If you are going to splurge anywhere, do it on fixtures and fittings. Light switches, handles, drawer runners etc. Things you touch everyday. You’ll appreciate the quality and workmanship, they’ll last forever and you’ll notice them more than you think.
Handles from Anthropologie that we recently put in our Regent’s Park project.
Next time you are getting a new wardrobe or chest of drawers why not think about pimping your handles. Even your basic Ikea can be greatly improved and individualised but a new set of handles. You can completely change the feel and look of a piece – a pair of iron or metal handles will instantly make something look industrial (like the Buster and Punch ones below), or you can make something look crafted and exotic with some handmade clay buttons, like those from Anthropologie. Lots of reclamation stores will sell recycled, or upcycled vintage pieces. It can be really fun to mix and match styles – go for old world, traditional handles on a modern cupboard, or really contemporary pieces for vintage furniture.
Don’t be scared about spending big on handles for a £100 wardrobe, it’s not a waste as you can simply taken them off when you move, or the furniture falls apart. They all just screw on and screw off.
And don’t think handles have to be metal. There are some stunning offerings from horn, wood, plastic. There are also fabric or leather wrapped options. Ochre produce a stunning range called ‘viking’ and they certainly make opening your wardrobe feel like you are about to enter a banqueting hall.
And if you want to go one step further, you can go bespoke. Of course, the price shoots up at this point, but the sky is pretty much the limit in terms of design. You can have items cast, such as having a model hand of each member of the family as the door knob for their bedroom (yes, someone has actually done that). But you can also make your life easier, if you say struggle from arthritis or have had a hand injury then you can get the mechanism specifically weighted for your grip. Strada specialise in doing bespoke ironmongery projects with no minimums.
If you’d like to discuss how you could fill your house with interesting and unusual fixtures and fittings, contact Kia Designs today for a free consultation.
