For the KWD team, selecting cabinetry hardware for a project is never an afterthought or adjunct to a design. We see it as the jewellery that adds flair and a foundation. The selection of finishes now available ensures that you can marry the hardware finishes to, or contrast them with, the tapware selection and the detailing in the joinery design. The way each knob and handle feels to the touch, and the way the finish ages and patinas over time, is a very important consideration for every design project. It’s so important to pay attention to those items that are used multiple times a day in a home, from the doorknobs to the tapware, to the handles and knobs on cabinetry doors and drawers. This selection process leans into our design ethos of blending form and function to achieve the best possible outcome.
One of our key go to supply partners for door hardware is Hepburn Hardware. We know we can rely on theirquality, aesthetic compatibility, and importantly the touch, feel, texture and tone of every handle, knob, pull and rail. Their cabinetry hardware was perfect for finessing the joinery designs we created for our My Happy Space Movement recipients, and we are so grateful for their support.
Founder of Hepburn Hardware, Alison Wyatt’s entrepreneurial journey meandered through a variety of career choices that led her to exactly where she needed to be. She feels fortunate that her dyslexia has given her the ability to see patterns in human behaviour, gaps in markets and trends that other’s might overlook.
Now based on the Gold Coast with her husband and two children, Alison has travelled the world working and holidaying and exploring various ventures, and gathering experience and expertise. Inspired by her own experience of struggling to find the hardware products she wanted during the renovation of her Brisbane home in 2012, Alison decided to take matters into her own hands and create her own hardware line.
Explains Alison, “At that time the only choices were chrome and black, and either very traditional or really modern with nothing in between. The lack of variety inspired me to make contact with family friends who manufactured door hardware in New Delhi – and that’s how it all began. We now design and supply the market with quality hardware that we manufacture in India and Indonesia. India is very precision focused, and they are experts in electroplating with fixed finishes, Indonesia have amazing artisans who can collaboratively create the most unique pieces. Our team is proudly involved in the entire process from design and development through to the production, delivery and customer service, which we can proudly say is second to none.”
Now, 11 years on, Alison has made a name for herself in the interior design industry with her unique and high-quality hardware products. “We take our hardware making seriously. So much time and effort go into curating our designs and having them handmade with form and function in mind, and with care and precision instilled into every piece. It’s so rewarding when you see moulds made of the handles we have designed,” says Alison.
The skills and expertise required for these processes are passed down over many generations, making sure this way of artful manufacturing isn’t lost. Each piece is made slowly and thoughtfully, highlighting the way they are cast, hand finished and finally displayed in your home.
“The development of our brass hardware range helped us forge our way, and some of them are still our best sellers. The range has also developed in width and breadth from knobs, handles, pulls and hooks to towel rails and utility rails which have been so well received as they fill a gap in the market. I love finding solutions for those sought after items that designers just can’t find. As a small business we are so nimble because I design every item myself. I can respond quickly to market needs.”
Hepburn Hardware carries all of their ranges in stock so there is no lead time. They take on the risk so that their clients can get immediate delivery of their 300 plus SKUs. The business has been welcomed with open arms by some of the main players in the world of interior design for residential and commercial products, and with astute renovators and home builders looking for a quality finish and high-end design aesthetic.
Adds Alison, “Our team works closely with a range of trade clients, including cabinet makers, interior designers, architects, property developers, and builders, as well as home renovators. We are definitely on a growth trajectory, expanding our range and in turn expanding our customer base. Our repeat business is extraordinary and that is because of offering is exclusive and unique. We develop and constantly evolve our collections to coordinate with lighting, tapware and door hardware trends so our customers can avoid decision fatigue and find a complete design solution.”