their homes or businesses? 

  We work on hospitality projects and island projects and city apartments and ranches all over the world. I think the people that are buying our hardware are looking for quality, timeless design and products that are going to last. Sun Valley Bronze hardware is serviceable and field reversible. The functionality makes it super high-quality, so if anything ever does happen, we can send you parts — the hardware doesn’t have to be sent back.

  Bryan Rindfuss

  May 2, 2024

  Spotlights

  Robert Commons, Aimee Commons, Bronze foundry, luxury hardware, door hardware, Alexander Marchant, cabinet hardware, Sun Valley Bronze, bespoke hardware, Bronze hardware, Sustainable design, Decorative bronze hardware