On behalf of Al Bar Wilmette Platers & Wilmette Hardware, please accept our invitation to visit us at the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference, March 13-15, 2008 at the Hynes Convention Center.

To receive complimentary admission (a $10 value) to the exhibit hall at the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference. http://www.traditionalbuildingshow.com/Bos08Coupon.shtml

Also, inside the exhibit hall will be fascinating, interactive demonstrations by master artisans and tradesmen. See first hand how to repair windows, remove paint. Watch demonstrations of ornamental metalwork and plaster repair, plus so much more. This exciting event features over 75 seminars, workshops and tours of interest to architects, homeowners, craftsmen, building managers, and historic preservationists. The Traditional Building Show is the one place that historic restoration and new traditional design and construction come together under one ... Read More »]]>

On behalf of Al Bar Wilmette Platers & Wilmette Hardware, please accept our invitation to visit us at the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference, March 13-15, 2008 at the Hynes Convention Center.

To receive complimentary admission (a $10 value) to the exhibit hall at the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference. http://www.traditionalbuildingshow.com/Bos08Coupon.shtml

Also, inside the exhibit hall will be fascinating, interactive demonstrations by master artisans and tradesmen. See first hand how to repair windows, remove paint. Watch demonstrations of ornamental metalwork and plaster repair, plus so much more. This exciting event features over 75 seminars, workshops and tours of interest to architects, homeowners, craftsmen, building managers, and historic preservationists. The Traditional Building Show is the one place that historic restoration and new traditional design and construction come together under one roof and where old-world craftsmanship comes to life. If you Pre-register today for the seminars and workshops you can save money on your registration. For more information or to register online please visit www.traditionalbuildingshow.com

The deming knob was just displayed on a full page in LUXE magazine.? The photo of the nickel lever on the opposite page is a Nanz piece (also very pretty).

This photo was seen in This Old House Magazine listing Al Bar Wilmette Platers as a secret source for hardware finishing and restoration.?

www.albarwilmette.com www.wilmettehardware.com info@albarwilmette.com

We will be in Boston, Mass next spring at the Traditional Building Show.? This show has been a great resource for architects, builders and homeowners.? We have been successful at using this venue to connect and build new relationships with firms from all over the country.? We look forward to seeing you next year if you missed us this spring.

Here are some photos of our shop from the 1950′s and back to the turn of the century just before becoming a restoration shop.? We have been in business since 1937 and at our present location since 1945.? About a decade ago we also aquired Gilbertson’s one of the premier restoration shops in Chicago, Illinois.?

What?s an easy, cost-effective way to bring new life to your home? New paint? New furniture? Hardwood floors? While they?re all great ways to refresh your space, there?s something else you can do that will cost far less.

You might want to consider installing new door hardware.

For about $50?or so?a door, you can dramatically change the entire look of your home. ?Door hardware is the final touch that pulls everything together,? says Greg Bettenhausen, owner of Al Bar Hardware. ?It is the jewelry of the home.?

Of course, it?s up to you whether you want to go with cultured pearls?or natural. According to Bettenhausen, who does a lot of made-to-order work on the East Coast, it?s possible to spend as much as six figures for custom door hardware on a large home.

?We?re currently working on a project on ... Read More »]]> Wed, 02/28/2007 – 15:05 ? wgolden

What?s an easy, cost-effective way to bring new life to your home? New paint? New furniture? Hardwood floors? While they?re all great ways to refresh your space, there?s something else you can do that will cost far less.

You might want to consider installing new door hardware.

For about $50?or so?a door, you can dramatically change the entire look of your home.
?Door hardware is the final touch that pulls everything together,? says
Greg Bettenhausen, owner of Al Bar Hardware. ?It is the jewelry of the home.?

Of course, it?s up to you whether you want to go with cultured pearls?or natural. According to Bettenhausen, who does a lot of made-to-order work on the East Coast, it?s possible to spend as much as six figures for custom door hardware on a large home.

?We?re currently working on a project on Park Avenue in New York?we?re doing a French deco levers in antique hand-plated silver,? Bettenhausen says.

The cost for such luxury? Around $800-$900 a door.

?It?s not for the faint of heart,? Bettenhausen cautions.

In many ways, companies like Al Bar that specialize in high-end custom door hardware are simply re-creating the kind of high-quality hardware you?d find on doors in stately older homes.

Another way to do it is to get a hold of some antique door hardware and have it refinished. Often it can be done for a fraction of the cost of brand new hardware, says Bettenhausen, whose primary business is restoring and refinishing antique hardware.

?People come in here all the time with doorknobs and hinges from their older homes and condos,? he says.

While almost anything can be refinished or rebuilt, it?s not always possible to outfit an entire home in antique hardware, especially when you need matching hardware for 10-15 doors.
If you end up buying brand new door hardware, you will undoubtedly face the daunting task of selecting a finish. From satin nickel to polished nickel; oil-rubbed bronze to un lacquered brass; the wide variety of choices will leave your head spinning.

Should the hardware match your light fixtures? Should you choose the same finish for the entire home?

?As a rule of thumb, you should probably pick a theme and stay with it,? says Emtek representative Rick Julienne. ?You can mix and match knobs and levers on the same floor, but you should stay with the same finish?although many people will choose one thing for the main floor of the house and another for the second floor.?

Whatever you choose, make sure to do an actual hands-on inspection before buying, says Austin Kamm, salesperson for the Nanz Company at Luxe Home in the Merchandise Mart
?Look at the quality of the finish,? he recommends. ?If it looks and feels fake, don?t get it.?
Trends may play a role in your selection as well: oil-rubbed bronze is the new satin nickel; polished nickel may soon overtake oil-rubbed bronze.

?People are starting to break into finishes that aren?t as common?things like copper, pewter and different kinds of brushed and burnished nickels,? Kamm says.

But Julienne thinks door hardware should be more a function of personal taste than trends.
?Most people really want to make a statement and be different than their neighbors,? he says. ?The door hardware you select is a way of subtly expressing yourself.?

Here are some tips from the experts:
?Oil-Rubbed bronze: Going, going gone?or here to
stay?
?I think we?ll continue to see more of it, ? Bettenhausen predicts.
But Kamm disagrees: ?Personally, I think oil-rubbed bronze is done.?
According to Julienne, oil-rubbed bronze is now the No. 1-selling door hardware finish in the U.S.

?Crystal/glass knobs: ?You see those in a lot of the old apartments in Chicago and a lot of 1920s and 1930s homes,? Bettenhausen says. ?Glass knobs are a classic choice.?

?Satin Nickel: ?Very ?90s,? says Bettenhausen. ?I don?t think I would put satin nickel in a whole house today. It?s been overused.?

?Polished nickel: ?Polished nickel has been on the rise for the last couple of years,? Kamm says. It works in transitional environments and also adds a bit of glam and panache to an older, traditional home.?
Bettenhausen agrees. ?I think we?ll see people putting it through the whole house more and more.?

?Silver-plated: The Rolls Royce of finishes (with Rolls Royce prices to match) this finish is only available in made-to-order custom work, unless you?re lucky enough to find some old original silver knobs somewhere.

?Dirty nickel: ?We just did a house in Aspen with this finish [tarnished nickel] and it looks amazing,? Bettenhausen says.

?Black wrought iron: ?This finish would look nice in a Colorado mountain home or a Mediterranean-style or European-style home,? Kamm says.

?Porcelain: ?A vintage look that works well in bathroom interiors and kitchens,? Bettenhausen says.

?Polished brass: ?Some people don?t like it for whatever reason, but it is a timeless finish,? Bettenhausen says. ?We?re doing a project in Lake
Forest with polished brass hardware. The house is very formal and the polished brass looks gorgeous.?

?Unlacquered brass: A brass knob or lever that hasn?t been sealed and is allowed to patina and age, unlacquered brass imparts a rich, classic look to any home, says Bettenhausen. Alas, very few companies carry this finish, and those that do, like Von Morris, charge a pretty penny.

?French Antique Gold: Faux unlacquered brass. ?This is the 21st century version of antique brass,? Julienne says. ?It?s been growing in popularity.?