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


german silver sink

Posted on 31st January, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

This german silver sink is a great example of the quality craftsmanship of the 1920′s.  The patina of age of the german silver from use in a butler’s pantry is extremely difficult to get in a reproduction.  This sink is going to be installed in a vintage condo in the city.



custom art deco light fixtures

Posted on 25th January, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

These custom art deco light fixtures were made for a lobby in downtown Chicago.  The final finish is oil rubbed bronze.  The designer generated a drawing for our craftsman to follow – here is a photo during the final assembly process.



oil rubbed bronze | hardware restoration

Posted on 21st January, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

These great old milk glass knobs came from a home here in Wilmette that we think Frank Lloyd Wright was involved in designing.  The simple plates were re-manufactured by our shop because the originals were missing.  The homeowner did most of the hardware schedule and installation/coordination himself.  Attention to detail and organization with a project like this is critical if you are doing this yourself (call or email for some pointers). Hopefully we will have some final install photos soon!



david adler | knob and rosette prototype

Posted on 19th January, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

This original knob and rosette from a David Adler home in Lake Forest, Illinois will be used to manufacture custom reproduction period hardware for exterior doors.  There are other Adler pieces that will also be used from our collection.  We have molds and drawings for many Adler pieces (though there are so many more we wish to replicate).



olive knuckle hinge

Posted on 10th January, by gbettenhausen in Recent Projects. No Comments

Here is a great close up of an installation of our olive knuckle hinge in silver.  We also make various paumelle hinges as well as standard butt hinges (standard and ball bearing type).



salvage flush bolts (bronze and brass)

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

Here are some great salvage flush bolts from our salvage inventory.  These pieces are great for restoration and repair projects as well as ideas for new custom piece concepts.





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.