Banbury Lane Design Centre has over 10,000 hard­ware items on display at its 14th Street S.W. store. The centre offers door and cabinet hardware, architectural fittings, bathroom accessories, ornamental ironworks, decorative floor registers, mailboxes and exterior entry hardware such as house numbers and address signs.

Like other professional Calgary shops, Banbury Lane works with design professionals, custom homebuilders, renovation contractors and homeowners who are completing projects. “The hardware trends in Calgary are more contemporary clean lines to more wild, funky stuff like artists’ work,” says Lynne Drover, co-owner,

Banbury Lane Design Centre. “The pieces are more pieces of art.”

Although the shop sells everything, Drover says the basic metals, such as bronze, nickel and stainless steel remain popular. “Bronze can be contemporary or it can be traditional or rustic.” Lately, Banbury Lane has had increasingly more requests for shiny chrome.

Banbury Lane Design Centre’s bestsellers are door and cabinet hardware and bathroom accessories. Among the latest and exciting new products, Drover says, are clean, stainless steel cabinet hardware; artistically crafted bronze cast twigs; and freestanding bathroom accessories in Japanese wood.

“I recommend to go with gut feeling and personal preferences. You have to live with the hardware in your house,” suggests Drover.

Another well-respected Alberta hardware retailer, The Art of Hardware has showrooms in Calgary on 10 Avenue S.W. and Edmonton on 105 Avenue N.W. “Now, I’m finding people are mixing very contemporary handles with all oil rub bronze,” says owner Jeanne Milne. “People are more savvy about design now. They are not following trends. They are designing (around) how they live, who they are and what it says it about them.”

Recently, The Art of Hardware has had a lot of demand for polished nickel “which has a hint of gold in it to soften it.” In Calgary, she observes more popular items are freestanding tubs; traditional farmhouse kitchen sinks and white porcelain vessel sinks. In door and cabinet hardware, Milne says clients are choosing more elegant looking hardware with nice lines, some Art Deco lines.

She is really excited about newer sinks and bathtubs in diverse shapes and sizes. “The shower systems come in all different sizes,” she says. “You can find almost anything. Now you are limited by space requirements.”

Last year, The Art of Hardware introduced the popular MTI bathtubs available with hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, thermaltherapy and audiotherapy options. “You really design your own bath with the air and jets, get the music going and lights,” laughs Milne. Depending on the options chosen, the MTI bathtubs can range from $2,000 to $6,000.

Hardware renovation projects definitely have their challenges too, advises Gray. “People fall into the trap of choosing something that is not the correct scale or proportion.

“Sometimes (they) do not select a quality of hardware in keeping with the overall level of the finishing of the project.”

Smart Tips
What else should you consider when planning your hardware renovation projects? Interior designer Kevin Gray offers these additional tips:

Choose fine lines. “Find something that has good lines and will be complementary to the surface on which it is being put. In other words, ensure that it is not too large or small, and has an overall style that suits the object or surface.”

Seek out experts. “Consult a hardware supplier who understands the design intent. Or consult an interior designer who can look at the overall intent and style of your project and will be able to guide your design if it’s in need of focus.”

Is it functional and tactile? “Find something functional and tactile. For example, if it is a door or cabinet pull, is it easy to actually get your fingers around it? Does the hardware help to easily perform the intended action? There is nothing worse than hardware which simply looks good and is useless! With hardware beauty is not simply skin deep…it’s got to be able to work hard.”

Invest in quality hardware. “Look at buying hardware as an investment. Whatever your budget, invest in hardware which is the
highest quality that you can afford. You’ll thank yourself ten years down the line, and will have less replacement if you get something well-made.”

Make installation a priority. “Ensure it is installed properly otherwise you may not get as long a useful life out of it.”

Inquire about warranty and bulk buying. “Ask them if (the hardware) has a warranty and if there is a minimum order quantity. If you are doing your whole house, you will reap bulk discounts with many suppliers. Consider if it is worth it to purchase more hardware than you need for your one room project if you will be doing more throughout your home in the coming year.”

Avoid ‘being discontinued’ issues. “Another reason for bulk buying is that if there is going to be a gap between this month’s project and the rest of your home, you
eliminate the worry of things being discontinued.”  NL