Heirloom Fittings by deVOL
31st March 2023
Have you spotted the recent additions to our range of handcrafted hardware? Say hello to the Butler’s Knob, the Rack & Pinion Catch and the Butler’s Ring Pull.
These three new fittings are actually part of our Heirloom Collection, a carefully curated selection of furniture and accessories that have been completely and utterly inspired by the past. Historical homes we’ve visited over the years, nostalgic antiques we stumbled across, pieces of homeware you simply can’t find anymore and fittings that might seem like a teeny detail but actually make all the difference.
Our Heirloom fittings are, appropriately, available in the ‘Heirloom’ finish. Each one is made from solid brass which is polished to give a beautiful shine to the metal. Our hardware is always left unlacquered, allowing it to gain a rich patina over time, but we do seal each piece with a breathable layer of wax just to help protect the finish.
Let’s start with the Butler’s Knob. It appears quite unusual in design but actually is very classic. When visiting an old stately home, we spotted some really pretty Victorian cabinet knobs like this and thought how good something similar could look on deVOL furniture. It is probably the most detailed and intricate piece in our whole hardware collection, a perfect choice for anybody looking for something traditional but a little unexpected.
On the other hand, our Butler’s Ring Pull is super simple and understated. We saw a ring pull akin to this on a pretty open dresser at Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire and instantly knew we had to recreate it. We quickly set to work, altering a few little parts and finessing the design. We settled on this elegant jewellery-like handle that is so likeable and familiar, it’s as if it’s always been a part of deVOL’s hardware.
This pretty design seemed to have fallen out of favour over the years but we hope our version might encourage a few of our customers to embrace this style of fitting in their homes, it really does look so perfect on a big prep table or dresser with drawers.
Finally, the Rack & Pinion Catch. A completely beautiful addition to any cabinet, this catch was made by us after Robin, our Managing Director, discovered a similar one on a vintage cupboard and thought it would make a really special addition to our hardware range.
As with many recreations, we played around with the design a little and tweaked a few aspects until we were completely happy with it and felt it fitted perfectly with the other accessories in our Heirloom Collection. The snippet below is from season two of our TV show ‘For The Love Of Kitchens’ and actually gives you a little look into our studio as Robin works on the first brass prototype!
Our favourite thing about this catch is its ability to feel so old and so authentic, it will instantly elevate any deVOL cupboard or antique cabinet. We see the Rack & Pinion Catch working best as a standalone detail, rather than acting as the main hardware choice in a kitchen, so we recommend purchasing just one for a particular piece of furniture. It’ll make it even more appealing.
We are really proud of these three new Heirloom fittings, the whole Heirloom Collection in fact. This range isn’t about trying to set new trends or do things in a completely innovative way, it’s actually the opposite. It’s for those of us who appreciate the way furniture and homeware used to be made and who don’t want to see these designs, that were truly made to last a lifetime, vanish completely. As our Creative Director, Helen, expertly put it, “That’s the thing about great products, they are so well designed and so gloriously simple you don’t even realise how good they are, or worse still, you don’t value them until they are gone”.
– The Heirloom Fittings collection is available to buy now, with or without a kitchen.
– Take a closer look via the ‘Handcrafted Fittings’ section of our deVOL Shop.
– Keep up to date with all our latest accessories and projects on our Instagram.
