Art or Function?

I'm fascinated by the creative ways retailers use our decorative hardware for displaying merchandise. The other day, I was reminded of a buyer from a shop in Banff, Alberta who  turned our banister finials into mannequin heads. Far fetched and fun. 

I probably should have insisted on seeing some pics of the finished project. I always notice how visitors to our studio gravitate to a grouping of small mirrors that are suspended with chains from our knobs anchored to the wall. Although they appreciate the clever application of a decorative knob, I can see them thinking and wondering how they can use this concept in their own homes.

I thought it would be a good idea to offer some visuals on the subject. So I ruffled through my photos and put together some novel uses of decorative knobs and finals,  which by the way,  are easy to attach to drywall with the use of a plastic toggler or anchor that's inserted into the wall.

Pulls in all directions – Mapping handle placement

When we first introduced our handles I realized that unlike a knob, they offer an awful lot of placement options. You not only have to consider where you want to put it, but also the orientation of the pull itself.

Obviously if your doors and drawers are pre drilled you needn't be concerned unless you plan to fill the holes and redrill. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, at the top of the cabinet, within the paneling or on the molding,  whether determing the direction of the pull or where it's situated, these are all decorating decisions that face the designer.

For those who see their cabinetry as a blank canvas, there's no right or wrong, but just a creative exercise where the outcome is ulitmately a personal preference. Of course our assymetrical pulls such as our eels and bundles offer even more design challenges.

Keeping all this in mind, I realized that a handle placement guide could help our customers understand their options and came up with a what I like to call a my handle placement cheat sheet.