Mid-winter getaway over MLK weekend

With the first three day weekend upon us, it is a good time to take a mid-winter break and get away for a few days.  Here are a few of our favorite "local" spots to escape the city, enjoy some beautiful scenery and unwind.

Santa Barbara

This California coastal town offers a myriad of activities that include hiking, sight-seeing, the botanical gardens and, of course, relaxing.  Treat yourselves with a stay at the elegant and friendly Simpson House Inn.

Martin enjoying tea on the veranda of the Simpson House Inn

Paso Robles

It is no secret that Paso Robles is one of our favorite destinations.  Not just because we have dear friends who live there and not because of the delicious wines but both of those things make it all the more special.  Located in central California, Paso Robles is fast becoming a well-known destination for wine connoisseurs.  And there are plenty of hiking trails and nearby adventures to be enjoyed.

Iris enjoying the view in Paso Robles countryside  Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA

Idyllwild

Local southern California mountains are enjoying plenty of snow for this first ski getaway weekend of the new year.  But for those of you who would like to spend time in the snow without risking your life shushing down the slopes, Idyllwild just might be the spot.   Spectacular scenery, hiking trails and a quaint village area are yours to enjoy and still have plenty of time for relaxation.

Martin Pierce photo Lily Rock  Idyllwild California

Huntington Library and Gardens

We always come away inspired by the beautiful gardens and displays at the Huntington Library.  An easy drive from Los Angeles, you can enjoy afternoon tea surrounded by a beautiful rose garden,  view the latest art collection or "tour the world" via the various gardens.  Be sure to bring your camera, fully charged, in order to capture the amazing floral specimens.

Where will you be spending the holiday weekend?

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

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

More lighting from Martin Pierce

We entered the world of LED lighting last year when we introduced our new collection of wall sconces and lit door handles at the 2015 HD Expo.  They were positively received by those hospitality designers and architects who stopped by our booth.

To recap, our collection of wall sconces includes two different designs, both crafted of solid bronze:

Our floral wall sconce 

Floral wall sconce by Martin Pierce Hardware

and for all Game of Thrones fans, our dragon egg wall sconce:

Bronze dragon egg wall sconce by Martin Pierce Hardware

We also enhanced our Morphic cylindrical entry door pull with optional LED lighting.

Illuminated door pull from Morphic collection of Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA

We are currently adding to this illuminated collecton with a new wall carp wall sconce.  While the details still need to be ironed out, this preliminary drawing will give you an idea of what is ahead in the world of bespoke wall lighting and illuminated door hardware.

This tall sconce will be 17" in height and lit with a single LED bulb, crafted of stainless steel.

Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA

And this drawing is intended to be an illuminated door handle, also LED.  

Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA

As we move along with this design process we will next share a 3 dimensional view.

To view our wall sconces and 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

Tel: 323-939-5929

Custom door hardware and furniture in Washington state home

What do you get when you combine exquisite architecture, beautiful door hardware and custom furniture?  The answer is this:

a stately home in the resort area of Tumblecreek, Washington called Tumble Creek Suncadia.  Built under the supervision of Myron Abrams of MA Abrams Construction, interior designer Tracy Abrams incorporated many pieces from our Willow collection of bespoke architectural door hardware along with dining and bar chairs from our Hedgerow collection. We feel both of these collections were a perfect fit for this custom home.

We are rarely able to share with our readers detailed photographs of our work after it has been placed/installed.  Therefore, we were delighted when designer Tracy Abrams shared these professional photographs taken by Roger Turk of Northlight Photography showing many of the details of our Willow hardware collection including this bronze flush door pull.  In fact, all the bronze hardware used featured a dark, oil rubbed patina that played beautifully against the rich tones of the mahogany. 

And, in this photograph you can catch a glimpse of the interior door hardware from the collection.  In this photo you can also see how well the hardware complements the natural stone and beautiful wood.  Along with mahogany, other woods used in this construction include walnut and anigre.

photo by Roger Turk -Northlight Photography

We have worked with Tracy Abrams in the past where she has used several pieces from our Hedgerow furniture collection in her interior design projects. Here she incorporated both the bar stools and dining chairs to create an inviting and comfortable kitchen with plenty of seating for everyone.

Hedgerow counter height stool from Martin Pierce Hardware.  Photo by-Roger Turk-Northlight Photography

chairs and barstool by Martin Pierce Hardware  Photo by  Roger Turk-Northlight Photography

Look closely in this next photo and you will see our Scarab cabinet hardware on the upper shelves of the built-in unit, paired with pulls from the Willow collection on the base cabinet.  This details adds an element of surprise to the overall design.

To view our entire Willow collection and other architectural hardware options, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

work and home come together from interior design dot net

http://www.interiordesign.net/articles/detail/36481-chicago-designers-say-offices-increasingly-like-home/

At a recent roundtable discussion of about 30 Chicago designers and architects, the talk turned not to fees or millennials but to office culture and live-work balance. The lively group spent most of its time discussing how office design was being driven by the merging of life-work time, with the two increasingly having little to no separation in today’s daily life. As Jim Prendergast, design director at Gensler in Chicago, said to the nods and laughter of others in the room, “It’s no longer work and life. It’s become one thing. Life is just life.” Invited by Interior Design to participate at the discussion, which was held at Soho House Chicago during the magazine's One Night Only Chicago networking event, the designers and architects also spent time talking about how workspace is becoming more authentic and real. “We are spending an increased amount of time finding out what makes a company distinctive. We have to discover what is the culture and the values,’’ said one designer, who talked about the space needing to reflect a company’s culture in an authentic way. “I get super worried about these clients who say they want their space to be ‘cool’, but it doesn’t fit with the company, “ continued the designer. “It’s just not authentic.” The client’s words may not match the reality of the company, agreed another designer. “When they [executives] say the company has an 'open-door' policy, how true is that?” asked one designer. “We can come up with design solutions, but the culture the client describes has to be embraced by everyone at that company to make it successful.” As home life and office life increasingly merge, the office is also becoming more like a home, with amenities and a feel-good atmosphere that is a must to attract top talent. “It seems they are looking at the environment more than they are looking at the salary or benefits plan,” said one designer of new hires who ask more about the firm’s space and amenities than about the firm itself. Added another designer: “These aren’t amenities anymore… these are expected. The question is what more can we give them?” It’s not just the lifestyle amenities that are part of attracting top talent. Everyone from young to old, the group agreed, is looking for cutting edge technology. Employees are looking at new or advanced technology as the norm. Being able to talk to outside offices, design and comment, send large image files and more—employees expect these and more at anytime without logging in, without having to download a program and within one tap of the screen or keyboard. Yet, not everyone can be cutting edge with technology or design. Most of the group agreed that their job also included being what one called "Truth Consultants," getting clients to see the reality of budget, space restrictions or even a corporate culture that may not embrace or benefit from a huge change. “Every e-commerce company we’ve worked with in the last three years, when asked who do you want to be, they all say Google,’ said Gensler’s Prendergast. “And that’s just impossible.”

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Hike with us through the mountains of Sedona

Wow....another holiday season over, another year ends!  We spent our holiday with dear friends in Sedona, Arizona and enjoyed the spectacular scenery and comfortable weather.  And, of course, Iris was with us.  Here she is enjoying the things dogs seem to enjoy, i.e. sniffing the bushes, at the beginning of Wagon Trail.

Wagon Trail in Sedona Arizona.  Photo by Martin Pierce Hardware, Los Angeles CA

We had only been to Sedona once before and then, on a very fixed budget, so we had no time to explore the countryside and spent way too much time in tourist shops. This time we avoided the shops and spent our mornings hiking through the Coconino National Forest and taking in the magnificent scenery that was, thankfully, devoid of people. We literally walked for 2 hours and saw no one.  While it may sound trite, there really are no words to describe the powerful drama of the amazing red rocks. So rather than try let me just share some of the photos we took.

The iconic red rock formations outside of Sedona Arizona.  Simply breathtaking!

Photo by Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA  

This tree was part of the spectacular scenery we encountered on our hike along Huckaby Trail.

Photo by Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA

Always the trooper, Iris enjoying more of what she does, sniff and explore.

Photo by Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA

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

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

Happy New Year from Martin Pierce

The countdown to 2016 has begun

As I work on all of those pesky projects necessary to wrap up the year I wanted to take a moment and wish all of you the happiest and healthiest of new years. We look forward to many exciting projects to share with you in the coming year.

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

Tel: 323-939-5929

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Martin Pierce Hardware

Herkenham Trail, Sedona photo Deb Weinkauff

As we pack up and head off for a short holiday vacation we would like to take a moment and wish all of our friends, associates and clients a very happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.  We look forward to 2016 with many new projects we are anxious to share wih you.

If you would like to view our entire collection of architectural hardware, lighting fixtures and art, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

A little holiday whimsy from Martin Pierce

We think everyone looks better in a Santa hat, wouldn't you agree?  So we thought we would add a few decorations to our home so every creature, great and small, received a cheerful red hat.  Which one is your favorite?

Beautifully detailed jay bird sculpture proudly displaying his holiday finery.

The bust of our sweet dog, Iris, looks very festive with a red and white Santa hat.

Hand carved and solid wood bust of dog

And not to be over-looked, our bronze and steel sculpture of a grasshopper atop a mushroom also wears a cheerful Santa hat.

Last, but not least, the tiny rider on the wasp is caught up in the holiday spirit as he sports his own Santa hat.

All of these sculptures can be viewed and purchased on our site at www.martinpierce.com. along with our entire collection of architectural hardware.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

A holiday recipe from Martin Pierce

Can you believe it?  Christmas is literally just around the corner.  And that means plenty of opportunities to gather with friends and enjoy some delicious food and perhaps a glass of wine or two.

One of my favorite dishes to bring to any holiday gathering is this simple yet delicious empanada recipe from Epicurious.com.  Empanadas are a latin american pastry that consists of individual dough "pockets" filled with a variety of spices, meats and seasonsings.  They look much harder to prepare than they are so your guests will certainly be impressed with your presentation as well as the flavor.

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 2 hard-boiled large eggs cut into slices
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts dry roasted in heavy bottom fry pan over low heat until golden brown
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2  to 1 or more teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 to 1 lb ground beef chuck
• Red pepper flakes OR substitute with paprika and a touch of chile powder
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1  1/2 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons juice, and chopped turn this into sauce 
• Pastry--treat yourself and remove the stress of trying to create the perfect pie crust by purchasing ready made puff pastry or frozen empanada rounds.

Preparation

• Cook onion in olive oil until softened  
• Stir together the cumin, garlic and oregano 
• Add beef and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes
• Add the raisins, olives, sal pepper and tomatoes, including the reserved juice and cook until the mixture is reduced but still moist, about 5 minutes.
• Cut your rounds or use the thawed frozen rounds using a 6" pastry cutter.  Spoon a tablespoon of the fiiling and top with an egg slice.  Close the edges and crimp tightly to keep the mixture in place.  Glaze with an egg wash to brown and puncture the top with a small vent hole to avoid "exploding" empanadas in your over.  These can be deep fried but I prefer to bake them in a 425 degree overn for 20 minutes.

Tip:  leftover sauce can be used as a hot sauce by adding a touch of vinegar.

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe?

To view the entire collection of custom architectural hardware at Martin Pierce, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Martin Pierce across the web

We seem to be popping up everywhere these days.  We were recently featured on Luxe Magazine's twitter feed as well as in the magazine, on Houzz and Pinterest.

Speaking of Pinterest, we have added several boards to our Pinterest Page that you might find interesting. Topics include some of our favorites like:

• The beautiful works of Antoni Gaudi.  We share several pinnable photos of our trip to Barcelona last year.
• Wood sculptures.  As many of you know, each of our custom hardware pieces begin with a wax sculpture/mold.  Martin also uses his sculpting talent to create beautiful pieces of art such as the bust of our beloved dog Iris as well as the sculpture of our friend's dog Dale.  You can read about the process of sculpting on our website at www.martinpierce.com.
• Drought resistant landscaping.  The current water shortage in California forced us to re-think the landscaping in our own backyard.  Our Pinterest page shares some photos of our backyard transformation as well as many beautiful and practical ideas shared by other Pinterest users.
• Art Nouveau inspiration.  This era was a wonderful time full of unique and ground-breaking architecture, sculpture and design.

Pantone surprised everyone with their color(s) of the year announcement

Well the color gurus certainly caught the interior design world off-guard with their choice of not one, but two, very pastel colors for the upcoming year.  And after designers were anticipating a bold and vibrant blue in the indigo or cobalt range.

Pantone announced that Rose Quartz and Serenity represent the current mood and feel of the world. According to Executive Director Leatrice Eisenman "Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between the warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of peace."   This is an important school of thought for hospitality designers and others designing public spaces.

 At first glance these two colors appear to be soft and feminine and even somewhat juvenile.  But they will pair well with many of today's other popular colors including tones of gray, sage, gold and brown.  The resurgence of brass and rose gold metal, along with the current popularity of mixed metals in furniture and hardware will create a nice complement to these pastel colors.

photo via azergeev.com

We often express how inspired Martin is by nature when it comes to designing our custom hardware collections.  And you may be surprised at how often you notice one of both of these colors in your surroundings whether it comes in the form of a beautiful sunrise or sunset, the mix of colors found at the beach or in a batch of wildflowers as seen in the photo above.

To view the entire collection of architectural hardware, visit www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

It's a dog day Thanksgiving

Iris relaxing after Thanksgiving.  Martin Pierce hardware Los Angeles CA  90016

In our last post we shared with you a new winery we discovered on our holiday trip to Paso Robles and the informative website that introduced us to this site http://pasorobleswineries.net/  What we did not really mention was that our beloved dog, Iris, joined us on this trip.

Iris loves the great outdoors and any opportunity to hike, run or just enjoy the scenery.  She has become quite a seasoned hiker as she accompanies us on many of our hiking trips.  This short video shows just how much Iris loves to run and also provides you with a glimpse of the beautiful countryside to be found in Paso Robles.

Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was as energetic and enjoyable as Iris'.

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

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington

Los Angeles CA  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

Wine tasting over Thanksgiving in Paso Robles

Hammersky Vineyards photo by Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA  90016

While we often travel to Paso Robles to enjoy the scenery, this Thanksgiving was exceptional. The hills were aglow with the autumnal red, gold and copper tones of the leaves on both the trees and grape vines. This is one of the few bounties of the long, dry and hot summer that seemed to never end here in California.

While we are somewhat familiar with the area it never hurts to keep current with new wineries and restaurants.  Our favorite source for local information is the paso robles wineries website (http://pasorobleswineries.net) .  A visit to this informative site will provide you with all you need to know to enjoy wine tasting in Paso Robles and the surrounding areas.  They will even provide you with a helpful map.  

Wine tasting map available at www.pasorobleswineries.net

And when you have had your fill of delicious wines, they offer plenty of suggestions for other enjoyable activities available in the area.  This is how we found Hammersky Vineyards (I am very partial to their voigner and Martin is a fan of their cabernet; rare for us both to be pleased by the same winery).  The tasting room is located on Vineyard which,to those who haven't ventured that far,  is a beautiful meandering road bordered by mature oaks that act as landmarks to the rolling acres of vines. We ventured off Vineyard and took Jack Creek road so that we could enjoy a quiet hike with Iris.

We are always inspired by the beauty of this countryside.  So much so that we created our Grapevine collection of custom hardware that includes interior and exterior door levers, knobs and cabinety pulls.

Grapevine door lever from Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA  90016

Photo by Doug Hill

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

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

Happy Thanksgiving from Martin Pierce Hardware

We hope this Thanksgiving finds you celebrating with family and friends in whatever manner best suits your family.  We will be enjoying a visit with our friends in Paso Robles where we will partake in traditional dishes and some delicious wines from the local wineries.  You will find one of our favorite holiday recipes from this post originally published in November 2013.

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

Tel: 323-939-5929

Designers look forward to Pantone's color of the year announcement

This time of year is a busy one for interior desingers, architects, fashion aficionados, manufacturers and psychologists as they anxiously await color expert's Color of the Year selections.

Sherwin Williams just announced that their choice for 2016's Color of the Year is, to everyone's surprise--White!  SW 7008 Alabaster to be precise.  Well, not really a surprise as Benjamin Moore and Glidden have also selected white as their choice.

The return of a "non color" like white is quite a change from previous years where bright shades of blue, green, pink, red, purple and even orange were chosen.  But these experts spend a great deal of time researching the moods and feelings of the general public and make their decision based on these findings. Their thinking is that today's consumers may enjoy a respite from the over-kill of bright and saturated colors.  The demands of a busy, technology filled life and paired with world events can be over-whelming.  Therefore, returning to a calm and peaceful interior swathed in white walls may be just what we need.

Designers are now anxiously awaiting what some consider to be the leading color expert, Pantone, to announce their 2016 Color of the Year.  This announcement is expected in early December and it is anyone's guess.  Some are predicting a shade of blue, others are expecting Pantone to follow suit and select a shade of white.  The options are unlimited but what we do know is that whatever color they choose, you will begin to see it when you shop for clothing, furniture, fabrics and paint colors.

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

Tel: 323-939-5929

Exotic places to spot Martin Pierce hardware

We are always proud to share the various locations around the world that feature our custom hardware.  Places as diverse as Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Kauai, Hawaii  are in the United States but we can also be found in more exotic spots like Singapore and Macau.

Sensota Cove, Singapore

We adapted pieces from our Ergo collection to meet the needs of The Rockwell Group's designers working on the W Hotel project.  The fluid shape fit perfectly with the stunning waterfront location and provided that all important detail to this amazing resort.

W Hotel Sensota Cove Singapore

Macau

We have used the same Ergo epic pulls in a recent project at another exotic waterfront location, the Mandarin Oriental in Macau.  The real change came when we cast these pulls in bronze as opposed to stainless steel.  Certainly gives this contemporary design a warm look and feel.

Bronze Epic door pull used in the entry vestibule.

These amazing properties certainly whet my appetite for a little exotic travel, how about you?

To view the Ergo collection, along with our entire collection of architectural hardware, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

Spend your holidays with Martin Pierce Hardware

The holidays are fast approaching and for many of you that means travel.  You may be heading back home to spend time with family or you may be planning a vacation to escape the wintry weather.  Whatever your reason and, depending on where you go, you just might run into some of our custom hardware and furniture.

If the Hawaiian Islands are your holiday destination and you are planning a luxury getaway to the award winning St. Regis Princeville on the island of Kauai, take a moment to enjoy the beautiful bespoke hardware and other unique details.  We shared information on this project in a previous post but it is definitely worth a second look.

We worked closely with the designers at Wimberley Interiors to design hardware and accessories that celebrated the rich cultural history of the Islands.  This is evident from the moment you approach the grand entry doors:

Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles Ca  90016

Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA  90016  Photo Doug Hill

And to continue the warm weather destination theme, a visit to the newly renovated Mosaic Hotel in Beverly Hills will reveal several pieces from our Morphic collection with a bronze finish in lieu of the stainless finish shown here:

Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles Ca  90016.  Photo Doug Hill

To view this collection as well as our entire architectural hardware collection please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

Veteran's Day--a day of remembrance and thanks

Arlington National Cemetery

It is important to occasionally set business aside and take a moment to reflect and Veteran's Day provides just that opportunity.

Historically, many nations designate a day each year to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country and those who continue to protect.  In the United States we do so each November 11th, Veteran's Day, with parades and ceremonies held across the country.  England honors their vets on the same day during Remembrance Day ceremonies. Did you know that the 11th is not just a random date?  The First World War ended on "the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" with the official end of the war several months later with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. 

One of the  more beautiful war monuments has to be the installation of thousands of ceramic poppies surrounding the Tower of London.  These poppies are meant to represent the spilled blood during the war and are worn as a symbol of respect and remembrance during Remembrance Day celebrations.  

Photography www.janbcards.com

So take a moment on November 11th to thank a veteran you know as you reflect on all the freedoms you enjoy in your daily life.  

To view the entire collection of architectural hardware visit www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323-939-5929

Martin Pierce on Houzz and Pinterest

As many of you already know, Houzz and Pinterest have become valuable tools for those in the interior design profession.  With millions of followers, these sites provide the perfect platform for designers, retailers, architects and other design professionals to showcase their projects and advertise their businesses.

We are always delighted to see our custom hardware and furniture in use in actual homes and businesses.  For example, this impressive front door specified by Brian Klass, Inc. provides the perfect backdrop for the generously sized door pull from our  Morphic collection, cast in stainless steel.

Front door designed by Brian Klaas Inc. featuring a large pull from our Morphic collection

And this barstool from our Hedgerow furniture collection featured in a modern kitchen designed by Jamie Herzlinger.  

Our Hedgerow barstool installed in kitchen designed by Jamie Herzlinger

You can also visit our own pages on Houzz and Pinterest to view many of our custom hardware pieces, or on our website at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016