Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1500470
Collection 10 brass hardware from Assa Abloy. All-aluminum fire-rated door from Aluflam. J U N E 2 0 2 3 | 43 Doors & Hardware P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y T R I L L I U M A RC H I T EC T U R A L P RO DU C T S; A LU F L A M N O RT H A M ER I C A HOME HARDWARE The standard silver and matte-black finishes of yester- year may be on their way out. "Custom door hardware, white finishes, and wood finishes for door pulls spe- cifically have been trending," notes Mayberry. Metallics, too, are hot right now. "Brushed brass hardware finishes have made a big comeback in the residential market, and we're starting to see it cross over into the office interior world this year," says Geoff Mainprize, principal at Trillium Architectural Products. The same brass that is making doors pop is being implemented in other spaces in the house. "Designers love how the richness of brass comple- ments the darker wood door and millwork finishes that are common in higher-end offices." Manufacturers like Assa Abloy are presenting hardware collections, where components like levers, hooks, stops, and pulls all have a consistent style and design language. "This makes it easy for designers to visualize a complete hardware package at a glance, without having to hunt down matching compo- nents," says Mainprize, who notes that Assa Abloy's Collection 10 is a hot-ticket item, thanks to its clean, straight lines and flat surfaces. Metallic finishes are popping up more often for frames as well. "Commercially speaking, we are seeing architects demanding sleeker aluminum profiles with more glass," says Tormax's Welsh. "It's a real drive for system elegance, similar to the European styles." Higher end finishes such as stainless-steel cladding and dark-black anodized frames are the favourite for these styles. FIRE IT UP Energy efficiency is top of mind for many con- sumers, but fire-ratings should really be just as important … particularly for multi-family or com- mercial applications. "Fire-rated is an unusual area, and it's a matter of architects and designers gaining a greater understand- ing of what is possible," says Fred Fulton of F1 Glazing Solutions. "The design community seems to be of the opinion that, if it's fire-rated, it has to be steel." But Aluflam's system disproves that paradigm with Contraflam fire-rated glass that is truly clear Creative Door.indd 1 Creative Door.indd 1 2023-05-16 8:25 AM 2023-05-16 8:25 AM