Let's Go Hardware Shopping: The Devil Is In The Details

When it comes to styling the home, inside or out, there are certain elements that can make a plain motif pop or transform an already beautiful space into one which is simply stunning. It’s these little finishing accoutrements—such as knobs, fasteners, latches, closures, handles and distinctive metalwork—that oftentimes make the difference between the de rigueur and truly inspired design when it comes to the best hardware details.

Residence recently visited three local retailers which offer design finishing pieces—Urban Archeology in Bridgehampton; Herrick’s Hardware in Southampton and Riverhead Building Supply, which has five locations on the East End: Southampton, Hampton Bays, East Hampton, Montauk and Riverhead—to find out what’s hot when it comes to hardware.

Urban Archaeology has been in business in Bridgehampton for six years, according to owners Judith Stockman and Gil Shapiro, who also have a showroom in Tribeca. During a telephone interview last week, they said that they have made it their goal to offer artistically-inspired home hardware, light fixtures and tile from their own original slant. The majority of both stores’ manufacturing is done in Manhattan, none too far from the Tribeca showroom, although inspiration for design elements has been pulled from various sources.

Last week, Bridgehampton store manager Cindy Pickering described the basis for this inspiration for pulls, door knobs and knockers, brackets, fasteners and handles.

“A lot of the looks that are pulled into the fixtures are reminiscent of places like the Barbizon Hotel, the Plaza Hotel or the Yale Club of New York City,” said Ms. Pickering, who added that many elements have also been created in the styles of French architect Pierre Chareau, and French designers Serge

Mouille and Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann.

Cast brass or polished chrome and nickel finishes are amongst the most popular finishes, according to Ms. Pickering and sales associate Janet Armour-Jones. However, there is a bountiful selection of other finishes available: satin nickel, architectural bronze, statuary brown or black, antique brass, light pewter, and green or brown patinas, to name a few.

Art Deco styles, which mash with more contemporary elements, are prevalent as well. One example is the diamond-shaped, beaded drawer pull, which ranges in price from $35 to $55 per fixture. This particular pull is designed with hard-edged sharp lines and subtly beaded edges.

For clients who prefer a more conventional style, Urban Archeology also features Victorian-inspired fixtures such as the drawer or bin pull in the Eastlake style, which is reminiscent of a crown in appearance. This pull ranges from $30 to $50, depending on the selected finish.

Those in the market for pulls with more conventional style might also consider the company’s originally designed Tudor door pull, which plays up the elements of Gothic symmetry. This pull ranges in price from $2,400 to $2,750.

“There is a unique artist’s palette to choose from here,” Ms. Pickering said. “That’s the beauty of this brand—everything is customizable, everything can be cut down or sized. And you won’t find these sort of artfully-crafted options available at one of the stock stores. This is art here.”

Aside from the originally designed collection, Urban Archeology also carries a number of other brands. The Rocky Mountain hardware label is a popular choice, according to Ms. Armour-Jones, who reported that customers who have a more conservative approach to design, but who still want to achieve a look that’s elegant, seem to gravitate toward that company’s fixture designs—especially its weighted, dark shade door knobs (prices vary greatly.)

At Herrick’s Hardware (a business which store manager Al Topping, who has worked at the store for 51 years, said is the longest-run family-owned hardware store in the country), customers in search of utility versus design will find quick fixer-upper pieces and small hardware implements for “do-it-yourself” jobs.

Aisle after aisle offers rollers or sliders for furniture and beds, a small selection of shelving and bracket needs, picture-hanging hardware, hinges, and popular items on the East End—gate hinges and latches.

“Most of the gate hinges and latches you see now are galvanized or stainless steel,” said Mr. Topping. “You used to see a lot of brass, but brass isn’t as popular anymore and a lot of that is because the price for it has gone up significantly.”

Mr. Topping also said that for those who are in a hurry for a quick, inexpensive replacement piece—for example, a faulty doorknob—Herrick’s is a reliable resource. Of the most popular self-installation doorknob sets is the Schlage brand, he said.

“It’s a little more expensive than the other brands, but it’s one of the more reliable, high quality items we carry,” he said.

Different types of knobs are sold at different prices, but generally range from $39.99 to $59.99, according to Mr. Topping.

“We don’t just carry the generically-designed stuff. If you want something a little nicer we carry that too,” he said. “If another hardware store doesn’t have what you’re looking for, chances are, we have it.”

With 60 years in business, the Southampton Riverhead Building Supply store offers an extensive variety of hardware items. The store carries a wide selection of items from Baldwin brand push, pull and kick plates in satin nickel and various other finishes; to Emtek brand entry gates in brass, bronze, wrought-steel; to decorative door plates in a plethora of styles both contemporary and traditional. The company also sells interior locks and knobs, including crystal, porcelain, and stainless-steel interior types.

According to Gael Hardin, a Riverhead Building Supply spokesperson, there’s a vast selection of products on location at each of the East End stores, as well as online.

The devil is in the details when it comes to hardware and fixtures, Ms. Armour-Jones said.

“People have their own tastes and design ideas, and for fixtures, it’s just another way to add onto your style ... A unique pull or handle, for example, has the potential to change or improve the entire look of a space,” she said.