RESTORATION HARDWARE
In the Victorian era, mass production led to ornate cast hardware. On the other hand, American artisans of the Arts and Crafts era rejected decorative excess.
We’ve divided the restoration hardware category generally by material, separating the cast brass and bronze products from the forged iron and steel, and putting glass and ceramic into another category still. It’s an arbitrary split; we could have done it by hardware style. But a foundry producing brass Victorian knobs probably produces brass Arts and Crafts drawer pulls, too. No matter how we slice it, this category has some duplication of companies.
Many people prefer to start in one of the period hardware design subcategories. This approach gives you a feel for the restoration hardware products and how they compare:
Antique Hardware: actual vintage pieces, either reconditioned or never used; also plating and restoration services
Brass and Bronze Hardware: generally, cast hardware, in period styles from Baroque and Gothic to Western and Moderne
Forged, Iron and Steel Hardware: the blacksmith’s art, with all styles represented but a preponderance of items suitable for Colonial-era and Arts and Crafts or Rustic houses
Glass, Ceramic, and Specialty Hardware Decorative glass door and cupboard knobs; 20th-century designs, crystal
Metal Hardware Accessories: mailboxes and letter slots; fireplace equipment; pictures hooks; house numbers; table fans
Many Americans of the Colonial and Federal periods (that is, 1690 to almost 1800) bought black or gun metal-grey hinges and latches forged by a blacksmith; the more affluent imported brass fittings. Porcelain and cut-glass doorknobs debuted in fine Greek Revival homes of the early- to mid-1800s. The Shakers made simple pulls, latches, and fasteners of wood. In the Victorian era, mass production led to ornate cast hardware. On the other hand, American artisans of the Arts and Crafts era rejected decorative excess. Although the finest hardware pieces were handcrafted (in copper, iron, brass, and bronze), the popularity of the style meant that manufacturers began churning out mass-produced hardware designs.
The Teens and Twenties saw nostalgic and exotic revivals in hardware: crystal and glass doorknobs, hand-hammered Spanish Colonial entry sets. By the 1930s rustic black strap hinges could be found in half-timbered Tudor Revival cottages in New Jersey and in Spanish Colonial Revival haciendas in California. Jazz Age hardware (Art Deco and Streamlined) flaunts its machine-made aesthetic, with sleek, sculpted designs appearing in chrome-plated steel or brass.
