Diamond in the rough

With most products designed to be functional first, we don’t tend to take too much notice of them until they stop functioning and, up until relatively recently, the same could be said for door hardware. Handles, pulls and escutcheons were all fairly utilitarian except in ultra-high-end hotels and residences.

And then they weren’t. Design luminaries such as Mies van der Rohe, Zaha Hadid and Phillippe Starck were giving form to function and the world was taking notice. Door hardware had been elevated into an artform in its own right and one that was accessible to all.

“People’s perception of the humble handle shifted from seeing it as purely functional to viewing it as a value-added design feature—jewellery for your door, if you will,” says Daniel McCallum, Business Development Manager for Windsor Architectural Hardware.

“I remember when matt black became available as a finish and what a huge sensation it was and how it really changed the market. Suddenly, it was like the design options were unlimited.

“Of course, functionality still plays a vital role in the design process but other characteristics such as tactility and aesthetics have become equally as important in hardware.”

“At the end of March, we launched our latest designer hardware collection, NIDO, which features five, brand new designs and which we’ve been developing for the last 18 months. This has been a passion project for our team and it’s really great to see it in the marketplace and generating an unprecedented level of customer interest.”

Constructed from solid brass, the collection features five handles along with a range of coordinating accessories and is available in four stock finishes—matt black, brushed nickel, graphite nickel and matt satin brass.

“We’ve gone with a refined industrial look for the collection,” says Windsor Architectural Hardware Marketing Manager, Breidi McStay. “The industrial look is really experiencing a renaissance right now, due in part to its being easy to team with other natural or ‘raw’ materials.

“Consumers are wanting to match lighting, tapware and door handles and NIDO’s combination of industrial potence and chic residential styling provides them with an opportunity to tie all these elements together.”

Daniel says, the development of the collection was a group collaboration within the Windsor team.

“One of the things we do right at the start of the development process is start with a blank sheet of paper and brainstorm ideas and words to form the basis of the designs. What came up for this range was: slimline, industrial, elegant and bold.

“With that mindset in place, we began exploring how the collection would look and feel and what sort of emotional response we wanted to elicit. We knew it was going to be manufactured from brass; there really was no question—a quality product starts with a quality base.

“We also knew that we wanted to incorporate a slimline door rose and plate design to create a minimalistic look on the door face. For us, our handles have to deliver a quality that is both seen and felt and so, for NIDO, we engineered the designs, softened the edges and have added knurling for an individual look and feel.”

“We were really mindful of creating a collection that would complement a wide range of architectural styles and decors without also trying to be all things to all people. The collection is actually quite pared back in terms of its only consisting of five core products but what we’ve done is produced a range of finish and detailing options that give consumers greater opportunities to complement other finishes within their homes,” says Breidi.

“The four stock finishes we’ve produced cater to both the industrial and elegant styles we were looking for and add variety to the collection—we have never paired these finishes together in a collection before. And then offering knurled or plain detailing appeals to all tastes.

“We also wanted an option within the range that differed from the barrel lever styles of Lumina, Sona, Verge and Linear—Modella is that option, with its sleek, oval outline rounded both front and back for an enhanced sensory experience.”

Daniel adds: “As with all of our designs, we took NIDO to the market during the design phase to gain feedback. The overwhelmingly positive response from homeowners, specifiers and builders resulted in a number of specifications even before the official launch.”

“Finish, feel and function—NIDO delivers on all fronts. Continuous improvement is a central driver for the Windsor team and NIDO is a great platform to build on. We definitely have plans to further develop and expand the range.”

Sitting within the mid-to-high-end range, NIDO comes with a 15-year mechanical warranty and the accompanying accessories are also available in the four stocked finishes. NIDO is available through Windsor’s nationwide network of distributors, is positioned to satisfy most budgets, as well as being suitable for use on all internal and external doors in the home.

Learn more about contemporary hardware solutions for internal and external doors.