Finishes through the Decades
I started working for SDS in 1995 and found myself thrown into the world of architectural ironmongery.
During this period the industry wasn’t as professional and involved when it came to finishes as it is now, it was perfectly acceptable for ironmongery to be supplied to a project that was close in finish but not necessarily the same, for instance satin stainless steel, satin chrome, aluminium and bright zinc were all different finishes customers would happily install in one premises, that is not what is aimed for now. Now the industry is incredibly accurate when it comes to finishes being used near each other or within the same building, these days customers have the opportunity to match electrical, window and door ironmongery and mechanism faceplates, all in the same version of finish.
When I started, I had polished brass, polished chrome, and satin chrome, satin nickel hadn’t even become popular yet, now some 29 years later there are many variations for each and every finish, from each and every supplier.
I am just amazed by the bountiful options of finish our industry now has to offer, compered to what was available in the mid-nineties.
