Leaf Designs in Door Hardware

The creative process is as unique and unfathomable as the brain it resides in. When I have listened to authors and composers answering the question of where and how they get their inspiration there appears to be a myriad of sources.  The same holds true when it comes to designing door hardware  and  Martin Pierce’s designs reflect the eclectic nature of his source material ranging from oceanic shapes to tree bark and bird wings to name just a few.

As a result,  Martin always has a sketch book on hand to doodle in his designs as they occur to him but a large number of his designs also come  from a more structured and practical need either to  develop additional pieces for a popular collection or to meet a designer’s need for a specific project.

See Castings of the Willow Design shown on the left

 Not all of the designs make it off the drawing board and indeed I would hazard a guess that less than 10% make the leap.  When designing a new piece there can be as many as 4 or more alternatives that materialize on paper and if the project is commissioned by a designer then alternative concepts can be useful in hammering out practical site issues or scale questions.

We keep all of these sketches as source material for future designs and this is how I came across some of the leaf designs shown here. The Willow door pull came from a need to create a flush pull and resulted in 3 designs one of which is currently in used in Willow collection.

The leaf hinge design is still in the design stage where it will remain until we have sufficient hinge designs to complement our other collections.

The Vine collection is a popular series and the new leaf and grape design shown here is already taking shape as a sculpted wooden pattern.

Creating Custom Door Hardware Using The Lost Wax Method of Casting

Limited Edition Custom Handle Commission in Bronze

We are frequently asked to make one of a kind door handles for designers looking for a statement piece for a restaurant or retail project or corporations looking to expand their brand presence. The requests we receive can be challenging and some, such as a request for rotating human hand, border on the bizarre.

As a company we do a lot of custom casting but  the process we use to create our work is costly and does not lend itself to value engineering. The focus of this article is to outline the process with the aid of photographs taken during the  creation of a wine cellar door handle, commissioned by a client as a limited edition.

As designers we truly respect the creative process and understand the time that goes into creating a unique piece and accordingly will only work on projects that are free from plagiarism.

The Process – step by step

1.        Concept drawing(s) often several form the starting point to a dialogue where we establish the size of the handle, whether it needs to operate a latch or is to be used as a stationary grip.

2.        Perspective drawings are detailed drawings that show the client how the piece will look when viewed from different vantage points. We need to understand if the piece is being viewed from all sides as it would be if used as a grip mounted on a glass door. How the piece is to be mounted either by through bolts or surface screws will need to be decided and drawn.

Pattern Development

A three dimensional pattern is created in wood or if the piece is small, typically less than 3”, then in solid wax. At this point 3D printing is slow and  expensive but it can be useful if one is creating a mirror image of a simple shape especially when the shape is symmetrical. We used 3D printing when creating the simple gourd shape for our Dragon Egg Sconce.

For larger detailed and organic pieces Martin Pierce carves the pattern by hand. He uses a reductive approach to whittle down his over-sized block of wood to create the pattern. Other pattern makers use an additive approach and they create the pattern by adding and forming pieces of clay. In our case study the design required 4 patterns to be carved, a left and right facing waiter and their two goblets. The patterns took many hours to create but by carving the pieces with an array of different chisels Martin could create a very detailed fine pattern and one whose details could be captured in bronze.

Mold Making

Each pattern requires a mold and if the piece has a lot of undercuts it may require a 2 piece mold. In this instance we developed a total of 4  two -piece molds each one made to encapsulate one of the 4 patterns. The molds are made from building up successive layers of silicone rubber that pick up the fine detail of the pattern. The pliable nature of the rubber is then reinforced by an outer casing made of plaster or metal which holds the 2 parts of the mold in place so that they can withstand the pressure applied when molten wax is injected into the cavity. The cavity is created when the pattern is removed from the mold and to make this easier the pattern is coated with a release agent before the rubber is applied.

Casting – what is meant by lost wax?

For every piece we cast in bronze, we first make a wax replica by pouring molten wax into the cavity of the mold. Theoretically these replicas could be 3 D printed but at this point the process is slow and expensive. Depending on the size and cooling time it is possible to make multiple waxes in a short period of time. At this point the channels that will be needed to supply the molten metal and those that are needed to vent the air created by flowing metal are added in the form of sprues and gates.

The wax replicas are then “shelled” and dipped into successive coats of liquid silica to build up a thick outer shell. If the shell wall is not sufficiently thick then it may well fail when the bronze is eventually poured. For large castings the shelling process can take weeks but it is a critical step that determines the success of the casing.

After the wax has been shelled the wax will be removed in an autoclave steamer that essentially steams or heats up the solid shell so that the wax is evacuated or “lost”.

 The hollow shell or ceramic case is then fired and is ready to receive the molten bronze. Once the casting has cooled all the sprues and gates will be ground off and the casting will be groomed with metal files to remove any casting imperfections.

Chasing and machining the casting

The casting will then be machined for mounting bolts, latches or other locks  that it will be used with.    

The casting is then ready to be finished. In our case study we applied 3 different types of chemical patina and re-burnished key areas so we could delineate the writing on the goblet and the waistcoat buttons on the waiter’s jackets.

Shedding Light On Cabinet Pulls

As we have noted before the advent of LED lights and the small gauge of wires needed to support their low voltage requirements is widening the number and types of locations where we can make use of the light and  the colors they create. As a designer and maker  of door handles our focus is squarely on the artistry of the design and the functional nature of the piece and so color, has until now, only been possible  through the use of hot patina treatments or powder coating. We are now introducing LED spot lights into our Morphic series and have recently released our  color enhanced illuminated door handles that can be used on any new door designed with a channel for the low gauge wiring or any door where power can be supplied by a power transfer unit.

However, to continue the Morphic series we have now designed a series of illuminated cabinet pulls that can house intense high density light strips that will create accent lighting in bars, kitchens, restaurants or any location needing cabinet pulls where space is limited. The  strips we are using in this application are very small and are made up of 3528SMD LED’s that have a  HIGH CRI 90+ rating.  The number 3528 refers to the size of the chip being 3.5mm by 2.8mm and the HIGH CRI rating means the light  they deliver gives a more accurate reading of  surrounding colors and as such are better designed to enhance vibrant colors in a setting. These intense strips are dimmable and they follow the guidelines of California Title 24 Part 6, Building Energy Efficiency Standards. Their size and  type makes them  ideal for single color applications and we will be introducing these in  either warm or natural white.

We are currently shooting a video to highlight these new pulls and hope to be releasing this very soon.

Large Exterior Door Pulls

With the continued surge in construction we are seeing more demand for large exterior door pulls and ladder pulls both in the commercial and residential sectors. In the early 2000 period our large “Heroic” door handles topped out at a mere 19” for our Hedgerow and Ergo handles but by 2012 we responded to demand and revised our Ergo series to include an epic 35” tall handle. Clearly though the demand continues for even more gargantuan pieces and so we are about to launch our newest “Grand” Ergo door handle which will be 54” high with a 1 ½” diameter.

Making larger scale handles is both stylistically and technically challenging. The iconic Ergo shape began as a mere 12” cabinet door pull that was subsequently rescaled to a 35” handle. The stylistic challenge was how to keep the fluid contours of such a small piece yet make it substantial enough to work as a large exterior door pull but not so substantial that the diameter would be difficult to grip by those with disabilities.

While our soon to be launched Grand Ergo handle posed the same stylistic challenges, it also has presented us with technical casting demands. At a height of 54” and with such a curvaceous shape we decided to cast the handle in two 27” sections.  Had we tried to make a single mold the weight of it would have made it unwieldy and we would run the risk of the steel  prematurely cooling before it reached the end of the mold. To make the handle a continuous 54” length our craftsmen will then seamlessly weld the 2 sections to create on long exterior pull.

See Large Door Pulls

However, our move into this grand scale market is by no means over and we are currently working on designs for 2 projects at 6’ and 9’ so stay tuned.

Arts and Crafts Movement Inspiration for Door Hardware

One of our earliest introductions to the American arts and crafts movement came when we discovered the Gamble House in Pasadena. This gem is a perfect example of the craftsmanship and artistry that is the name sake of this organic architectural style. When we arrived in Los Angeles we started out as a small furniture company that specialized in hand carved pieces so it is not surprising  that we were awestruck by the design brilliance of the Green and Green brothers who were commissioned by the Gambles to design their home.  The Gamble house offers a wonderful insight into households living in a less technological world and one where construction techniques were integral to whole aesthetic of the house. When constructing the walnut stair hand rail and cabinets the carpenters used peg joints rather than mortise joints which gave the joint strength but also added a decorative contrast. The carpenter would hand drill a round hole into the walnut and then using a square walnut  peg  he would hammer this into the hole to create a strong and contrasting joint.

While we had a fleeting introduction to the Arts and Crafts style in England this had been limited to viewing exhibitions of William Morris’s textile and wallpaper designs where entwining acanthus leaves and brambles were common subjects. Together these movements have channeled some of our cabinet pulls as can be seen in our Hedgerow drawer knobs. The patterns for these pieces were carved in wax by Martin Pierce and after molds had been formed these designs were rendered in bronze using the lost wax method of casting.

One of our earliest introductions to the American arts and crafts movement came when we discovered the Gamble House in Pasadena. This gem is a perfect example of the craftsmanship and artistry that is the name sake of this organic architectural style. When we arrived in Los Angeles we started out as a small furniture company that specialized in hand carved pieces so it is not surprising  that we were awestruck by the design brilliance of the Green and Green brothers who were commissioned by the Gambles to design their home.  The Gamble house offers a wonderful insight into households living in a less technological world and one where construction techniques were integral to whole aesthetic of the house. When constructing the walnut stair hand rail and cabinets the carpenters used peg joints rather than mortise joints which gave the joint strength but also added a decorative contrast. The carpenter would hand drill a round hole into the walnut and then using a square walnut  peg  he would hammer this into the hole to create a strong and contrasting joint.

Tree Cabinet Knobs

While we had a fleeting introduction to the Arts and Crafts style in England this had been limited to viewing exhibitions of William Morris’s textile and wallpaper designs where entwining acanthus leaves and brambles were common subjects. Together these movements have channeled some of our cabinet pulls as can be seen in our Hedgerow drawer knobs. The patterns for these pieces were carved in wax by Martin Pierce and after molds had been formed these designs were rendered in bronze using the lost wax method of casting.

Paso Robles A Destination Place for Wine Enthusiasts

As spring drifts to summer so we drifted north 350 miles to the still green countryside of Paso Robles.  We have been re-charging our culinary and artistic batteries in this delightful countryside for 15 years and have seen it change from an agricultural community to an  acclaimed wine making hub.

While some may debate the merits of such intense viticulture and the orderly tidiness that now characterizes much of the scenery, few would contest that the region is home to some of the best wineries in the state.

As the wineries have grown so has the breadth of wines now grown with the historical Zinfandel now co-existing with Syrah’s, Grenaches and Tempranillo varietals. As a white wine imbiber who shuns chardonnays I have been thrilled to see that Sauvignon Blanc and Viogniers  are gaining audience awareness and acceptance even amongst those who are fond of their oaky siblings.

However what I had not realized until this visit was how the wineries have now sought to attract customer by serving gourmet meals often locally sourced. The case in point was to be found on Vineyard (aptly named road in the Adelaida district) when we stumbled upon Opolo Winery in search of lunch and for a very modest sum feasted on roast lamb tacos served with tomatillo and red salsa and corn tortillas. The roasted meats all paired wonderfully and surprisingly with their Albarino white wine which was full bodied with slightly sweet citrus tones. The view from the wineries hilltop marquis was also stunning and the breeze it offered was a welcome relief for what proved to be one of the hottest Sundays this year.

Grapevine Door Handles

If you are planning a trip to Paso Robles you may  help navigating your way through the200 wineries it now boasts but  help is on hand courtesy of www.pasorobleswineries.net where you can download a complimentary map.

Classical Door Hardware Now Trending

Lately we have been focusing on LED technology which has made it possible to introduce color changing lights into our new panel and cylindrical door handles.

With all the hype afforded LED luminaires it is easy to lose sight of the importance of classical door hardware. Lately more designers have been specifying our Willow and Grapevine styles of door hardware which are more classical in style and which take on a distinctive traditional elegance when cast in solid bronze.

Willow Door Handles

This recent trend prompted a Google search into the meaning of “classical” and I found the results enlightening. The word comes from the Latin “classicus” as in class or group and has over time become synonymous with words that include; pure, restrained, harmonious, elegant and balanced.

In England the word classical is also used to suggest rank or superiority and can be used to mean that something is “outstanding of its kind” or “exemplary” as in the phrase a “classical piece of Wedgwood China” or “a classical Victorian romance novel”

The more I searched the more I discovered the breadth of this word which can be used to indicate a significant period of an area of study, such as in classical mechanics or as in the case of classical physics, to denote theories that preceded Newton’s theories of relativity and quantum mechanics.

While I had an intuitive understanding of this adjective, the Google search has brought me full circle and made me hopeful that in the future this adjective may be used by some to describe our new LED luminaires.

The Opposite of hardware - Fluffy Fledglings

Following on from our last post where I  wrote about the abundance of insect life in Los Angeles I wanted to share some home shots of the bird life we are now seeing. Martin took these pictures over the weekend through our kitchen window and thought you may  like to see this young brood of bush tits. Yes, I know the name makes one giggle but the birds themselves also  make me smile and so I encourage you to print them out  as we have and stick them on a nearby wall as mood enhancer.

This family of 4 bush tits and mum are nesting in a nearby tree that offers more dense foliage cover  but perch in our  guava tree to feed off the aphids and small flies that are drawn by the sweet guava  flowers and leaves.  They share this prime spot with humming birds that roost in the tree and feed from the stamens of the guava flowers and with the occasional unwelcome squirrel that enjoys the flowers in their entirety. While the squirrels do pose a threat to mother’s incubating eggs they do not pose a threat to the fledglings.

The fledglings are very small being about1.75” from head to claw and 3” from head to tail and when mature will travel along with other family members flitting from tree to tree in flocks of 15+. The bush tits are garden friendly and do a great job of removing aphids from tree leaves.

While Martin is often able to draw inspiration from nature in his handle designs and has used the scrub jay birds as natural models for his bird handles he has no immediate plans to develop bush tit handles but is happy that their chirpy good looks are now positioned as colorful prints over his Wacom tablet.

Moths and Butterflies- It is the Season for Insect Cabinet Knobs

We have this year enjoyed a refreshingly wet winter here in LA and as a result have an abundance of flowering trees and foliage so it should come as no surprise that we have a large insect population. While we may not enjoy the large mosquito population the moths and butterflies are a breathtaking delight. Attracted by white light, we usually glimpse hawk moths hanging on our patio wall but this year we are finding them in the house on closets, on shutters and in the bathroom.

Animal and Insect Cabinet Knobs and Pulls

We had a preview of what we could expect by insect life when the long legged ganglycrane flies started arriving. The sheer number of crane flies, which are often mistaken for gigantic mosquitoes, was so large that it has almost cured my phobia of this marginally attractive insect. However, when it comes to moths and butterflies their sheer beauty is undeniable and their shape and color have always been a source of inspiration for Martin. 

While bronze can be colored by applying ferrous nitrate to a heated area to make a yellow amber patina or by applying copper nitrate for blue tone these patinas cannot begin to replicate the complex patterns that moths display in nature. So when portraying moths and butterflies in bronze, Martin has focused on the elegant and dramatic shapes of their wings and bodies and the natural gripping points that occur where the wings join the thorax.

Contemporary Door Handle Meets Art Nouveau source

We have added a new video to our video gallery and now have 2 videos that show the full range of door handles that use tree motifs. The latest video is short but still manages to show the three dimensional nature of this iconic handle which is shown in brushed stainless steel and as a handle set, with one left and one right tree.

The video shows the fluid nature of this sculpture and the close up shots focus on the depth of the details in the leaf, root and canopy areas of the tree design. By panning across the tree trunks and up the profile of the canopy our video director, Jeff Jenkins, has been able to capture the shadows cast by the leaf canopy. The video was shot very simply using mainly natural light and this in conjunction with the dark ash doors gives the video an old moody black and white quality.  The mood of the video is in contrast to the medium of stainless steel which it often pegged for more contemporary settings.  By shooting the video this way, Jeff Jenkins shows us how thin the line is between the older rich and colorful style of Art Nouveau and the current trend towards monochromatic linear designs. 

See Collection

While the Hedgerow tree is shot in stainless steel, for those preferring the warmer tones of bronze, fear not, as this piece will always be available in the timeless medium of bronze.

All of our work is designed and made in Los Angeles and can be seen by prior appointment at our studio.

Unique Door Handles in Steel - A New Spin on Hedgerow

We have been focusing on re-vamping our website and in doing so have been developing new pieces, new videos and new finishes for some of our signature pieces. The Hedgerow door pull is perhaps our most well known and iconic piece that represents our love of trees and natural forms. As you may know the new Hedgerow illuminated tree is an ongoing work that is expected to be completed by years end but since that is months away we thought it was time to revisit the Hedgerow collection and so are now casting select pieces in steel. The cooler tones of stainless steel play well in a modern setting and work for both residential and commercial projects. While this Hedgerow tree is not part of our collection of luminaires it can be lit by directional accent lights to create a dramatic statement.

Tree Door Handle A Signature Piece in the Hedgerow Collection

The 3 dimensional nature of this piece and the detailed sculptural tree canopy are very difficult to capture in a flat 2 dimensional photo so we will be releasing a short video soon which will more adequately capture the depth and scale of this steel tree.

By casting select Hedgerow pieces in steel, a rust resistant medium, we hope that these nature inspired pieces may take root in coastal locations!

The Hedgerow tree and 5 other signature pieces are also making their way to our new banner gallery that can be viewed on our website.

All of our work is made here in Los Angeles using the lost wax method of casting and each piece is finished by hand to create a truly unique piece.

Unique Handles - How Form Follows Nature

Like many others we have just visited Borrego Springs to see the flowering cacti season which is now nearing it’s end for spectacular blooms. The red ocotillo are still to be seen with their spiky protrusions guarding their bright tubular flowers and some of the yellow brittlebrush were also in bloom but as we discovered there is more to the desert than colorful flowers.

Morphic Cabinet Handles

When hiking through the sandy gravel terrain over hills and into dry stream beds what was equally beautiful to see were the dried mummified remains of the jumping cholla and the wreath like roots of the dying ocotillo plants. The jumping cholla bears an incredibly strong textural similarity to our Morphic door hardware and you would be forgiven for suspecting that Martin used this as his inspiration for this series. In truth the Morphic collection was consciously  inspired by ocean coral but Martin Pierce is quick to admit that a stray image of the cholla plant may well have been lingering in the depths of his subconscious. In any event Anza Borrego springs is an inspirational haven for all and well worth a visit.

The area is dramatic and arid and at this time of year still not too hot to hike in during the early morning and evening hours. Borrego Springs can also be extremely windy and this helps keep the air clean and makes the night sky perfect for star gazing.

Ladder Door Pulls

Here in Los Angeles the trend towards more dense and smaller residential housing can be seen throughout the city but there is also a trend a foot towards larger door pulls for entry doors and public areas. We suspect that both trends will continue and so are developing a series of grand large scale door pulls.

The designs will need to meet ADA requirements and while this may be a design challenge it is one that appeals to us here at Martin Pierce, where making functional art is our mantra. The key to making a door pull suitable for those with disabilities is to focus on the grip aspect of the design. While there is no formula for achieving this many look to the standards that are called out for grab bars that have a prescribed diameter of between 1 ¼ to 1 ½” or other comparable gripping surface.

Many of the commercial door pull designs focus rigidly on the diameter of the pull which may explain why there is an abundance of plain ladder style door pulls on bank doors, shop doors, restaurant and other commercial doors. The term “ladder pull” describes the profile of the door pull as it is supported typically by 2 mounting posts one at each end of the what is usually a straight tube handle and when viewed from the side looks like a ladder.

While still allowing for an easy to grip surface area we feel there is room for a little artistry in designing ladder pulls. We are still at the concept stage on this new direction but hope to have some new pieces ready by the end of 2017. As with all of our work these too will be available in either stainless steel or bronze and will be cast using the lost wax method.

Decorative Door Handles Inspired By Bees

This has been an amazing spring and we owe the abundance of blossoms and in particular wisteria to these past wet winter months followed by warm spring days. The variety and scent of the blossoms in the Hollywood Hills is almost over powering and I wonder if the local bee population has a weight problem this year as the bee legs are laden with the weight of pollen making their bumbly flight even more miraculous.

In the photograph below I hope I have captured the size and weight of this cascading wisteria blossom and the bumbling carpenter bee that hovers in the foreground. The long running California drought motivated Martin and I to replant our garden with drought tolerant plants and the wisteria creeper was a prized addition. While our wisteria plant took at least two years to become established we are hoping that it will continue to thrive and attract bees, cactus flies and both resident Anna humming birds as well as migratory black-chinned humming birds.

The Carpenter bee is so named for the nests that they excavate in the dead wood of trees and man-made power poles though they are also known to opportunistically hijack and improve upon the holes left by other insects.

Bee Door Knob

The bumble bee is part of our Netsuke collection of animal door handles which includes a lizard, a frog and rabbit. All of our work is made to order and designed and manufactured here in Los Angeles.

Contemporary LED Wall Sconce for Hotels

The advent of small LED’s that require low gauge wires and the efficiency of these low voltage bright lights has made it possible for us to tailor our door handle designs to fit the custom light market.  The Morphic cylindrical door pull is the first piece that we have adapted from being a door handle to a wall sconce. It’s very close cousin the 16” door handle has been re-tooled so that it now functions as a discreet but intriguing wall sconce.

When is a handle a wall sconce?

Iluminated Door Handles

The simple answer is when it is hanging on a wall or along a corridor to create patterns of light that will add mood or atmosphere to a room or corridor. The Morphic sconce is available through design professionals and offered either in a brushed stainless steel or in an oil rubbed bronze. This UL listed luminaire at present is offered with a single color LED small spot and can be ordered with a red, blue, green or white light. Who knows maybe a boutique hotel will use the different colors to help their guests remember which floor their room is on, this certainly would take the stress out of finding your room after a long day trudging the halls of a Vegas trade show.

Soon we will be offering this piece with a color changing spot and then our designer clientele can really have fun pairing the mood of each floor or room function with the color of the LED. I can see it will not be long before soft amber shades come to be associated with the bar lounge with pale aqua tones create a soothing welcome to the sauna.

Since boutique hotels need to periodically freshen their appearance we hope our color changing luminaires can provide a cost effective option.

Unusual Wall Light Captured on Video

The first of our new LED low voltage wall lights has now been released as a video and can be seen in the new Lighting section of this site or by visiting our gallery at Youtube.

We begin our venture into the artistic wall light scene with our unusual wall sconce named in honor of the Mother of Dragons and the dragon eggs she rescues in “Game of Thrones”.

We have chosen to cast this piece in stainless steel, a medium reminiscent of armor and chain mail and that is fittingly flame proof. The cap of the sconce is a fusion of  medieval themes with its turreted tower peak  and diamond shaped shields. By contrast the body of the sconce is organic and fluid with molten shapes reminiscent of much of the work of Gaudi and other masters of the Art Nouveau era.

See Video Gallery

The Dragon Egg sconce is available  in stainless steel or in bronze and is currently being released with a single color, red, blue, green or white LED. We do plan to make this available as a color changing wall light so stay tuned.

The advent of low voltage LED’s has motivated us to enter the wall lighting market and we look forward to helping designers with their residential and hospitality needs.

We would again like to extend our thanks to Jeff Jenkins of www.onefoxtwofox.com for making this video possible.

New Handles and Lighting A Spring Summer Preview

As we approach day time savings we wanted to update you on our forthcoming new handles and lighting and new internet partnerships.

Videos

We have been busy developing and shooting a series of videos which will soon be live on our website and also on Facebook and Daily Motion. The videos were made by Jeff Jenkins of www.onefoxtwofox.com and they follow on from our lizard and door handle video collections.

We are currently making a time-lapse video of a new and very grand custom door grip that will be used as the main entry and ballroom door handle for a new project in Texas. Too date the video shows how the pattern has been carved and we will continue this visual diary by showing how the mold is made, how waxes are produced and finally what this 6’ tall bronze grip actually looks like.

We are also continuing our   time-lapse video of the new Hedgerow illuminated door handle which we began last year and which we hope to complete by the end of the year. The new Hedgerow handle is extremely intricate and it has proven to be technically challenging to find appropriate areas to incorporate LED lights.

New Illuminated Cabinet Pull

We are following on from our illuminated door handles and are now adding 3 illuminated cabinet pulls that will be part of the Morphic collection and which will range in size from 2” to 14”.

New Catalogue

This week we will be launching our March 2017 Hardware & Lighting Catalogue which will be available as a pdf from our website.

New venture

Soon we will be partnering with www.interiordesign.net and www.architonic.com to showcase and officially launch our venture into the low voltage lighting market. Through these 2 sites we hope to be able to effectively connect with designers and architects.

Custom LED Wall Sconce Cast in Bronze

Our Floral Wall sconce is now available to Interior Designers and design professions as a UL listed low voltage luminaire and can be specified in a light or dark oil rubbed bronze patina. At present we are offering the sconce in single color, red, green, blue or white LED’s and later will be adding color changing LED’s.

The Floral sconce was fashioned from the foliage Martin and I saw when staying in the Albayzin quarter of Granada, Spain and by the local Moorish art work of artisans like Munira Mendonça who honors the traditions of this region in her superb embossed leather work.

The vibrant colors of Munira’s stamped designs influenced this piece and led us away from the more obvious use of white light to more dazzling blue and red LED’s which provide a dramatic contrast to the subdued but rich tones of bronze.

As low voltage luminaires, designers will be offering their clients an energy efficient yet still beautiful fixture with a carbon foot print firmly planted in Los Angeles which is where we cast and finish all of our work.

As we have shared in earlier posts Martin made this piece by printing a 3D hollow gourd shape. The 3D print was then formed by Martin using a variety of hand chisels and dremels to create the movement and detail of each leaf. Each sconce has a total of 60 sprigs with 3 leaves on each sprig. The LED light sits in the top of the fixture which was modeled on the shape of an upturned trumpet flower.

Collage of LED Door Handles

We will soon be releasing our new UL LED products into the design world and thought it would be fun to create a collage made from parts of  our new pieces to see if you can identify which sections came from which product. The first pieces we will be introducing will be based on fish, dragon, floral and coral themes so which ones are shown here?

The second part of this puzzle is to see if you can guess which shapes we used from our gourd concept drawings to create the lace sections for our luminaires, did we use one or more of the gourd sections in the collage? The actual shapes for each hole in the area where light and color shine through are not as arbitrary as they may appear. The contour of each hole determines exactly what shapes will be created as shadows by the LED light. When Martin Pierce designs an illuminated piece it has to appear beautiful both when illuminated and as a  non-lit sculpture.

See The Collection

The thorny outer edge of the floral sconce leaf makes for a bold green shadow statement setting the mood of the room. To allow for mood expression our scones will be available in different LED colors.

The third part of the puzzle is to guess which metals are shown in the collage.  Our new pieces, following on from our door hardware collections are cast either in stainless steel with a brushed or polished finish or in bronze and in either a light or dark antique patina.

When to Use a Door Knob Versus a Door Lever?

When to choose a door knob versus a door lever? When it comes to truly custom hardware where a design is being created for a specific project then the choice between a door lever and door knob is largely a question of taste and budget and less a question of function. If the door knob or lever is being created from the drawing board on-wards then some of the limitations off each can be overcome by a creative design.

Door knobs by nature are a handles that can be turned either clockwise or anti-clockwise to release the door latch. By comparison a door lever unless it is operating a multi-point lock has to be depressed to release the latch. This can be an important issue when designing for the kitchen or other wet areas and when designing for the disabled. A lever has the upper hand so to speak when your hands are wet or full of shopping as it can be depressed with ones elbow or possibly with one’s foot! Clearly for those with limited gripping strength, a door lever has clear advantages.

The textured tree canopy is a good gripping surface

Door levers are also directional with the lever pointing away from the latch towards the hinge and this can be an important consideration when working with a narrow stile. In this case when you grip a knob your knuckles may come too close to the door jamb especially when the door is being pulled closed .  By comparison the area of a door lever that is gripped is typically at midpoint along the lever and a safe distance from the door jamb.

A symmetrical aesthetic inspired by Netsuke

So why do we ever use door knobs? Well they are inherently more self- contained and less obtrusive than there lever counterparts and they arguably  make a more symmetrical  aesthetic statement. In the world of custom door hardware as knobs are not usually directional one knob pattern and mold will be needed unlike a custom door lever which frequently requires a left and right pattern and corresponding molds.