Memories from the 2015 HD Expo

Unlike many who leave Las Vegas, we did return home from the 2015 HD Expo with our bank account intact. We also returned home with a pocketful of memories.

I had an opportunity to have a very interesting conversation with photographer Ted Morrison on a concept called biophilia and how it is used in design. I will share some of those details in a later post.  In the meantime, some of Ted's work can be seen by visiting his website at www.tedmorrison.com.

Coincidentally, one of the items that attracted a lot of attention during the HD Expo was our Morphic cylindrical pull with a striking blue hot patina color added that we feel falls into the biophilia design category.  Or maybe it is just further proof that blue remains a universally popular color!

To view other Morphic pieces or our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

The release of our new wall sconces was timely as we continued to see open work designs both nature inspired and organic throughout the floor.  In support of this, our dragon egg sconce enhanced with green lighting also received quite a bit of attention.

Designers can view all of these items with a visit to the showroom located at 5433 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Making friends and spotting trends at the 2015 HD Expo

After a very interesting and successful opening day at the 2015 HD Expo we are looking forward to today. We discovered several trends as we toured the floor but the one that caught our eye was the presence of stylized nature inspired designs and shapes  similar to those found in our new Dragon Egg wall sconce.  Open work designs were spotted in ceiling fixtures, lamp shades, floor screens and room dividers.  Take a look at these room dividers and wall panels from artlinegroup.com.

We also spotted several interesting lighting fixtures including this unique, contemporary table lamp by Van Teal, Inc that, when lit, casts such as interesting pattern onto the wall.

Be sure to stop by our booth #2277 and see some of our products that celebrate this trend, including our new and VERY interesting Dragon Egg wall sconce.  Game of Throne fans will be delighted, we are sure!

You can view our entire collection including architectural  hardware, furniture and, most recently, wall sconces on our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit our showroom located at 5433 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

The doors are open at the 2015 HD Expo

We are all set-up and ready to welcome the thousands of hospitality professionals that crowd the halls of this annual event.  Along with over 900 other exhibitors you can locate us in the Exhibitor's Hall in booth #2277.  As you can see from the photo, we have brought along many of your perennial favorites such as the Iguana entry pull, but we are also debuting several new products including our new wall sconces

and our Morphic door pull enhanced with LED lighting.  Please stop by early and claim your very own orchid knob that will be awarded to the first ten visitors to our booth.

You can view our entire collection of architectural hardware by visiting our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

HD Expo 2015---We're here!!!

Finally, after all of the preparation, we have arrived at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada to exhibit at the 2015 HD Expo.  You can find us in booth #2277 in the exhibitor's hall which is open from 9:30-5:00 each day of the conference.

It is a flurry of activity here in the Exhibitors hall, as you can see by this photo.

I love the dramatic impact our backdrop showcasing our new LED entry door pull has on the space.

We are excited to be here and experience our 5th Expo and look forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

Remember that the first TEN visitors to our booth #2277 will receive, as our gift, one of our silver plated orchid knobs.  These are miniature works of art that you can install on a desk or cabinet and enjoy for years to come.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can tour our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Game of Thrones inspired wall sconce

Game of Thrones fans will love this new wall sconce inspired by the mythical creatures on the show.

Martin and I are both avid viewers of this series and while the show may have its critics, we both really enjoy the fantasy world that has been created.  In particular, we love the dragons.  We have watched them from their immersion as eggs into the pit of a fire in order to hatch to their development into powerful and lethal fiery predators.

The sconce was inspired by those eggs and features a gourd-like shape similar to our new floral wall sconce.  In the case of the dragon egg sconce, Martin carved out sections to give it the feeling of membrane and coral.

We will be introducing this new Dragon Egg sconce at the upcoming 2015 HD Expo being held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Nevada beginning on May 13th and continuing through May 15th.  You can see this stunning light fixture in person by visiting our booth #2277 located in the Exhibitors Hall.

We feel we have created something very different and fittingly organic in design with this wall light which measures:

5" in Diameter

7" in depth from wall to outer edge

17" in height

and will be available in steel, as shown, or in bronze.

And don't forget that the first ten visitors to our booth will receive one of our orchid knobs as our way of saying "Nice to meet you."

To view our entire collection of lighting and architectural hardware please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Trends blossom at High Point Market

The semi-annual Market at High Point North Carolina just closed, much to the delight of the aching feet of over 75000 designers and other professionals who attend. Fortunately for those of us who are not able to attend this spectacle, there are plenty of "style spotters" who share the new trends that we can expect to see in the near future. Along with plenty of mixed metals, Pantone's color of the year and the resurgence of brass accents, one other trend that stood out was the use of  nature inspired accents on furniture.  Tree branches wound their way across the front of a buffet, wood grain took center stage on case goods and botanical and garden motifs were visible in all forms from textiles to hand-painted designs to the metal floral sculptures of Tommy Mitchell.  Here is just a sampling of what was debuted at the Spring Market:

The beauty of nature is nothing new at Martin Pierce Hardware.  In fact, some of our most popular hardware designs were inspired by our natural surroundings and we have discussed that often on this blog.  One of our very first collections is the Hedgerow collection, inspired by the shrubs and greenery in our small hometown in England.  This unique design is available on both hardware and custom furniture pieces.  Here you can see the Hedgerow chair being used in the Four Seasons Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and it fits in so nicely with the beautiful and mountainous surroundings.

Included in this custom furniture line are beds, dressers, dining chairs and other case goods.  You can view our entire custom furniture collection by visiting our furniture site.

For more nature inspired architectural hardware collections, please visit www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

2015 HD Expo update

We are just a few short weeks away from opening day of the 2015 HD Expo where we will be exhibiting in booth #2277.  We will be debuting several new items including our first foray into wall lighting with our floral wall sconce.  You can learn more about this new piece here.

We are very excited to hear your comments on this beautiful piece.  We will also be debuting the new Morphic entry door pull enhanced with LED lighting.

Not only does the lighting offer a beacon, of sorts, to the entry of a building but the soft glow is unique and inviting.  Plus, additional lighting at the entry of any building is always a good safety tool.

And keep in mind that the first ten visitors to our booth will receive one of our orchid knobs. This little gem is sure to add a touch of elegance to a desk drawer or storage cabinet in your home or office.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Light up your walls with our new floral sconce

There is no reason wall lighting needs to be strictly functional or have a utilitarian appearance.  We believe that wall hung lanterns can be stylish and beautiful while providing ambient or task lighting. Our new floral sconce meets all this criteria.  It will certainly cast a warm glow throughout the room and is just as beautiful during the day as it is in the evening when the bulb shines through.

The openwork design of this wall sconce was inspired in large part by our trip to  Granada. last year.  It consists of a series of interlocking leaves similar to a type of plant  we saw quite often as a garden shrub in the Albayzin  quarter of Granada.  The sconce also has a Moorish quality particularly in the cap of the lamp, inspired, no doubt, on some subliminal level by our visit to the Alhambra.

It is lit with a small LED light that casts intriguing shadows on the wall.  We will be moving on to the task of NRTL ( Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories) approval within the next few months.

The Floral lamp measures:

Diameter 5"

Depth 7" from wall to Outer edge

Height 16  1/2"

and will be available in bronze as shown and also in steel.

We will be debuting this wall sconce at the upcoming 2015 HD Expo so be sure and stop by our booth #2277 for an in-depth look at this stunning light fixture.

You can view our entire collection of architectural hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

Revisiting 3D printers

As it is in most businesses, research and development plays a big role in the process of creating custom hardware that is not only functional and attractive but is in keeping with the times, so to speak. Today's "times" is all about technology.  For example, how do we create a door handle that is unique in design while still allowing one to enter a building and, at the same time, meets the needs of those with physical challenges and employs new technology like LED lighting for safety.  Technology like 3D printers, for example, can certainly make this task faster and easier.

In February we attended the 3D Printer World Expo here in Los Angeles.  You can read all about our visit in our blog post here.  We continue to investigate whether the cost of such a printer is worth it for our business and here are some of our questions:

•  While a cylinder 16” long with an outside wall of 1.6” and inside wall of 1.5” is not difficult to create a 3D file for, how do I get the organic holes cut in a piece like our Morphic design? Originally Martin cut these out on a scroll saw and then, to create a softer hole, refined and softened each hole by hand using files and different grades of sandpaper.

• 

• Can the 3D scanner simply scan the existing pattern and then increase the  overall image  by 5%?  Not as easy as one thinks.  Since this design is a hollow cylinder it is difficult for the scanner to read the depth of each hole.
• Can the scanner read the holes if we insert a piece of white paper inside the cylinder thus showing the depth of each hole?
• Would it give us a better new pattern if we simply traced the holes from the existing pattern onto a piece of flat paper, scanned the tracing to create another 3D file which could be superimposed onto the 3D cylinder file?  We would then have to go in and for each hole define the depth and softness.  Would this take too much programming time and thus not be cost effective?

I have described this at length so that you can get an idea of how time consuming and costly it is to develop any new product.  This can be risky,  especially if you do not know whether you even have a market for it.  The process of costing a new product really forces you to hone your designs at the early stages.

This takes me full circle to saying that we thoroughly enjoy what we do and find the challenge of making this all work a lot of fun.

To view our entire collection of custom hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Ten helpful tips for trade show exhibitors

This year marks our 5th journey to the HD Expo and, along the way,  we have learned a great deal about selecting products to display, creating a pleasing display and learning to transport and set up a booth ourselves.  Last year we shared a checklist that works for us and are wondering if this checklist also works for other exhibitors.  Here is a "replay" of last years blog post:

1. Select the size and type of booth you will be renting.  Will it be a corner booth, how close to the entrance is it, are there complimentary exhibitors nearby etc?
2. Decide which pieces you will be debuting and which signature pieces to take
3. Design and make the plinths and mock-up doors that will display your pieces
4. Design the fabric banners that will separate and enclose your booth
5. Decide how much to spend promoting your booth at the show. This is in one of the most expensive aspects of the show as it involves upgrading your listing on the official website by adding images that can be showcased on the site; enhancing your appearance in the official Show Guide with a full page or half page advert; promoting attendance at your booth by means of a physical postcard mailing etc.
6. Arrange transportation for both you and your products.  Fortunately for us we are within driving distance so we rent a van and drive to the show 2 days before the show begins.  This allows us plenty of time to set up the booth.
7. Book accommodations – we always rent a self-contained flat so we can have our breakfast and dinner in a quiet and calm environment.
8. Rent a lead retrieval system so that you can scan and record details about people visiting your booth
9. Rent necessary chairs and tables from the show administrators
10. On arrival find out where you need to unload your van and if you are able to use the “caddie” system to get your products to your booth. This is very effective as you literally pay the staff by the trip to move your pieces on a small electronic cart. If you have larger displays then you will have to crate your goods, organize a shipping company and hope that nothing gets damaged. You also will have to pay substantially for what is known as “material handling” which is the cost of getting your crate delivered to your booth. We have been down this road before and as a result re-designed our booth to easily “break down” into easily manageable components.

While we will follow the same process this year our booth numbert, #2277, is different as well as our giveaway product.  The first ten visitors to our booth at this year's Expo will receive one of our silver-plated orchid cabinet knobs.  This exquisite depiction of this romantic flower is certainly a work of art that you can enjoy however you choose to use it in your home or office.

We  look forward to meeting you and discussing your upcoming hospitality design projects hardware needs and we know you will enjoy viewing some of our new products that will be making their debut.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

The changing seasons at Martin Pierce Hardware

All anyone needs to do is step outside and take a deep breath to know that springtime has finally arrived (and summer is just around the corner).  Here in Los Angeles that means there is a slight chill in the air that burns off with the morning clouds and moves into a sunny and mild afternoon before the evening clouds roll in.  Purple Jacaranda trees line the freeways and orange and yellow poppies are in bloom.

Design professionals know how to capture the feeling of spring year-round through the use of beautiful fabrics, artwork and custom details that include bespoke hardware.  Here at Martin Pierce Hardware we  also celebrate this season with custom hardware collections that will add a permanent touch of spring to your next hospitality or residential project. Birds and bees and butterflies can be found in our Animal collection while a garden full of floral designs are featured in the Flora collection.

If you are looking for some design inspiration or just desiring an afternoon surrounded by beautiful flowers there are many spots in the Los Angeles area:

• The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens.  We have posted about this amazing site many times on this blog and it is definitely worth the drive.
• The Getty Center offers more than a world-famous collection of art.  Their gardens and walkways are a work of art themselves and offer you a respite from the long days spent in the museum.
• If tropical and unusual plants are more to your liking then be sure and check out the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Gardens located on the UCLA campus.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

HD Expo 2015 will be here before you know it.

It is hard to believe that the 2015 HD Expo is just a mere 5 weeks away.  The conference runs from May 13-15th but, as exhibitors, we arrive to set up our booth the day before and then de-construct the booth once the conference is over. As they state on their webpage, "HD Expo is the premier trade show and hospitality conference for its industry. Established in 1992 and presented by Hospitality Design magazine, it remains at the forefront by offering the newest and most innovative products and services, encouraging and sharing ideas, providing inspiration and connecting hospitality professionals..."

Our booth is #2277 and is definitely worth a visit.  We will be debuting several new pieces including our new wall sconces and our highly anticipated LED door handle from the Morphic collection.

We will also be awarding to the first ten visitors to our booth one of our orchid cabinet pulls from the Flora collection.  This beautiful pull is an excellent illustration of the attention Martin pays to details that actually turn it into a functional little piece of art.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, including the Morphic and Flora collections, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at 5433 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA  90016

(323) 939-5929

April showers bring metal May flowers

The beautiful blooming cherry blossoms shown above are certainly inspirational, as is most of nature.  And, as with other artists, designers and architects, Martin looks to nature for new ideas when designing new hardware pieces or venturing into new territory as he did with our soon to be debuted wall sconces.

We recently shared with you a photo of our new candlesticks that we will be debuting at the upcoming 2015 HD Expo.  In doing some research we have discovered that metallic floral depictions in the form of sculpture and artwork are a great way to introduce a touch of springtime to your interior design projects without the requirement of watering, pruning, fertilizing etc.

Along with out own beautiful floral inspired candleholder

you can also add the beauty of flowers with items like:

or this amazing display framed in acrylic boxes by well-known artist Tommy Mitchell

To view our Flora custom hardware, along with our entire collection, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

(323) 939-5929

Spotlight on architectural hardware collections at Martin Pierce---Morphic

One of the more popular lines of architectural hardware at Martin Pierce Hardware is our Morphic collection.  One look at the sleek design and interesting texture of these pieces and it is easy to understand it's popularity.

On our website we describe it this way: "Fluid contemporary designs are the basis for this innovative style of decorative door hardware. Cast in steel, these hardware pieces are extremely contemporary but when cast in bronze the effect is reminiscent of the Art Nouveau style."

The openwork design of this grouping makes it the perfect candidate for innovative customization options like the addition of a powder coated color:

or an LED lighting feature that will be debuted at this years HD Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This collection also underwent some color and form changes for the new Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas.  More on this exciting project to come.

The collection also includes large and small pulls for cabinetry and furniture, passageway knobs, entry way levers that can be adapted to meet ADA standards and our majestic entry door pulls that will make a great first impression to all who enter a residence, hotel, spa or other hospitality project.  Here is a sampling of the collection:

To view the entire Morphic and other collections of custom hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers please stop by our showroom at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

A look back at past giveaways at the HD Expo

We recently announced that the first ten visitors to our booth in the Exhibitor's Hall at the 2015 HD Expo will receive one of our exquisitely detailed silver plated orchid drawer pulls to use as they please.

We have made it a tradition to award a piece of our custom hardware each year we attend the HD Expo.  We thought it might be fun to revisit past giveaways:

In 2014 we awarded twenty lucky visitors to our booth their choice of either the whimsical dragonfly pull or our small scarab beetle pull.

Small scarab pull from Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA 90016

The spring of 2013 found us delighting ten lucky winners with our beautifully detailed butterfly pull.

Our new at the time bronze daisy pull was chosen as the giveaway for the 2012 HD Expo.

And it all started with the fun polished brass frog pull we awarded to the first ten visitors to our booth during our inaugural visit to the 2011 HD Expo.

Were you one of the lucky winners?

To view all of these items or our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers, please stop by our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd Los Angeles CA 90016

Tel: 323 939 5929

2015 HD Expo, here we come!

 

Like the Jaybird that inspired our latest bronze sculpture, the first month of the new year simply flew by!  But that just puts us one month closer to the 2015 HD Expo and our trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.  This will be our fourth consecutive year exhibiting at the Expo and we are, as always, looking forward to connecting with many of you.

As we get closer to the event we will be sure to share not only our location in the Exhibitor's Hall but we hope to have some custom hardware surprises that we think will please many of you who are involved in the hospitality design industry.  If you will recall, we debuted our new Morphic cylindrical entry pull last year featuring a hot patina color enhancement that adds a new dimension to this very unique item of architectural hardware.

More to come!

To view the entire Morphic collection please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Bronze Jay sculpture reveal

Several months ago we introduced you to our jay sculpture in a three-part series that chronicled the process of designing, sculpting and casting a bronze piece, whether it be used as door hardware or as wall art.  Our goal was to share with you how, after all the hard work, a collection of pieces like this

become a beautiful piece of  sculpture like this soaring beauty:

This majestic piece measure 18" from wing tip to wing tip, 12" from beak to tail and projects 4" from the wall.  The dark oil rubbed patina allows the exquisite detailing of the wings and body to be enjoyed.  Part of a limited edition, this bird sculpture can be hung on the wall and admired as a piece of wall art or utilized as custom door hardware for an impressive entry to a residence, hotel or commercial building.

If you are interested in the jay sculpture or any of our custom hardware collections, please contact us to discuss your specific project.  Our entire collection of architectural hardware can be viewed on our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Meet you over at Dering Hall

We are excited to announce that we have recently partnered with online marketplace, Dering Hall, to offer our custom architectural hardware products to designers and architects.  This partnership makes it possible for those design professionals to find custom entryway, passageway and drawer and cabinet hardware for their hospitality, commercial and residential projects. The site features a selection of our hardware including items from our Ergo and Hedgerow collections as seen in the snapshot of the webpage below:

Ergo Door knob

Magnify

Product Specifications

Dimensions

Rose 3 1/2"W 1/2"D Knob 2 1/2"W 2 1/4"D 3"H

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Category

Accessories, Hardware, Knobs/Handles

Product Type

Made-to-Order

Lead Time

8-10 Weeks

Material

Stainless steel

Product Description

Our contemporary styles are cast in 316 Stainless Steel. We pride ourselves on our exceptional quality And artistry. The contours of this piece are designed to fit your hand hence the name Ergo-nomic. For a warmer tone we recommend ordering this piece in bronze.

Other pieces featured include our Hedgerow entryway door pull:

Dering Hall  best describes their services-"Dering Hall is an online marketplace for the finest interior designers, architects, artisans, and design galleries to showcase their work and sell new, high-end home furnishings and accessories."  They make it easy for discerning design professionals and homeowners alike to search for and find high-end products like furniture, fabrics, lighting fixtures and, of course, hardware.

You can view our entire collection of custom hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

Hardware, bugs and more at Martin Pierce Hardware

Throughout the years we have shared with you Martin's interest, actually fascination, with insects.  So much so that for several months last year we hosted two beetles we fondly named Natasha and Boris. This interest not only includes the study of their habits but extends further to the study of their habitats, behavior and skeletal structure.  Therefore, many of our vacations and weekend excursions are planned for the very purpose of scouting for and studying many of these creatures. All of this research and study enables Martin to apply amazing detail to not only custom hardware pieces but also to the bronze sculptures and paintings he has been working on. While photographs and more information on these pieces will be available soon, rest assured that the wait will be worth it.

Here are a few examples of some of the custom hardware pieces, in actuality miniature sculptures, that we offer in our collections.  The same labor intensive casting process is used in our smaller hardware pieces as is used in our larger sculptures and custom projects.  Please make note of the exquisite detail in each and every piece.

Wasps feature prominently in some of Martin's new work.  However, our Animal collection of architectural hardware includes a bronze wasp drawer pull that is available in both an open wing and closed wing design.  The beautiful detailing on the wings adds dimension and texture and would be a wonderful addition to the decorative design of a retail boutique, spa or residential project.

Many items from our various collections, including the wasp pull, are artfully displayed at Folger & Burt's showroom in San Francisco.

To view our entire collection of custom hardware or to discuss your own hospitality design project, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

HD Expo 2015

It is that time of year again--time to begin preparing for our annual trek to the HD Expo in Las Vegas Nevada.  It is very early in the process but we wanted to tease you with a few items we hope to exhibit in our booth at the Expo:

• Last year we debuted our new Morphic cylindrical pull with the addition of a powder coated color accent added.  We continue to work with this collection by adding LED lighting and if all goes well, the debut will certainly be exciting.

• We also hope to share at least a prototype of our hinge collection
• While they will probably not make an appearance at the Expo, Martin is in the process of designing some very unique wall sconces and candle holders.  All we can say is that "Game of Thrones" fans will be very excited.

We will continue to keep you posted on the progress of all of these projects as we look forward to this year's HD Expo.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware or to discuss your upcoming hospitality or residential projects, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.