A Fabulous New Hardware Line

Through blogging, I've had the opportunity to "meet" so many amazing people, all doing so many really creative things.  Today I would like to introduce you to one of them.  Meet Jess from The Eagle's Nest design blog.  Jess has a new line of beautiful hardware that she has designed.  I'm so blown away by each and every piece.  Designing a home decor line is such a total dream of mine, that I thought it would be great to conduct a short interview about Jess' experience...thankfully Jess agreed to it.

What is your background? Is it in design?  I majored in art history in college and realized fairly soon after that I'd rather be doing design than just studying it. So I went back to school for a masters in interior design. For the past 8 years I've been working for Wilson Associates designing hospitality projects - everything from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods to small bars and restaurants in New York City to model homes in China.  It's been a great experience and one thing I've noticed is the lack of really cool hardware on the market both for commercial and residential projects.

Have you ever had a line before?  If you count my attempt to create a line of bedding that I sell on Etsy, then yes. But this is my first real foray into launching a product line.  I've done plenty of project-specific custom furniture and lighting design in my day job but never designed a line from scratch. It's been quite the process!  It's definitely my baby (well, next to my son Bryan).What inspired you to start a hardware line?  Did you see a need in this market?  After dabbling in bedding I realized that there are so many great soft goods out there, and like fashion it's something that changes from season to season. It would be really hard to design custom soft goods and keep up with the big shots like Dwell Studio and West Elm.  Since I understand the process of designing in metal from my work with lighting and furniture, and since I saw a need for unique hardware, it seemed like a natural direction to take.  My friend who owns a lighting factory was willing to partner with me to produce the first line.What was the inspiration behind your actual designs for this line?  I'm a big fan of art deco so I took a lot of queues from the angles and lines that were indicative of that time.  I also just thought about what I would love to see in my own home on furniture and cabinets and went from there.  What style would you characterize this line of hardware?  Definitely classic and also modern. I think the exposed screwheads on the transparencies line gives them a classic bent that allows them to be paired with more traditional looks as well as modern spaces.  The facets line is also modern but clean and classic as well. My hope is to create items that are timeless and versatile.

Finally, where do you see these pieces being used best?  Well, currently, in my own bathroom renovation that is under way!  And hopefully in my kitchen that will be phase 2.  But in all seriousness, I can see these on a great chest of drawers, a fabulous desk and on cabinets in a fancy butler's pantry or open kitchen. They're like jewelry for your furniture and millwork.

You can learn more about this line, by checking out Jess' full post on it here.

Thanks so much Jess!  I think my Florida project needs some jewelry for sure!