We know that many of you have a bit of a romantic streak … at least I certainly hope I’m not the only one! There must be some of you out there that love the feeling of being swept up for a surprise kiss when you are concentrating on something else … or the aimless pleasure of letting your mind drift as you snuggle up with your partner on a soft couch. Strangely enough, the new range of hardware on the site from Bal Maniglie contains lovely echoes of those feelings!

We recently added around 160 new products to the range from , a traditional Italian hardware firm located in the (very romantic!) town of Lumezzane. Incidentally, they are near other beautiful-sounding towns like Gardone, Sarezzo, and Brescia – say them out loud!

The Bal range is clean and simple – but retains a strong classical character, for all of its simplicity. Every swoop and angle is carefully calculated, and the lovely smooth surfaces of many of the pieces allow you to really appreciate the quality of the metal.

The Bal range features a choice of 25 finishes – the largest number available from any of our suppliers. There are some gorgeous traditional metals like burnished bronze, which is a deep loamy colour in the valleys, with a swirling brassy accent in the pieces peaks. Gun barrel black and gold gives your handles a dark seriousness and high shine, but with highlights of radiant gold. With the antique brass finish, each piece has its own unique pattern of patching and ageing … and every other finish has its own personality and beauty. But check them out for yourself – a picture is worth a thousand words :-)

Their curriculum vitae includes supplying hardware for such elaborate and majestic buildings as the Belgian royal residence, the Vatican governorship and Gabriel d’Annuzio’s residence. So your handles are only a degree of separation away from monarchic, religious and artistic royalty!

You can check out the entire range of Bal Maniglie products here – or browse through the door knobs, lever handles, centre pull knobs and cupboard knobs under the Door Furniture Reproductions area of the website.

Yes, I know – what the heck has leaving your bottle on the table got to do with doors? Well, this blog is inspired by the fairy doors of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Does that make sense now? ;-)

Do you remember in Alice in Wonderland, where she had to eat the biscuit (was it a biscuit?), to shrink small enough to enter the door to follow the White Rabbit? Well, when she did, she left the bottle with the potion to make her tall again on top of the glass table. Which she couldn’t possibly climb … she was eventually washed through the little door into the middle of a dodo race! These little fairy doors in Ann Arbor, created out of love by an illustrator by the name of Jonathon Wright, remind me very much of Alice’s little door.

Jonathon Wright lives in Michigan, and his wife once ran a preschool centre from their house. One day, Jonathon had the cute and touching idea to captivate the children’s imagination by constructing a fairy door in the house. The kids were so delighted that he has been constructing them all over town, ever since. They appear outside businesses and in public places.

One of the most poignant parts of the story, for me, was hearing that every day children leave offerings and presents for the fairies outside their doors. Aren’t kids great!! So beautiful, giving and genuine. Money, candy (as they are in America, they don’t have ‘lollies’ ;-)), even tiny hand knitted socks and handmade felt hats and boots have been left for the fairies. I can just imagine these kids going happily to sleep at night, imagining the fairies wearing the hats and boots they made … and I have no doubt that some magical spirit somewhere responds to this gorgeous generosity, bringing the kids joy and happiness. If only we could mobiles kids on behalf of the starving sick people in the Third World, the plight of the atmosphere and climate, or the many disappearing and beautiful species in the world.

On the other hand, perhaps it is all just a clever scheme by Wright to make a living out of kids’ pocket money … !!