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

Light up the room with our new bronze candlesticks

Over the years we have shared with our clients and those who enjoy our blog just how much Martin is inspired by nature and where he goes to find that inspiration.  This may include hiking trips to local canyons or exotic spots such as our recent trip to Spain or a visit to more  formal gardens such as those at the Huntington Library in San Marino or the Botanic Gardens in Santa Barbara.  We are always equipped with our camera to snap photos of birds and other creatures and their habitats as well as beautiful flowers and foliage.  These visits and corresponding photographs serve as inspiration for future hardware and art projects.  For example, this photo of a budding succulent taken on a day trip to the Huntington Library (and hangs on the wall in our home)

served as inspiration for Martin's latest project--a pair of beautiful candlesticks.

Delicate in appearance only, these candlesticks are cast in solid bronze and measure 14" high and 6" wide at the base. They accommodate a "chime" or processional candle with a .5" diameter.  This unusual size can be purchased from specialty shops like General Wax in North Hollywood, California. The candlestick shows the succulent just before it flowers with the flower stem serving as the "stem" of the sculpture.  The concept was largely based on a succulent similar to those in the Echeveria family of succulents, specifically the 'Black Prince'.   You can read more about this plant here.

This candlestick was originally designed for our home and we then gifted a pair to our close friends on their wedding day.  We are hoping to use the design to create a larger candle arrangement that will feature a larger central succulent surrounded by small buds and the center piece would use a more standard sized candle.   Here are a couple more looks at this exquisite candlestick.

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

Designers, please visit our showroom located at :

5433 W. Washington Blvd Los Angeles CA 90016

Tel: 323 939 5929

Martin Pierce on TODL.com

 

Hospitality and residential designers, along with architects, landscape designers and others involved in the interior design industry are familiar with TODL.com (Trade Only Design Library).  This site is designed exclusively for design professionals and provides the opportunity to research thousands of products from the comfort of the home or office.

We are pleased to participate as a supplier of bespoke architectural hardware products for all todl.com members.  Our page features over 200 of our custom hardware products that represent many of our unique collections.  Included is dimension and price information. We are excited to see that our lizard entryway pull was recently featured on the todl.com  weekly online residential page.

Please contact us if you are interested in the Lizard collection or any of our other custom hardware collections.  They can be viewed on our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers, please visit our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd Los Angeles CA 90016

Tel: 323 939 5929

Update on our booth at the 2015 HD Expo

The countdown begins for our 4th annual trip to Las Vegas to exhibit at the 2015 HD Expo.  We always enjoy this show and look forward to reconnecting with many of you. As we have done in the past, we are pleased to be awarding the first ten visitors to our booth a piece of custom hardware.  This year the lucky recipients will receive one of our exquisite orchid knobs so be sure and stop by early!

We will be debuting several new items.   We are excited to share our first venture into lighting with two new wall sconces; our dragon egg wall sconce and a new floral sconce. They will be cast in both bronze and steel and we are planning to use LED lights in both fixtures.  We will also be showing  a 32” cylindrical handle which will be lit with an LED light, also shown in bronze as well as steel.

As the countdown continues we will be sharing more exciting products, along with our location in the Exhibitor's Hall.

To view 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

Telephone: 323 939 5929

Inspiration from the Chelsea Garden Show

For one week every May the RHS Chelsea Garden Show is the place to see and be seen for garden enthusiasts.  This year the event is scheduled for May 19-23 2015.  While no longer the largest garden show in the UK, it is considered by some to still be the most prestigious.

If you follow this blog then you are already aware of the inspiration Martin finds in flowers and other foliage for his custom hardware designs.  In fact, the hardware piece that started it all, our Hedgerow collection, was fashioned after the trees and shrubs that reminded Martin of his childhood in England.

Do you see any similarities between our hardware and the "real" thing?

Daisy pull from Flora collection

Sycamore leaf pull from Flora collection of architectural hardware by Martin Pierce Hardware.

What garden shows will you be attending this year?

To view our entire collection of custom hardware please visit our site at www.martin pierce.com.

Designers please stop by our showroom at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90016

Telephone: 323 939 5929

A quick update on green living

Whether you are a professional seeking LEED certification on a current project or a homeowner looking to live a "greener" life in your home, there are several simple and easy methods to employ that take little effort but have a big overall impact.

• Replace light bulbs.  This is not news and if you live in California you are already aware of the differences in light bulbs.  But replacing those old incandescent bulbs with the more energy efficient CFL's  and LED's, that use up to 80% less energy than the incandescents, will make a difference in both your energy savings and your pocketbook.
• It is important to utilize as much natural light as possible in the design of any building. This is not only aesthetically pleasing but will help reduce the need for electricity, heating and other forms of energy
• Use self-replenishing natural items such as bamboo for flooring, cabinetry and even personal household items like bath towels and bed linens.
• Live plants improve air quality and add a touch of life to any room
• Solar and battery operated lighting for both the interior and exterior is a great energy saver.
• Buy locally.  This not only supports local business in your community but saves energy by reducing the amount of fuel needed for transportation and reduced the amount of pollutants emitted during transportation.

We make every attempt to keep our manufacturing process as "green" as possible with careful attention paid to the disposal of paints and other waste, recycling etc.

The old mantra of repurpose, recycle and reuse is still a simple rule to live by.  And you can look forward to celebrating the 45th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2015.

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

Enjoy a virtual tropical vacation with our nature inspired door hardware

                                    Tropical Patio by New York Architects & Building Designers Ike Kligerman Barkley

While many of you across the U.S. and Canada are digging yourselves out of yet another winter storm we are continuing to bask in unseasonably warm weather here in Southern California.  I don't share this to make you feel bad but, rather, to introduce you to some of our custom hardware collections that will have you dreaming of blue skies and warmer climates.

Few places on earth have the variety of foliage and flowers as Hawaii.  The islands are alive with colorful hibiscus, the state flower, leafy green ferns, elegant orchids, fragrant plumeria and exotic protea.  We designed our orchid pull in silver plate that offers the ultimate in luxury for a client's island home.

Along with amazing beaches and the unbelievable landscape, the islands are also alive with tropical birds and other native animals that have sparked fun and mysterious folk-lore tales.  Along with the orchid pull, we designed a whimsical version of a Hawaiian bird to be installed on the same property.

To compliment this truly bespoke collection our Animal grouping features lizards, geckos, frogs and other tropical creatures that all signify warmer weather ahead.

To begin your virtual tropical vacation you can view our entire collection of architectural hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

The amazing future of 3D printers and how we use them

We recently attended the 3D Printer World Expo held at the Marriott convention center in. Burbank California, which was very interesting and enlightening. At present Martin is sculpting and creating the old fashioned way:

• Sketch by hand an idea showing it from 3 perspectives or elevations.
• Draw over each elevation on a 1"x 1" square grid

• 

• Use a sheet of tracing paper to make a grid that is twice as big as the first grid i.e. 2" x 2" squares to make our initial sketch twice as big by free hand drawing the same lines on the bigger grid  and so on for all the grid sections. We will continue this process for all 3 perspectives.
• We then take the tracing paper elevations or perspectives and trace them onto a block of wax or wood
• Finally we begin to shape the piece with cutting tools, basically bandsaws, chisels etc.

As far as I can tell, this "old-fashioned" grid concept is at the heart of 3D printing and 3D scanning. We have all seen enough movies or games where we see a human head mapped out on a rotating grid and then the model gains life with skin and muscle being digitally added. So it was fun and enlightening to see some of these model making and scanning machines in action.

Gil Bruvel had some really interesting sculptures on display:

What ideas did we take away and what lessons were learnt?

COST and LEARNING CURVE The 3d scene is becoming more affordable.  The base price of a 3D printer, for example the creatorbot-3d machine,  is priced at $1,845 and will print a piece in polycarbonate or nylon that is 12"w x 12"d x 18"h.  Not bad but you will also need to be able to "build" the stl file that "runs" the printer or issues the instructions or code that determines how it moves and releases jets of polycarbonate to create  the shape of the piece you want to make. To be good at this you will need to learn a program like zbrush or maya or  Sketch up. The first 2 programs run anywhere from $699 to $2000 plus but Sketch up is free. If, like me, you find an on-line tutorial difficult there is a 40 hour course for $1500 available.  BUT whether these costs add up will depend on how you can use what is printed.

PATTERN MAKING If you are starting from scratch and do not have drawing and sculpting skills then yes, 3D printing and modeling are good options. However, for us the learning curve is too long and the output too slow when compared to old fashioned carving and modeling. When Martin has a new concept he is able to draw it very quickly from at least 3 perspectives. He can make a rough model in modeling foam to see if the actual piece in reality is still attractive and at that point can make changes. By comparison, if he created a 3D file it would take him a long time to create the file as his keyboard and mouse skills are slow, it would also take as much as 12 hours to print the piece.  If he then wanted to change it he would have to go back to his digital file and work at his snail pace to make the changes and then spend again up to 12 hours printing it. This process may have to be repeated several times.

MAKING A FINISHED PRODUCT There are some 3D printers that can print metal using essentially fine metal flakes that are mixed in a polymer so the end result is at best a metal hybrid.  Not an option for Martin as we cast our bronze door handles in SOLID silicon bronze and likewise our contemporary door handles using SOLID 316 stainless steel. Both metals are dense, not porous, and have great durability.  They stand on their own as metals and do not need to be plated.  316 Stainless steel is also one of the most corrosive resistant metals around.  We value the inherent beauty of solid bronze and solid steel and both give us the mediums we need to create beautifully crafted heirloom hardware.

HOW WE USE THE TECHNOLOGY We are currently using this technology to scan simple shapes like our new Dragon egg.   Martin turned it on a lathe to create a solid egg shape in wood approximately 14" long by 6" in diameter. To hollow out the wooden egg would have taken Martin 2 to 3 days so we chose to work with a  3D scanning company who scanned the egg and then created an stl file in which they made the egg hollow with a thin wall dimension of .125" . We then worked with a 3D printing company who printed the new hollow egg in a polycarbonate material. This saved us a lot of time and we will use this process again to create blank patterns. The egg has since been carved with what we hope others will agree, is fine artistry, and will be cast in solid .125" steel.  It will be our first venture into custom wall lighting and we are excited to debut it for he hospitality designers and architects who attend the upcoming 2015 HD Expo in Las Vegas.

To view our entire collection of stainless steel and bronze hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Hiking Griffith Park

It is being reported that over 120 million people watched the Super Bowl but do you ever wonder what all the other people do on Super Bowl Sunday?

While I do not know about everyone else, we decided to take advantage of the glorious weather southern California is experiencing and enjoy an afternoon hike.

We headed out to a treasured trail in Griffith Park where Iris had a great time hiking with us.  As we began our hike we noticed lots of  undergrowth which is great as it is a sign that means the trail is not apparent from the main thoroughfare trail and  that we, selfishly, get to enjoy nature without the noise of others. The trail began with a bounty of nasturtiums which have yet to flower

and continues over a dry stream and up some very  rugged boulders to the peak that left even athletic Iris panting.

We have been using this trail for some 20 plus years and it is rich in sycamore trees, wild oaks and countless varieties of birds,  blue jays, crows, ravens, mocking birds and red tailed hawks, to name but a few. It is an odd experience when you reach the crest of the rock formation as you can see just a small smattering of houses in the far distance but you are surrounded by nature and feel as if you are no longer in the city.  This is just one thing that makes Griffith Park a very special place.

Over the last 20 years I have taken all my dogs on this hike and they all have loved the experience. We occasionally share the trail with others but notably only those visiting from England so there is little risk of their frequenting this secluded spot.

To view our collection of architectural hardware, often inspired by outings such as this, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

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.

Wildflowers offer inspiration for custom hardware designs

We have always been intrigued by the beauty and the variety of California wildflowers and other indigenous plants, as evidenced by many of the designs in our Flora custom hardware collection.

Like many areas of the country, southern California has a wildflower season that begins sometime in the early spring.  The first blooms and the duration of the wildflower viewing season are determined by the weather, specifically the amount of rainfall the area receives during the year.  The drought continues to be in effect, even with the recent rains we have enjoyed, but we are looking forward to some cooler days and more precipitation to enhance the blooming season.  This photo, taken in May 2014 shows just how beautiful the hillsides are when the poppies take over in all their citrus colored glory!

The succulents that grow in the desert also flower and require very little water in order to survive the soaring temperatures and arid conditions.  We are equally intrigued by these hardy plants and often take photos of the various species we discover on our hikes and visits to local botanical gardens.

Flowers are a great source of inspiration for your hospitality design projects, as evidenced by this gorgeous orchid pull designed for our client in Hawaii.

If you get a chance, a trip to the local desert to see these wildflowers in bloom is definitely in order.

To view our Flora designs or our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit us 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.

Our four legged friends

If you follow this blog then you know it is no secret how we feel about our own four-legged friend, Iris, as well as those of our friends and clients.  She is more than a friend, she is a beloved and valued member of our family.

We found our Iris through the amazing rescue organization located here in Los Angeles, The Rescue Train.  She joined our family in 2011 and life has never been the same.  She enjoys coming to work with us everyday, walking the neighborhood and meeting her "friends" along the way.

We already know that pets are great companions that offer unconditional love, but they can also provide even more health benefits:

• Studies have shown that Alzheimer's patients experience fewer anxious moments when there is a pet in the home.
• Caring for a pet can provide exercise and fresh air for those responsible for the animal. A daily walk is certainly good for both pet and owner!
• Therapy dog programs are present in many hospitals, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.  This is particularly valuable in Children's Hospitals where the kids are missing their own family pets and look forward to the weekly visits, offering them a sense of normalcy during a difficult time.

These photographs of Iris at play with her best friend, Hoyt, are proof that few things will make you smile as quickly as watching a couple of dogs battle it out over a squeak toy.  And when it is all over there are no hard feelings....a lesson we could all learn from our pets.

Not sure who the "winner" was but Iris was exhausted after this playdate!

We would love to see photos of your four-legged friends and hear about the lessons you have learned from them.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit 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.

Brass continues to be a popular interior design trend for 2015

Brass is back and in a big way.  In fact, this warm metal has been making an appearance in both residential and hospitality projects for a couple of years now.  This is not the gaudy brass of the seventies but a softer version that is beautiful in both matte and shiny finishes. And it is being seen throughout the interior design industry in furniture, lamps, hardware and accessories.  Here is just a glimpse of what is out there. You can make a bold statement in the bedroom with this new bed from Taylor Burke Home featuring a brass frame and upholstered insert.

Highly polished or left in its natural state and allowed to patina over time, brass fixtures offer a welcome option from chrome, stainless, nickel and bronze finishes that have been popular for so long.

While we do appreciate the look that brass offers, we do not work with brass.  It is a soft and porous metal that will tarnish and flake off over time and certainly not give you a lifetime product. We do, however, offer a high polished bronze finish (shown below) that provides a high shine and warm golden tone similar to brass but with the added benefit of being a strong metal that will not flake or peel off, tarnish etc.

Contact us to discuss your architectural hardware needs or view our entire collection of custom hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

A year in review for Martin Pierce

As the year draws to an end we thought it might be fun and interesting to take a quick look back at some of the new products we introduced in 2014. We began the year in a colorful way with the introduction of our Morphic entry door pull with a new hot patina color added that we debuted at the 2014 HD Expo.  This new option makes further customization of this piece possible for all of your hospitality and commercial clients.

Sculpture was the word of the year for Martin.  From the very interesting custom door hardware designed for a private wine cellar and modeled after the client's artwork to our very personal bust of our beloved pup, Iris, Martin created several new pieces for our clients as well as for our personal use.

We gifted a dear friend with this sculpture of her three-legged dog Dale.  Needless to say, she was delighted.

The beauty of the wood's grain is apparent on the completed bust of our Iris.

The artwork that inspired the design of our client's wine cellar doors

and the completed hardware with the unique feature of being double-sided.

And Martin continues to work on the Jay sculpture

We traveled quite a bit during the year seeking both design inspiration as well as much needed breaks from a very full schedule and were happy to share interesting details of these trips with you; in particular our dream trip to Barcelona Spain to view Antoni Gaudi's architectural masterpieces.

We are excited to begin a new year so stay tuned for new and exciting projects and products.

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

Happy New Year from Martin Pierce Hardware

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients for a wonderful year and wish you a happy and prosperous 2015.

Happy Holidays from Martin Pierce Custom Hardware

As the holidays approach we would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year.  We look forward to working with all of you on your exciting hospitality, residential and commercial projects in 2015. You can view our entire collection of architectural hardware at www.martinpierce.com.