Made for you: How custom hardware can personalise an interior
A clear trend tin recent years has been for personalising our homes. Custom and bespoke hardware lets you adjust the size, fixing centres, finish and form of door and cabinet hardware, so that every piece feels made for the space. Find out how customised hardware can help create characterful, individual and authentic interiors, and how the process works.
Personal décor that tells a story
Many of today’s interiors are shaped by a desire for self-expression and putting a personal stamp on our homes. It’s a way of telling a story: this is me, and this is how I want to live. There’s no need to embark on costly, time-consuming building work, as even small details can have a transformative effect. Instead of choosing off-the-peg pieces, opting for hand-made, unique items introduces character and authenticity. It could be a hand-knitted throw, a one-off art print or a custom-sized door pull; personal details instantly transform a space from blandly styled to wonderfully individual.
The character of hand-crafted hardware
Hand-crafted pieces bring texture, character, and subtle irregularities that make each one individual. ‘Our exceptional range from brands all over the world includes many collections that involve hand-crafting by skilled makers and master craftspeople,’ says Stewart Kent, co-founder of Courtyard. ‘Each piece in the Rocky Mountain Hardware range, for example, is individually cast from molten bronze, while From The Anvil combines hand-forged anvil work with CNC technology. Evaanna uses traditional metalsmithing techniques, while each Henry Blake piece is crafted in small, family-run foundries and finished individually by hand. Henry Blake’s Darwin range is particularly distinctive, sand-cast to give subtle variation in texture and shape to each piece.’
Custom-sized hardware, crafted to your specifications
Customised hardware personalises both the look and the function of a space. The proportions and positioning of each piece can be altered, so that furnishings, doors and cabinetry appear designed specifically for you rather than part of a standard set. ‘There are many benefits of custom sizing,’ says Stewart. ‘You may prefer the appearance of a dramatically longer door pull, for example, but equally you may need different sizing in order to fit an awkward area or to complement other elements within the room. This is frequently the case with bespoke and historic interiors in particular, while in a modern, minimal space custom sizing can be an effective way to add character.’
How does the custom hardware process work?
Working with Courtyard, it is often possible to take an existing product and change length, width, depth, projection or fixing centres. The team will advise on technicalities, liaising closely with our partner brands to define what is achievable. ‘The process is easier than you might think,’ says Stewart. ‘It is very common to customise cabinet and door pull handles, adjusting their length and fixing centres. If your cabinet dimensions are non-standard, edge pulls can usually be altered in both length and width. Our partner brands can often add screw holes, and we are very open to other types of customisation. Recently, we worked with Pap Deco to adjust the backplate on a handle to suit a customer’s requirements. Henry Blake also offers a mixed-finishes service, which allows you to specify different finishes to coordinate across a room, to respond to the materials they are fixed to, or even for opposite sides of a door. If you are interested in customisation, you only have to ask.’
Can I commission a fully bespoke piece?
Do you have a dream piece of hardware that you would like to make real? If you are looking for something completely original, the Courtyard team will work with you and your chosen brand to develop your idea into a one-off piece. From your rough sketch or initial idea, we advise on mechanics and practicalities, and work with your chosen brand to produce CAD drawings, prototypes, special finishes, or branded engraving.
Expert help when you need it
The Courtyard team has more than 20 years’ experience in the trade, and we provide a personal service to every customer, whether you are a builder on a one-off project, an architect or a small developer. As well as customisation and bespoke design, we can advise on budget and offer a complete specification service. Working from your floorplan, we build an itemised schedule including hinges, closers, locks and latches, check fire door compliance, and deliver to site with individually labelled door packs.
