...the only fine architectural hardware blog...


custom cast appliance pulls | raw castings

Posted on 30th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

These raw castings are of the appliance pulls seen in a previous blog entry.  We will also get the finished appliance pull photos up as well.  The pulls are all lined up ready to be machined for fasteners and then finished.


casement fasteners | polished brass

Posted on 28th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

These original casement fasteners were finished for a local project.  We also fabricated exact duplicates for windows that were added in the course of the restoration.  Always be certain to have your hardware man make a couple more pieces for ‘attic stock’ when you are doing a replication like this.


pewter finish | door hardware

Posted on 24th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

This door knob was tin plated by our shop.  Most finishing shops use nickel or satin nickel to emulate a pewter finish.  If you are looking for a true pewter finish this may be the answer you are looking for.  Pewter is actually over 90% tin and has a warm glow and an extremely smooth touch.  This finish will only get better over the course of time.


rim lock restoration | satin nickel

Posted on 23rd April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

This rim lock set was rebuilt inside and finished by our shop in satin nickel. We can repair & rebuild lock interiors during the restoration process.  Check out our restoration website at www.albarwilmette.com.


david adler | hand made cabinet knob

Posted on 13th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

This is a reproduction of a highly detailed David Adler cabinet knob that was installed on a ‘summer home’ in Highland Park.  David Adler the architect used some of the most fabulous details from millwork, imported flooring, and most importantly for us – great hardware.


wine cellar gates | oil rubbed bronze

Posted on 11th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. 1 Comment

Here are the gates we fabricated and finished for a project in Georgia.  They were mounted to the cabinetry by custom offset pivot hinges (that were finished to match our finishing here).


copper & iron lantern

Posted on 9th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

Here is a photo of a fabulous lantern on a side street in Portugal.  Europe is full of wonderful iron work and fabulous textures from the past.  Be sure to think of us when restoring your next vintage fixture (check our our sister site www.albarwilmette.com).


new cremone display | wilmette

Posted on 7th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

Here is a sneak peek of our new cremone bolt display at our shop in Wilmette.  The one on the far right is our David Adler reproduction available in any finish.


custom mail slot | antique brass

Posted on 5th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

This custom mail slot was fabricated for a home locally.  The finish is a hand rubbed antique brass that has been waxed (this finish will age naturally over time). Don’t hesitate to contact us for providing custom finishing and metal work for your project.


appliance pull prototype

Posted on 4th April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

The two pulls on this entry are of both an appliance pull and a companion drawer pull for a project we are completing locally.  The pulls will be finished in a soft medium brass finish with a medium flat lacquer finish.


polished nickel cabinet knobs

Posted on 2nd April, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

These polished nickel cabinet knobs were fabricated and finished for a client in central Illinois.  The knurl detail is actually a miniature fine rope pattern that was pushed into the brass using a knurling tool.  The high polished nickel finish is absolutely defect free and feels great to the touch (we did some of these in silver as well).




a few of our latest projects...

We are dedicated to hand-crafted quality and want to show it off. Click on full-blog to see an archive of our abilities.