Choosing the right door handles for an authentic door?
Do you use the same door handles and hardware as the next fabricator or do you strive to make your doors stand out? Being authentic in an industry flooded with competition isn’t always easy but choosing hardware with a difference goes some way to you offering that authentic proposition.
Consumer tastes are constantly evolving and change with market trends, the latest fashions (even when it comes to door handles) and the demand for the different property styles that we see at present. There has been a shift in focus from the standard 2 up 2 down design and houses today are becoming more distinctive, with builders actively including more character features, even in new properties, for those consumers that are looking for traditional without the hassle of having to maintain an older property. On the flip side, contemporary apartments and houses need a different approach; they require a distinctively modern look and feel. To accommodate these diverse styles of properties, doors and windows need to work harder to blend seamlessly into the structure of a building.
With this in mind, window and door fabricators and installers have had to adapt; they now need to offer several different options to suit the range of property styles and the tastes of consumers. Fabricators may need to look at their offer and decide whether it therefore still meets the needs and wants of their customers? Hardware manufacturers have equally had to evolve, introducing new finishes and styles to satisfy these shifts and variances in taste and style to help fabricators and installers differentiate their product offer.
Don’t get me wrong, there will inevitably be consumers who want a white PVCu door with white or yellow gold external door handles, an urn knocker and a letterplate but there is an increasing number of consumers looking for choice. They may not always want to be the same as Mr and Mrs Smith at number 22, but want their house to be different, their door to be the one everyone else wants to copy and this means fabricators and installers have to evolve, not just in terms of door material options and doors styles, but in terms of the door handles and furniture, they offer. With that wider choice, it may just mean they have the difference that the purchasing consumer is looking for.
The Fab&Fix Solution
Carefully choosing a door hardware partner that can help offer this level of choice, doesn’t need to be a daunting task. If you are looking for hardware that will last from a reputable supplier, then it’s useful to look for a brand that has proven performance. Test reports will give you an idea of how a specific piece of hardware performs in a one-off scenario, but installing hardware in the ‘field’ over several years will give you more confidence in the longevity of the product. Owned by ERA, Fab&Fix is a decorative hardware brand that has over 30 years of authentic performance in the field, offering the very best in hardware, not just for doors, but windows too.
The number of styles, range of finishes and brand reputation, provides customers with not only the broadest choice but absolute confidence in that choice. With five distinctive hardware ranges and over 12 colour options, you really can choose to be different from the neighbouring fabricator down the road. From entrance doors to bi-fold doors, sliding patio doors, French double doors, casement windows, tilt and turn windows and sash windows – Fab&Fix have a hardware solution for any destination.
Whatever the style or preferred appearance that a consumer wants, the Fab&Fix range of hardware can work. From contemporary properties, period style cottage homes or those simply wanting an all-together classic look. With over 200 products, there are endless possibilities, don’t be afraid to mix and match either – if you like the Heritage style letterplate but prefer a Classic handle, then whatever works for you (or your customer), most items are available in all 12 finishes so it’s easy to find the right mix.
Authentic Forged Door Furniture
If you’re looking for exterior door handles with a difference, the recent additions to the Fab&Fix ever-expanding portfolio is the Forged range. A collection of external door handles and door knocker carefully crafted with an ‘aged’ appearance, to suit period style properties or cottage style homes. The shape of the three different exterior door handles take their lead from traditional iron forged furniture, typical of the 19th century and cater for those homeowners looking for an authentic look. All three door handles have solid square backplates that fix securely to the door, with different grip choices depending on your style preference – choosing from the Monkey Tail, Noble or Sculptured. With built-in spring cassettes to consistently return the sturdy lever to 90 degrees and avoiding that not so stylish handle droop! Perfectly styled to suit the exterior door handles is the distinctive Spire door knocker. The face fixed knocker is easy to install and requires no drilling through the door, for a flawless finish. Finish the door with a complimentary Heritage style letterplate.
The Fab&Fix Forged range isn’t solely about the style of the door handles and knocker but also the unique colour finishes. Although designed to look ‘aged’ in appearance, the handles and knocker combine strength and beauty with modern manufacturing techniques to create durable hardware that won't tarnish over the years. All three external door handles and the door knocker are available in the Fab&Fix Hardex Pewter or Forged Black finish options. Intended to look like traditional aged pewter, Hardex Pewter has the strength and resilience of modern door furniture thanks to the invisible Hardex coating. Forged Black replicates an iron forged made product with hammered patterns and the result is a beautifully textured surface finish, that adds interest to any new door. Tough and durable, both finishes are low maintenance and are a perfect choice for your authentic period door.
Kerry Blackford, Head of Product at ERA, summaries: “Traditional hardware is witnessing a real resurgence throughout the industry, as homeowners look to replicate the aesthetic of period properties. The Fab&Fix Forged range aligns with this upward trend, providing fabricators and installers with a distinctive suite of door hardware that has been expertly designed and manufactured to deliver visual appeal and a point of difference, with premium levels of quality expected from Fab&Fix by ERA.”
