Finishes through the decades…

In the mid-nineties – when I first started selling ironmongery in the Showroom on Northcote Road, the choices of finishes were somewhat restricted.

Customers would solely base decisions on design, or what was available. Choices of finishes were limited to brass, polished chrome, satin anodized aluminium and some satin chrome & stainless steel. It was either gold or silver!

It would have been normal for clients to have different finishes installed in one property or even on the same door. They would look slightly different to each other but justified by all involved because they were wither all silver, or all gold.

Today, the ironmongery industry’s choice of finishes is now extremely extensive, with loads of products being available in all of the finishes a supplier will offer. Most British manufacturers, will now have approximately 5-10 different versions of silver finishes; polished chrome, polished nickel, satin nickel, satin chrome, butlers silver, hand burnished nickel and pearl nickel, just to name a few. Most products that are imported, still have limitations but are now offering more finishes than just the basic 2 or 3.

It would have been normal for clients to have different finishes installed in one property or even on the same door. They would look slightly different to each other but justified by all involved because they were wither all silver, or all gold.

Today, the ironmongery industry’s choice of finishes is now extremely extensive, with loads of products being available in all of the finishes a supplier will offer. Most British manufacturers, will now have approximately 5-10 different versions of silver finishes; polished chrome, polished nickel, satin nickel, satin chrome, butlers silver, hand burnished nickel and pearl nickel, just to name a few. Most products that are imported, still have limitations but are now offering more finishes than just the basic 2 or 3.