Taking A Break in the Hollywood Hills - Ways to Re-charge Your Batteries

Don’t be misled by the title as there is noting in this post remotely like practical advise on how to re-charge that battery for your power drill or other electric tool. Instead we spent an overcast May Gray day (not to be confused with Inspector Maigret created by Georges Simenon) on a trail that runs from Durand to Mulholland re-charging our inspirational reserves. Tourists be warned there is no access to the Hollywood sign which if you look closely you can see peering through the marine layer or pedestrian access to Mulholland West.

The overcast sky made the morning refreshingly cool and the Coronavirus gave us time to take a few shots of some of the local birds that were more conspicuous and easier to hear without the throng of tourists.

Flowering Broom

We were treated to both the sight and sound of a Chipping Sparrow perched on a shrub and while we were unable to capture his rust red top we were able to capture his profile as he took off. This family of sparrow is very common in Los Angeles and their tame nature makes them easy to spot.

Broom plants and soft fountain grasses have taken hold on this trail making a great foreground to Castillo del Lago, home in the 1930’s to the renowned gangster Bugsy Siegel and in the late 1990’s to Madonna.

Tame and Easy to Spot the Chipping Sparrow’s Head Has A Rust-Red Top

See how birds have inspired our cabinet pull designs

See how other hikes have inspired our cabinet hardware page

See More of Our Flora Cabinet Pulls

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

Wildflowers offer inspiration for custom hardware designs

We have always been intrigued by the beauty and the variety of California wildflowers and other indigenous plants, as evidenced by many of the designs in our Flora custom hardware collection.

Like many areas of the country, southern California has a wildflower season that begins sometime in the early spring.  The first blooms and the duration of the wildflower viewing season are determined by the weather, specifically the amount of rainfall the area receives during the year.  The drought continues to be in effect, even with the recent rains we have enjoyed, but we are looking forward to some cooler days and more precipitation to enhance the blooming season.  This photo, taken in May 2014 shows just how beautiful the hillsides are when the poppies take over in all their citrus colored glory!

The succulents that grow in the desert also flower and require very little water in order to survive the soaring temperatures and arid conditions.  We are equally intrigued by these hardy plants and often take photos of the various species we discover on our hikes and visits to local botanical gardens.

Flowers are a great source of inspiration for your hospitality design projects, as evidenced by this gorgeous orchid pull designed for our client in Hawaii.

If you get a chance, a trip to the local desert to see these wildflowers in bloom is definitely in order.

To view our Flora designs or our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com

You CAN stop and smell the roses and work at the same time

Can you believe that the summer months are passing by so quickly?  Before you know it media advertisements and retail store shelves will be full of items for the upcoming holidays and your mind will wander to Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas!  Therefore, I might suggest we all take a moment and reconnect with our natural surroundings that can provide so much design inspiration.

• Stop and smell the roses, orchids, magnolias and daisies---and while you are at it take notice of the details of that flower such as the shape of the petals, the amazing color combinations and, of course, the amazing scent.  I am pretty confident you will walk away with your creative juices flowing!
• Let Mother Nature be your guide.  You may be working on a seaside spa, for example, and trying to avoid the very expected colors and textures most often used in the design of these spaces but are "stuck".  A walk on the ocean with eyes wide open may reveal colors and textures you did not expect or the mix of colors in the sunset may inspire a color scheme you have been struggling to identify.
• Vary your routine and you just might find inspiration in items you see every day.  I live in a town full of hills and canyons and walking trails, some with spectacular views.  If I walk every day at the same time, for example, I get used to the "sameness" and am very likely to miss many of the details found in that spectacular view or even in the shape of what we might call "weeds" but are, in fact, miniature works of art from Mother Nature.  An earlier or later walk will produce different shadows and colors and feel new.   Martin Pierce is often inspired by nature and that can be seen in many of our architectural hardware collections including Flora, Hedgerow and Grapevine.  If your routine takes you through the concrete jungle there are still plenty of opportunities to be inspired by the architecture, the hearty flower that pops up between cracks in the sidewalk or the amazing color combinations put together by people on the street.
• Relax.  Many people do their best thinking when they are relaxing by the pool or enjoying their own backyard.  The world will not end if you take time to simply "be" and let the creative juices flow.   How often have you awakened during the night with the best idea ever for that new project and cannot recall the details when you wake in the morning?   How wonderful to come up with those same ideas during a relaxing respite in the middle of the day so you can remember them!

There are still several weeks left of summer, allowing plenty of time to slow down just a bit and enjoy this special time of year while working!  No one ever has to know that your design inspiration came while napping in hammock or strolling along the beach!