If you were one of those people that always imagined fairies at the bottom of the garden when you were a child … or that is fascinated with the physics and art of the stars and planets … you will be enchanted by the range of products from our newest supplier, Les Verreries de Brehat! Verreries de Brehat produce some absolutely stunning door knobs, that are quite different to anything else on the site. Each one is blown glass, and they include patterns from the fantastic, to the ethereal, to the classy, to the magical. The studio of Verreries de Brehat is on a small French island - a...

It is often said that the best ideas are the simplest ones … and this is true of one the simple but marvelous ideas of our new suppliers, Pasini Metals Production. We recently began stocking the PASS/Move into Design range, a range of different and very modern handles createdby Daniela Seminara for Pasini Metals Productions, a company that has been producing brass handles for over 40 years. The old brass knob or lever certainly gets a new lease of life in the PASS range - the focus of innovation here is not so much the look of the handle, but the function. The French certainly created handles...

We have recently made some lovely additions to our catalogue, for those of you that are enthralled with ribbings, beaded edges, drooping golden petals and all things ornate and classical! Enrico Cassina is a traditional Italian hardware manufacturer that has recently joined forces with us – they have been trading since 1850. They were among the first in the Italian market to make hardware that was good for more than opening, shutting and locking doors … that was also a feast for the eye. They have a rich and proud history, not to mention a beautiful range of products! The Enrico Cassina ornamenture,...

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!)...

God bless academics, that can make the simplest and most beautiful of things into an adventure into the dictionary. Did you know that door knobs are also ‘cognitive affordances’? I’m going to have to use some direct quotes here, as the language is impossible to paraphrase: “Physical and cognitive affordances help users perform physical and cognitive actions, respectively.” The visual design of both kinds [of door handles – knob and lever] conveys a cognitive affordance helping users think or know about usage through the implied message their appearance gives to users:...

You have probably heard the well-documented fact that one in seven door handles contains traces of semen … and it is all the more believable if this is one of those door handles! This unique piece has found its way into our collection through sheer good humour, and willingness to try something a little out of the ordinary. Whoever the lucky purchaser ends up being, we can imagine several scenarios that will ensue … They will hear just about every lewd double entendre possible regarding their ‘knob’ You can just imagine … there will be all sorts of jokes about your knob’s placement in...

Here at Architectural Classics we often have gorgeous, very old antique door hardware … and the newer ones fall by the wayside a little. But we couldn’t go past these gorgeous frog door knobs! They are made with a light silver resin to look like alloy, and the backplates are created with both brass and bakelite rings for strength and endurance. Unfortunately, the only thing we can’t guarantee about them is that by kissing them, you will turn them into princes! Gosh knows what you would even do with two princes … they might end up fighting over you and slaying each other, and then you would...

Every now and then we come across something really special at Architectural Classics. We have been lucky enough to come across this gorgeous stylised bronze knocker, dated from around the 16th century and made with many traditional elements. A woman’s head holds up the huge and heavy knocking arm, which consists of two putti, displaying a shield with fleur de lys. The shape of the entire knocker resembles the classical fleur de lys. The knocker has not been cleaned up, touched up, polished or restored with us, so you can see all of its antique charm and chronicles. There is no chance of the...