Ooops...my bad. We have decided to occupy a larger booth at the upcoming HD Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada and our booth number has been changed to #4659 from the previously mentioned #4756.
We look forward to seeing all of you at the Expo where we will debut several new pieces as well as share some of our more popular collections of custom hardware.
When we say free, we mean absolutely free. And while our hand-cast, custom hardware items hardly fall into the category of "stuff" we are offering a giveaway this May. All you have to do is stop by our booth #4659 at the 2014 HD Expo and say hello. The first ten visitors will receive one of the following: One of our medium sized scarab drawer pulls. These creatures have an interesting and mystical history behind them that will add a touch of the exotic to your desk, closet or anywhere you decide to use this beautiful hardware.
For those who prefer a touch of springtime, our beautifully detailed dragonfly pull will add a piece of the garden to a writing desk or a hint of whimsy to the powder room.
First come, first served and we look forward to visiting with all of you.
To view our entire collection of custom architectural hardware, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com
As we familiarize ourselves with all the aspects of LED lighting, it will offer many opportunities for the innovative designer or architect to introduce it into their designs.
Bellacor Lighting recently discussed upcoming trends specific to the hospitality industry: "Interior design trends this year are influenced by the sometimes dueling forces of technology and nostalgia. On the one hand, technologies like LED's are influencing not only how lighting works within a space but also how it can look and where it can be utilized. Meanwhile, our longing for simpler times is creating a demand for mid-century modern design as well as simpler lines, natural materials and calming textures." These ideas will influence which products manufacturers place on the market including textiles, lighting, hardware and case goods.
Here at Martin Pierce Hardware we are in the process of developing a door pull with LED lighting embedded in the handle. Our Morphic cylindrical door pull is the perfect candidate for this new technology as the cutouts that are part of the design offer a natural spot for the lights to shine through. Our plan is to debut this innovative custom hardware at the 2014 HD Expo in May. Please stop by our booth #4756 and see if this unique design will fit into your current projects.
To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.
We recently shared with you our excitement about attending the 2014 HD Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas Nevada. We will setup residence in the exhibit hall and can be found in booth #4659.
Many of you have visited our booth at past events to view our custom hardware as well as see new products being debuted at the Expo. This year will be no different as we will be debuting several new pieces. We are particularly excited to share our new Morphic cylindrical door pull complete with LED lighting in the handle. Not only will this make it easy to locate the door handle in a hotel, spa, nursing home or retirement facility for your hospitality clients, it is sure to cast a beautiful shadow due to the cutout pattern of the Morphic design.
So be sure and stop by our booth #4659 to introduce yourself, say hello and see what we have in store for 2014.
In order to paint, carve, sculpt or otherwise create a representation of something, research is necessary. Imagine the difficulty of this research if your subject matter is an insect! We recently shared with you Martin's love of insects as a subject matter and his desire to pursue that more in the coming year. This requires us to come up with ways to make the study of these creatures easier. We have tried to grow our own-with no success-and importing them from overseas is prohibited as many are protected. We do, however, get many dead specimens from an amazing company, Bioquip, in Rancho Dominguez California. To the entomologist, whether he be a hobbyist or professional, Bioquip is a bit like visiting Disneyland minus the crowds. One could spend hours there as the scale of their collection is simply breath taking, The staff, not surprisingly, have a keen concern for preservation and a deep connection with their subject and it shows both in their incredible expertise and their passion for bugs.
We have also photographed their habitat on visits to the local mountains hoping this information will lend realism to his paintings and sculptures. And we have visited the local natural history museums for an in-depth look at the real thing.
Martin’s particular favorite beetle group (no pun intended) are those that form the stag group or lucanidae. There are many different types of stag beetle that range in size and color but all males have distinctive antler like mandibles that are used in display and in toppling other rival males. They quite literally will turn a competing male upside down. As you can see from the photos these beetles have an armor plated look to them and indeed proportionate to their size are literally one of the strongest creatures on this planet. While these photos may not be for the faint of heart they do help Martin in his quest for realism in his fantasy paintings and in his sculptures. And you must admit their coloring is beautiful.
You can view many "specimens" from our Animal, Lizard and Netzuke collections of custom architectural hardware as well as our entire collection of unique and bespoke pieces by visiting our site at www.martinpierce.com.
The countdown for what has become an annual trip for us, the HD Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, has begun and is on our calendar again this year. We look forward to making this trek, seeing old friends, making new friends and, most importantly, sharing some new products with those of you who attend the expo. The 2014 HD Expo will be held on May 14-16 at the Mandalay Bay convention hall. Visiting this beautiful venue is a good enough reason to attend this conference. But, as in years past, the exhibit hall will be full of hundreds of companies sharing their newest products that they hope will make your job as hospitality designers and architects much easier. Products range from architectural hardware and other FF&E products to items designed to fill the needs of an aging population to the latest innovations in countertop and flooring material and everything in between.
Once we are assigned a booth number we will share that information with you in the hopes that you will stop by and say hello and view our amazing selection of custom hardware that will enhance your current projects. We plan on debuting a few new items as well like our Morphic handle enhanced with LED lighting.
In the meantime, you can view our entire collection at our site www.martinpierce.com.
Another Chinese new year is upon us and 2014 is the year of the horse. The official new year begins with the arrival of the new moon on January 31, 2014 amid celebrations that include street festivals and art fairs so check your local community to see what is being offered.
In Chinese astrology a horse year is believed to bring good luck and good fortune amid a wild ride of financial fluctuations throughout the world. Whew! In reality, that does not seem much different than every other year but I certainly hope the good luck and good fortune hits all of us in the interior design world.
As our products enjoy a worldwide presence we are hoping that the international "financial fluctuations" are all positive. Here is a list of spots where our custom architectural hardware pieces are currently being enjoyed:
Candy and Candy, located in London, England, chose to have many of our cabinet pulls silver plated for one of their residential clients. Also in England, the musical group "The Prodigy" selected our Bee passageway sets from our Netzuke collection for their studios.
HOC Architecture and Interiors out of Valencia, Spain chose several of our Willow and Hedgerow sets to decorate various suites in a spanish villa.
A residential client in Switzerland enjoys our sycamore leaf pulls in her home while artist Bruna Arpea from Milan, Italy chose various insect and animal pulls for her bathroom. We are able to enjoy her artwork as well as we have many of her pieces proudly on display in the dining room of our home.
The W hotel in Singapore, through The Rockwell Group, chose our pieces to use in the entry and other public areas of the hotel. And we are currently working with Anna Marie Chen of Deco Locks in Panama to set up a showroom and introduce our work to Central America.
Other projects scattered in various spots around the world are in the works and when we are able, we will be excited to share that information with you.
If you would like to view any of the products mentioned above or see our entire collection of bespoke hardware please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com. And we hope that 2014, the year of the horse, brings good fortune and financial stability to all of us.
We are so excited to open the doors of our small showroom in Los Angeles, California to designers and homeowners alike. We recently released this invitation to hospitality, residential and contract designers who are searching for just the right FF&E items for their upcoming projects:
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We look forward to sharing many of our unique hardware designs as well as the very interesting and environmentally friendly process of the ancient lost wax method.
To view our entire collection of architectural hardware and custom furniture, to make an appointment, or to download a catalog, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com.
As we mentioned in an earlier post, we decided to head to the local mountains of southern California for a quick holiday getaway and, of course, Iris joined us on this adventure.
Idyllwild is a lovely mountain community located just a little over 100 miles east of Los Angeles in the beautiful San Jacinto mountains. It provides a quiet and peaceful escape from the traffic and noise of the city and offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, rock climbing or simply enjoying the vista from one of the local restaurants or your own cabin.
We stayed in a rather luxurious 3 bedroom house/cabin with a fantastic fireplace. We had expected others would be joining us, hence the large abode. We found this rental through Quiet Creek Vacation. It had a lovely view of Lily Rock one of the amazing “rocks” or mountains that form a focal point to the Idllywild vista. We were also very close to Humber Park and thus to the very scenic Ernie Maxwell Trail which is a great 2.5 mile trail (one way) that passes through rocky terrain with great open skies and many different types of tree including the beautifully twisted Manzanitas to fresh smelling pines. Sadly, the drought has made many of the trees susceptible to an invasive bark beetle that requires the trees be destroyed. However, one of our goals for 2014 is to focus on Martin's art and he is currently developing ideas for a beetle painting so the nesting grounds that are created from the fallen leaves provided inspiration for texture and background for his paintings. Something good comes from everything!
After a day of long walks we felt we deserved to eat at some of our favorite spots including pasta at Cafe Aroma, a regular for us. And, if you are lucky enough to be there on a Monday night you will get to hear local live jazz. After our long walks we would often splurge and eat sticky buns and lemon mascarpone slices at Honey Bunns, delicious home made cooking at its best!
How did you spend your holiday break?
If you would like to view our entire collection of architectural hardware and bespoke furniture items, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com
It has been quite some time since we shared any of our adventures with our beloved rescue dog, Iris. But she did join us on our winter "escape" to the local mountains during the holidays and really seemed to enjoy the cooler weather and higher altitude of Idyllwild, California.
Iris is a canine of few barks. In fact, she rarely barks; although on this occasion she would use the wrap around deck to issue the odd bark at a passing hiker. How dare anyone pass on her trail!
She shows off her hiking skills in this photo of her easily and bravely crossing a log:
and in this photo where she has clearly picked up the scent of some local critter or, more likely, a delicious morsel of food.
Many of you may recall that we adopted Iris from a local rescue organization, The Rescue Train. They have many dogs like Iris looking for new homes so if you are in or near the Los Angeles area and are looking to add a new member to your family, be sure to check them out.
You can also view our entire collection of custom architectural hardware at www.martinpierce.com.
Limited edition Ascot tallboy with japanning detail and custom interior shelves from Martin Pierce Custom Hardware
We recently wrote about how to choose between a custom or ready made piece of artwork or furniture. We shared with you a bespoke version of our Ascot Tallboy designed for a client who wished to display and store their prized collection of 78 record albums and the vintage player. Custom details included interior shelves and dividers cut to fit the record sleeves.
This limited edition piece is now in place and the client has graciously shared photos of it in use.
Martin Pierce Custom Hardware and furniture
The beautiful wood and japanning details really complement other pieces in the room and no one would guess that those doors hide plenty of convenient storage for easy access to the 78 LP's. In my humble opinion, the perfect marriage between the old and the new.
If you would like to view other piece of custom furniture or our entire collection of custom architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.
A new year always offers up the opportunity to sit back and review the past but to also look forward to what the next 12 months might bring. Just six days into the new year and we already have plenty of things on our calendar guaranteed to keep us busy providing you with the perfect custom architectural hardware pieces for your upcoming projects. Here is a little peak into our 2014 agenda:
That is our year in a nutshell. What does 2014 hold for you and your business?
If you would like to view our entire collection of custom architectural hardware and other products please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.
Merry Christmas!
The holidays are a time of year when well-loved traditions are enjoyed. Since our family does not live nearby we get together with our group of friends and enjoy delicious food, beautiful music and a relaxed time that comes with knowing each other for many years. I am here to assure you that plenty of merriment ensues. Music will mainly consist of old jigs with the odd classical piece that will be performed by our quintet. I definitely need a boost before performing and that arrives in the form of home made English sausage rolls that are made by Tina. They are simply calorie heaven and a good stomach stabilizer that provides that boost.
The rest of this year's Christmas menu will consist of specific items that I have requested be made by specific people:
and the piece de resistance, Raspberry trifle from Jacqui. For the record, at our Christmas party I ask specific people to bring specific dishes as I am not a fan of waste and for me to insist upon Jacqui’s trifle speaks volumes as to how wonderful and naughty it is.
Jacqui uses Harvey's Bristol Cream sherry and she offers this helpful tip--do not buy the sherry too far in advance as there may not be enough left when it comes time to make the trifle! The recipe is simple, anyone can do it, and you can rest assured that there are never any leftovers.
Here is Jacqui’s raspberry trifle recipe:
Ingredients:
Lady fingers
Raspberry jam
Fresh or frozen raspberries
Good sherry!
Raspberry jello
Jello pudding (I get 1 x lemon and 1 x vanilla then layer them)
Whole milk
Whipping cream
Process:
Spread the lady fingers with jam and place in the bottom of a trifle dish.
Make up the jello with 1 cup of boiling water and then add 1 cup of sherry - set in the fridge.
Make up the jello pudding and layer on top - set in the fridge.
Whip up the cream and place on top.
Throw on some fresh raspberries or whatever decorations take your fancy.
Et voila! A true English trifle that will delight your guests.
Bon appetit!
I have recently noticed the appearance of the scarab motif in both interior and fashion designs. This little creature has a fascinating history dating as far back as 2000 BC. A scarab is actually just a beetle, a dung beetle at that. It began as a religious symbol in ancient Egyptian culture and was thought to represent the early morning or rising sun. It is associated with feelings of development and growth, among other things, and is found in hieroglyphics, amulets and other forms of jewelry, both ancient and new. Large numbers of scarabs were carved from stone or other natural materials and the more valuable ones depict royalty in some form.
Interior designers are able to introduce this ancient symbol in many of their designs through the use of wallpaper, fabric and architectural hardware. We offer amazingly detailed bespoke knobs and pulls in the form of scarabs that have been cast in bronze and will add that custom touch to any project whether it is a private residence or a commercial or public building.
Beautiful in its own right, this scarab beetle pull from Martin Pierce Hardware is certainly creepy as well.
London textile and wallpaper printer, Ivo, offers a scarab wallpaper in several colorways including the gold shown here.
Scarab motif fabric and wallpaper from Ivo
And for the woman who has everything, this exquisite scarab motif compact is available at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Estee Lauder Beautiful Midnight Scarab Solid Perfume Compact
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To view our entire collection of custom architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.
Many of our architectural hardware pieces have found homes throughout the world but I must say none luckier than the Epic entryway set from our Ergo collection that is now adorning the front door of artist Ann Helen Sperre. Her home is very modern and the choice of hardware is an excellent one that will enhance the contemporary lines of the house. As you can see from her photo, she lives in a beautiful spot on the western coast of Norway, Aaleslund, with plenty of snow and aspen trees reflected in the windows.
She is also a talented artist as evidenced by the the hanging glass sculpture she designed that appears in the window of the adjoining room.
Simple elegance in holiday decorations is the name of the game with a beautiful natural wreath on the door and white lights on the outside foliage.
Coincidentally, I have been googling Oslo, Norway recently as I am reading a thriller by Joe Nesbo (a Norweigan writer) titled "Devils Star" when Ann’s email and photos arrived in my inbox. I wrote back and shared the coincidences with her and she responded with information about Norway and others spots to visit and, amazingly, she is also reading a Joe Nesbo thriller, "Police". If you are planning a visit to Scandinavia or just enjoy looking at beautiful photos, Ann wrote:
"... you should come and visit Norway, {it} is so beautiful – you will love it! Especially here on the west coast and Aalesund. You should try to google Geiranger, Trollstigen, Sunnmørsalpene, Hjørundfjorden, Trollveggen."
To view our Ergo collection and the Epic door handle that Ann chose, or to view our entire selection, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com.
Take a moment out of this very hectic holiday season and enjoy these beautiful photos taken during our recent visit to the Huntington Gardens located nearby in San Marino California. The "motion" of this succulent looks like it is moving underwater.
Rough beauty can be found in these succulents and cacti.
A songbird takes a moment away from singing to enjoy his surroundings.
A beautiful butterfly at rest.
Some things just get more beautiful with age, like this gnarled old tree bark.
To enjoy more photos from this beautiful place or to view our collection of custom hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.
We certainly view our custom designed architectural hardware and furniture pieces as artwork and often refer to them as functional art. But, fortunately for all of us, art comes in many affordable forms. Lisa Leonard from LML Art Group in San Diego, California shared some of her expertise to help you make the right choice for your project.
Original: Original art is just what it says--a piece of art that is in it's original format. This would include a painting, drawing, sculpture, weaving, etc. While prints or limited editions may be created from this item, the original is always the first one produced. In the event that no reproductions are made then the original becomes an often valuable one-of-a-kind item.
Limited Edition: When an artist creates a specific number of the same piece and then destroys the mold, for example, it becomes a limited edition piece. Each piece is numbered so that you are aware of the order in which your piece was cast or created. There are differing schools of thought on the value of the number. With our obsession with the #1 in this society, some collectors feel that the lower the number the more valuable the piece. Conversely, others believe that the final number in an edition is more valuable as it is the last one created. For your enjoyment, Ms. Leonard recommends that, if you have a choice you select a number that is important to you such as an anniversary or birthdate or your own "lucky" number. At Martin Pierce, we offer limited editions in some of our furniture and hardware collections and those can be viewed by visiting our site.
Print: Prints or off set lithographs are the most inexpensive form of reproduction. They are photo mechanically produced, usually on thin paper. A good way to make sure you are receiving the form you are paying for, take a look at the item under a magnifying glass.... a print will show a series of dots that make up the image while the more expensive silkscreen will show a solid wash of color.
Silkscreens: While silkscreens are also printed, it is onto heavier paper and with a time intensive process of paint screened onto paper with each color requiring a different screen until the image is complete. Silkscreens are often offered in a limited edition, thereby increasing the cost and perhaps even the value.
Giclees: Giclees are computer generated with ink jet printers similar to your own home printer. However, the paper is much heavier and the ink (paint) is denser. Giclees were originally printed as limited editions and considered quite valuable. While they are more expensive than an off-set print, today's technology makes it possible to print them in vast quantities and they are not considered a from of original art.
The beauty and value of any piece of art lies in the eyes of the beholder but it is also good to be armed with some knowledge before making these very important purchases.
To view our entire collection of custom and/or limited edition hardware and furniture, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.
We are often asked what inspires Martin's designs and when we answer “nature” I can almost hear the disappointed sighs at receiving such a cliched and glib answer. But it is the truth and one of his favorite spots to visit and to seek inspiration is the Huntington Gardens. We typically frequent this California gem at least 3 times a year and every time we visit we see nature in a different light, literally. Those who visit Los Angeles, or any spot in southern California, don't see the ways that our trees, succulents and cacti bloom and change with the seasons, giving you a different view at different times of the year.
The beauty of the Huntington Gardens is matched only by the immense variety of plants that have been cultivated for over 100 years. Specimens range from the arid cacti and succulents native to our deserts to the tropical trees and and amazing carnivorous plants housed in the conservatory.
As always, we took lots of photos to study later. But it is interesting to see how many of our designs have been directly inspired by nature, whether found at the Gardens or in other travels. Here are a few examples to show how the shape of a plant, root or leaf becomes a piece of custom architectural hardware to use in your home or business.
The roots in this photo have amazing movement and power and while they were not the direct basis for the Hedgerow Heroic design they no doubt are buried in Martins sub-conscious.
Similarly while this variegated agave has not been used as a precise model for any specific design,
the fluid movement lurks somewhere in the recesses of Martin’s mind and I see the results in the swirling forms visible in our Willow series.
By comparison, when it came to creation of our Bamboo cabinet pulls we visited the gardens in November of 2004 and took this shot of a bamboo plant and later used it as an image in our first printed catalogue. In this case I think the results of the inspiration are pretty obvious!
In some cases Martin has already designed a specific piece but needs further inspiration to satisfy his desire for realism. In the case of the Lizard collection Martin wanted his large Heroic lizard to be “grounded” and not simply to be placed directly on to the door stile. This raised the question of what would make an artistically appropriate and natural landscape for the Lizard sculpture and Martin chose a stratified stone or boulder as the mounting platform or in hardware terms the back plate. If you visit the Japanese Gardens at the Huntington Gardens you will often spot a lizard basking in the sun on these rocks but, alas, we did not see any on this visit.
Whatever your excuse for visiting the Huntington gardens, I highly recommend at least 3 visits a year to not only view the changing seasons in this area but also to re-charge your batteries and maybe burn off a few of those Thanksgiving and holiday calories.
To view our entire collection of bespoke hardware and furniture, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com.
As you can imagine, Thanksgiving in our home is celebrated a bit differently than the typical American way of enjoying a large feast of turkey and stuffing, pies and sauces. But we do enjoy spending time in the company of neighbors, many of whom are transplants as well, and being grateful for all we have. And, like any gathering, we enjoy a delicious meal that often includes beef or lamb but without a bird in sight!
One of our favorite dishes to make is a potato au gratin from the My Field of Greens cookbook. The recipe and helpful tips can be found here and, while time intensive it is well worth the effort and makes for great leftovers the next day. And from what I understand about this American holiday, it really is all about the leftovers. I like to fry it up in a bit of olive oil, add a fried egg and some leftover prosciutto or bacon. It brings back fond memories of my mother's bubble and squeak, although hers usually included mashed potatoes and cabbage. Delicious!
We at Martin Pierce Custom Hardware wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday spent with family and friends.
