We're always in a hurry to get from one place to another, from one room to the next. We can easily overlook some of the most superbly crafted objects of a building. I'm talking about the knobs, levers, pulls,
We're always in a hurry to get from one place to another, from one room to the next. We can easily overlook some of the most superbly crafted objects of a building. I'm talking about the knobs, levers, pulls, latches, locks, and door knockers, the architectural hardware that opens and closes the places of our life.
Architectural hardware are functional objects that we just can't do without—they open and close doors, windows, kitchen and bath cabinets, furniture drawers, and even announce when there's a guest at the door. But, if chosen with care, they can also act as jewelry adorning a home and bestow a place with a special distinctive sparkle.
Traditionally, hardware has been made of brass, iron, or wood. Most of them are created from brass, an alloy made of copper and zinc. Since brass is highly malleable, it can easily be cast into a mold, a feature perfect for making uniquely shaped objects such as knobs, levers, and pulls. Brass also has a muted golden color, similar to gold, making it a perfect substitute for the more expensive metal.
Architectural hardware can be designed to reflect a specific style. The Radcliff lock set below from the House of Antique Hardware is designed in the Gothic Revival style. The doorknob has a trefoil design—a three-lobed leaf—reminiscent of the window tracery of Gothic cathedrals. The lock plate displays the Gothic pointed arches as well as the trefoil pattern. It is cast in solid brass using the lost wax method.
House of Antique Hardware presents another period style, the Edwardian, from the turn of the end of t