Tag: door hardware

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Bankston collaborate with Sans-Arc to release the latest Super Collection

Renowned for their high quality door hardware, Bankston have teamed up with Melbourne-based architecture studio, Sans-Arc to release the Super Collection: a series of bold, original, and engaging architectural hardware designs.

Styling by Nat Turnbull and photography by Victoria Zschommler

“We are excited to partner with Sans-Arc and celebrate an approach that centres around creativity first and foremost,” says Steve Bradley, Bankston co-CEO. “The architectural hardware industry is ripe for disruption, and we are a brand that supports innovation.”

Inspired by the Italian Radical Design Movement of the 1960s and 70s, the collection adds an unexpectedly playful element to the design of doorknobs, door levers, and pulls.

“We love the rebellious, sculptural, and fun style of the Radical Design Movement. It is a period that has influenced our design aesthetic for some time,” says Matiya Marovich, director of Sans-Arc. “While it may have been short-lived, the movement has remained influential as it opened the door to new ways of designing, living, and thinking about the home.”

The Super Collection showcases Bankston and Sans-Arc’s creativity and originality and brings their refreshing approach to the wider market, encouraging users to notice the design and consideration that has gone into the hardware.

The five designs offer a stunning contrast with one another when used in conjunction. Conversely, individual products offer impact and a lasting impression. Available in five of Bankston’s distinct finishes, the pieces offer a variety of opportunities and complements for different aesthetics.

Playful and animated, Zzzigurat draws its distinctive shape from the ancient Mesopotamian ziggurat, a stepped structure that predates the Egyptian pyramids. The name also pays homage to the Zzigurat design practice associated with Radical Design.

Geppetto’s form is simple and timeless with a long slim lever. It is named after the fictional father of wooden puppet, Pinocchio, subtly linking it to the Italian theme of Radical Design while embracing a slightly absurdist design approach.

Futurismo looks back to Futurist design, introducing quite unexpected shapes into a lever. Geometrically subversive, a sphere and chamfered rod are elegantly stacked to create a unique and eye-catching piece.

Supermoon is named for its large, round shape. Celebrating the inherent beauty, simplicity, and function of the circle, Super Moon is ideal for a front door.

Slightly more serious, yet still whimsical and imaginative, Associati is named for the Italian studio Archizoom Associati. With the elements simplified and reduced to the essentials, Associati embraces minimalist form, being purely a line and a dot.

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Four generations of quality, timeless brass hardware

“I often liken hardware to jewellery for the home, it’s the pearl necklace that you put on last when going out for a celebratory dinner,” says Gregory McGrail of Gregory…
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Four generations of quality, timeless brass hardware

Gregory Croxford

“I often liken hardware to jewellery for the home, it’s the pearl necklace that you put on last when going out for a celebratory dinner,” says Gregory McGrail of Gregory Croxford Living, a purveyor of stylish, timeless and eclectic solid brass knobs and handles that are built to last.

Gregory Croxford
Gregory Croxford Living’s stylish hardware is the icing on the cake in this kitchen

And if anyone knows about hardware it’s Gregory – he represents the fourth generation of the family brass business Armac Brassworks (it was later renamed Armac Martin) that had its beginnings in 1929 in the UK when it was established by Gregory’s great grandfather, Harold McGrail. “Armac Brassworks was predominantly a manufacturer of reproduction furniture fittings. Harold stayed at the helm of the Armac Group until his retirement in 1988 aged 83, successfully leading the business through the most difficult of periods in the second world war. The company was even commissioned by the UK government to manufacture parts for the Spitfire planes the British used during the war,” says Gregory.

Gregory Croxford

“It’s easier connecting the dots looking back, I was always destined to be involved in the family business, we often joke that McGrails have brass running through their blood,” says Gregory who started working in the business as a teenager, on the factory floor before moving into a sales role. Gregory relocated to Sydney over five years ago and established Gregory Croxford Living – a distribution arm for the Armac Group of brands that includes Armac Martin, Frank Allart and Turnstyle Designs. He also manages offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong where he works primarily on high-end commercial projects.

Gregory McGrail
Gregory McGrail

The latest range, the Armac Martin ‘MIX’ Collection, has an industrial yet traditional feel that complements both contemporary and modern interiors.“We wanted to offer hardware that modernises traditional hardware with sleek and contemporary designs that encourage new conversations around cabinetry,” says Gregory who likes a wide wide range of aesthetics from super traditional to minimalism and everything in between. “Good design is much like good art, it must stir your emotions and move your bones somewhat,” says Gregory.

Gregory Croxford

“Currently I see neo-traditional architecture influencing fixtures and fittings throughout the home – contemporary architecture that borrows from the past which is very Armac Martin as we embrace our history and all that we’ve learned and put it into product design. We are fortunate to work with world class products and I like to think that quality is always on trend too,” says Gregory.

Gregory Croxford

And as for the capacity for beautiful, quality hardware to completely lift a home’s design, Gregory is passionately resolved. “It was the Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa that said, ‘the door handle is the handshake of the building!’”

For more on Gregory Croxford Living | Canningvale: Another fourth generation business success story

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Designers RENO ADDICT

Brass beauty: Pittella reprises original 1950’s door handles

From architecture to furniture and accessories, mid-century design remains highly coveted in the interiors world and now you can even satisfy your retro door handle requirements too. Designed by mid-century Italian designer Sergio Asti and handcrafted from solid brass, Pittella’s ‘50’s Collection’ of door handles launches this month and we’re pretty smitten with their beautiful shapes and the brushed brass finish.

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Pittella 066 door handle in satin brass

A faithful reproduction of the original design, the handles are made using modern manufacturing methods and are available in polished or satin chrome and satin brass. These beauties have been created using Asti’s original design drawings and aside from their obvious aesthetic appeal, the handles (like so much mid-century design) have been designed with ergonomics in mind too – the grip is pure comfort in the hand.

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Pittella 066 door handles

Part of MOMA’s permanent collection in New York, the Pittella 066 door handle is considered an exemplar of the mid-century design era and it features a subtle, understated twist that gives it an almost organic vibe.

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Pittella 069 door handle in satin chrome

The Pittella 069 door handle is a slender, classic handle characterised by its curved shape.

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Pittella 070 door handle in satin brass

Possibly our favourite from the collection, the Pittella 070 door handle is a unique design featuring classic 1950’s curvature – we love it for its point of difference.

A more geometric shape, the Pittella 079 is the most classic and versatile piece in the range. We think it would work in just about any style of home.

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Pittella 079 door handle in satin brass

Pittella is a family business with more than 40 years’ experience in producing and importing high-end architectural door fittings and bathroom accessories aided by their in-house design team and the creativity of prominent Italian architects including Achille Castiglioni, Antonio Citterio, David Chipperfield.

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