Martin Pierce blog – custom door handles and cabinet knobs

We thought it was about time our city smart dog be introduced to the wonders of the countryside.  Fortunately, our good friends live in Paso Robles, just north of Los Angeles, with large acreage for Iris to safely explore.  They moved there several years ago and built a house on several acres of untouched rural beauty with rolling hills, large oak trees and two very friendly horses named Rusty and Sunny.  They also run an exciting gelato business, Leo Leo Gelato so be sure and stop by if you are in the area.  Nothing tastes better than a cool gelato on a hot Paso Robles afternoon!

Iris is, as many of you know, a very sweet dog and behaves around other dogs be they big or small.  She rarely barks unless she has a reason to and the horses were just the reason she was looking for!  Thankfully, they have known other dogs and were safely enclosed in a paddock so they paid little attention to Iris’ barks and howls.

Iris taking in the view

 She also got to meet Moses, a lovely and very athletic German Pointer.  They spent the afternoon chasing each other in endless circles with neither willing to give in.

The best part of this mini vacation was seeing Iris literally inhaling the beauty of the countryside.  She was a lot like an industrial vacuum cleaner with her cheeks puffed out and her nose on alert analyzing the myriad smells.

What was both pleasing and surprising is that Iris seemed to be both confident and relaxed in the country and she seemed to gain a sense of independence.  Of late I have worried that she is a bit too dependent on me so it was marvelous to see her leave the house and explore outside without me by her side.  It was also good to see how well she responds off leash and comes back to me when called. (thank you again Hollywood Dog Obedience Club!)

We are back in LA but I can still smell the countryside on Iris.

The Hospitality Design Expo (HD Expo) is being held once again in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on May 15-17, 2012.  Vern Yip from HGTV fame will be hosting the awards portion of the event this year and we are all excited to see who wins this coveted award.

We will be introducing a new Ergo lever set that has been designed to be ADA compliant to suit the hospitality market.  We are also now offering our Ergo and Morphic collection of custom hardware in a bronze finish along with the stainless steel that is always so popular.  The finish gives this contemporary styled collection a warm and rustic feel.

April showers bring May flowers and, after the popularity of our frog pull giveaway last year, we will be giving away a very cute daisy pull at this year’s event.  Details will be revealed in upcoming blog posts so stay tuned.

On a personal note, we look forward to reconnecting with those vendors and suppliers we met last year, including Ecosmart fire and Cape Furniture.  We hope everyone stops by and introduces themselves.  We would love to meet you all.

The Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon,  fell on Monday, January 23, 2012.  For many of us the Chinese New Year is an exotic and mysterious celebration.  But it is very similar to our new year in that it provides an opportunity to forget all grudges and problems from the previous year and start fresh.  It is celebrated in several Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Little known Chinese New Year traditions and facts:

• We can all appreciate this one–the entire family helps clean the house the evening before the big celebration to bring good fortune and happiness to the household during the coming year.
• children are required to greet their parents the morning of the New Year and, in turn, receive a red paper envelope full of money.  As any parent knows, there is certainly nothing wrong with an occasional bribe now and then!
• After a New Year’s eve feast of chicken, duck and pig a firework celebration is enjoyed.
• This year’s symbol, the dragon,  is the only “non-real” animal that appears in the Chinese zodiac.
• Those born in the year of the dragon are viewed as special and are thought to have power and wisdom.

It all sounds  very similar to our holiday celebrations, doesn’t it?

Along with familiar celebrations and a zodiac calendar, Chinese culture has influenced western design for several hundred years.  One of the most popular and familiar Asian designs is chinoiserie.  Wikipedia defines this as ” …a decorative style that reflects Chinese artistic influences…”.  Examples of this might include porcelain figurines in the shape of dragons, rabbits, lions and other motifs.  Chinoiserie furniture design often features open and airy designs with a faux bamboo finish.

chippendale style chair from Jonathan Adler

This Chippendale chair from Jonathan Adler bears a striking resemblance to our Hedgerow chair, wouldn’t you agree?  Just shows you that good design is timeless.

Hedgerow barstool from Martin Pierce

Lacquer, enamel, japanning and other hand applied finishes and details are also elements of chinoiserie design.  We discuss these very labor intensive processes here and here but seeing is believing.  For example, these beautiful screens used as artwork in this room designed by Charlotte Moss certainly add an Asian flavor to the overall design.

photo courtesy of James Merrell for House Beautiful

 Do you or your family celebrate the Chinese New Year?  If so, please share your special traditions with us.

Fex palace Morocco

With its beautiful seaside location, amazing architecture and colorful bazaars, Morocco remains one of those places I long to visit;  but, sadly, daily life prevents me from jetting over there right now.  If you also enjoy the look and feel of interior spaces that feature a touch of the exotic combined with just a hint of relaxing bohemian style then Moroccan design may be just what you need.

Elements of Moroccan design include:

• jewel tone colors of red, fuschia, and sapphire blue combined with spicy shades of saffron gold and zesty orange
• hand carved wood used as ornamental pieces or functional items like side tables and ottomans
• lanterns and pendant lights galore
• beautiful tile patterns used on the walls, floors or as accents
• handwoven tapestries in ethnic patterns that include paisley and suzani designs
• a touch of bling found in small mirrored tiles, colorful beading or hammered metal
• brass candlesticks, trays and mirrors

Often referred to as global or bohemian, elements of Moroccan design can be incorporated into many different design styles as seen in these photos.

Just a hint of Moroccan design appears in the pattern of the nailhead trim and the fabrics used in this otherwise traditional space designed by Hickory Chair.

A collection of brightly colored fabrics and mirrors that reflect Moroccan architecture create an inviting little spot to sip a cup of tea or read a good book in this space designed by Zuniga interiors.  The hammered metal tray table and brass candlesticks complete the look.

zuniga interiors

Designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard introduces a touch of bohemian to this bedroom through the use of ethnic patterned fabrics in the wall hanging and throw pillows.

Don’t overlook the impact small details such as cabinet hardware, lampshades, pictures frames etc. can have on a theme designed space. 

 Have you been lucky enough to have visited Morocco?

Last summer, after being so inspired by the Decorah Eagle’s nest project, we introduced you to a new woodpecker door knocker design Martin was working on.  You can review that post here.  We are now proud to share the finished product with you.

This beautifully detailed piece was fashioned after the ladder woodpecker.  It has been cast in bronze and given a warm oil rubbed antique finish that just gets better with age.  It can be used as a door knocker or welded into a fixed position and used as a door handle.  This custom hardware provides a unique greeting for your customers and/or guests,  wouldn’t you agree?

Like most of us who live in the Los Angeles area, Iris has  been enjoying the unusually mild weather we have been experiencing.  While much of the country has also had a mild winter (some feel that temps of 40 and 50 degrees is mild) we have enjoyed several weeks of summer like temperatures.  And during these warmer than usual days Iris likes to have a refreshing drink from the backyard birdbath.   While we are not happy that she is drinking dirty water we are thankful that she does not drink from the toilet, as we understand some dogs like to do.  She is much too refined a lady for such behavior!

How have you been enjoying the weather?

If you follow the interior design and/or fashion world you have, no doubt heard by now,  that the new color of the year for 2012 is a vibrant and spicy shade of orange they are calling Tangerine Tango.

But do you ever wonder who “they” are; the people who make these decisions?  Pantone, Inc. is an internationally recognized expert on color  and color matching and their products and copyrighted color matching system is used by printers and paint and fabric manufacturers.  The declared color of the year is chosen based on the spirit of the time.  The current economic, political, industrial or religious climate is taken into consideration along with other trends of the era and culture.  Tangerine Tango was chosen, according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, for “…its element of courage.  It’s building on the ideas of courage and action, that we want to move on to better things.”  I think we are all ready to move on to better times, don’t you?

If the idea of using orange in your interior design is a bit overwhelming, take a look at these photos that offer some subtle ways to introduce this color into your own home or business.

Well known designer Tobi Fairley updates a brown and rose colored dining room with decorative urns in a soft shade of tangerine.

HGTV designer Tommy Smythe pumps up the volume in this neutral room with over-sized tangerine pillows that coordinate beautifully with the navy sofa and gold chairs.

 Traditional Home goes all out with tangerine tango walls that really highlight the neutral furniture and persian rug.

I also believe this shade of orange will look beautiful next to the warmth of oil rubbed bronze or brass hardware. So what are your thoughts on this new color of the year?

I have received several inquiries lately from large design firms regarding contemporary style hardware that is done in a warm finish such as rubbed bronze.  Yes, like fashion and home decor, even custom hardware is subject to trends.  I can remember when choices in hardware were limited to shiny chrome or garish brass.  Over time beautiful oil rubbed bronze and sophisticated stainless steel made an appearance.  With several finish choices available today it is now possible to customize door, drawer and cabinet hardware to meet your specific design tastes.

With all that said, we are introducing a new bronze finish to our Ergo series.  This modern design is most often done in a contemporary stainless steel finish but the warmth of the bronze changes the look and feel all together.  Here is a picture of the Ergo collection in stainless

and the Ergo door pull in a warm bronze finish

 What do you think?  Do you prefer the clean look of the stainless or the warm patina of a bronze finish?  We hope to unveil both our Ergo and Morphic collection in this warm new finish at the HD Expo in Las Vegas May 15-17th and we look forward to seeing many of you there.

Like many of you, 2011 was a year of business ups and downs for us.  But there were many enjoyable experiences:

Niche Interiors:  It was fun to collaborate with Niche Interiors and make a smaller, yet still very comfortable, version of our Ascot chair.

New pieces:  Martin was hard at work designing and carving new pieces that included the vine leaf cabinet pull and the vine heroic door handle, not to mention the very difficult (and almost completed) woodpecker design.

HD Expo:  We loaded up the car and drove to Las Vegas where we had an exhibitors booth at the HD Expo.  It created an opportunity to meet and greet many of you who are in the hospitality design field and our frog pull giveaway was a big success.  We look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s expo on May 15-17 at the Sands Hotel.

On a personal note we enjoyed many wonderful experiences.   We cannot forget the Raptor Resource and Decorah Eagles Project.  Their awe inspiring parenting etiquette was fascinating and it was a rare privilege to watch Mum and Dad successfully raise their chicks even if their table manners were a bit macabre!

Our road trip through the western United States was wonderful.  When it comes to the Europe vs. United States rivalry I still hold firm to my view that we have the most spectacular countryside here on our doorstep.  You can view many of our photographs and memories here.

Of course, the highlight of 2011 for us was the adoption of our newest family member; Iris, a pit-bull, boxer mix.  She came to us via The Rescue Train and has added so much to our lives.  She has her own monthly page on our blog, LA through the eyes of Iris, that you might enjoy.

That is our year in a nutshell.  How was your 2011?

As the year winds down we find ourselves looking forward to a quiet holiday spent, as usual, with neighbors and friends and our newest addition to the family, Iris.  Here you can see her relaxing after the Christmas party with her favorite teddy bear.  Notice the festive red collar. 

 In our previous posts we shared recipes for the traditional dishes we enjoy serving each year.  I hope you checked out some of our favorite vendors as well including Viktor Benes Bakery , Santa Monica Seafood and, of course, Tacoplus. 

  We are enjoying the beauty of simplicity this year with an unadorned tree that allows us to really take in the natural wonder of these aromatic trees.  In this picture you may also appreciate the wall mural that Martin painted a few years back.  It creates a wonderful backdrop for the tree, don’t you think?

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends and the individual traditions that make this time of year so special to each of us.