Metal

Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) bonds a microns-thin layer of metal vapour onto stainless steel in a vacuum chamber, producing a coloured metal surface — brass, bronze, gold, gunmetal, black — that is dramatically harder than plated or lacquered equivalents. PVD steel does not tarnish, resists fingerprints and scratching, and holds its colour under daily contact, which is why we specify it for lift interiors, handrails, door furniture and high-traffic hospitality metalwork where a living finish would wear unevenly. It is the engineering answer where the look of brass must survive like steel.

At the opposite pole sits burnished brass — a living finish, made by hand. The surface is cleaned, polished, then worked back with abrasives so the metal takes a soft, compressed glow: richer and less reflective than a mirror polish, more forgiving of fingerprints, and carrying the warmth of age without waiting decades for it. Burnished work is usually waxed or lacquered to hold the moment, or left bare for clients who want the patina to keep moving. Satin, antique and polished brass sit alongside it in the same family, matched across a project’s ironmongery, lighting and trim.

For colour on metal, powder coating outperforms wet paint: a dry powder is applied electrostatically and heat-cured into a hard, even skin that shrugs off chipping and scratching, in any RAL colour and any texture from smooth gloss to fine-structure matt. It is solvent-free — effectively zero-VOC — and the default for outdoor furniture frames and contract metalwork.

Each base metal brings its own behaviour. Steel carries structure — weight-bearing frames and legs. Stainless steel comes mirror-polished or hairline-brushed, with corrosion resistance that earns it kitchens, bathrooms and exterior work. Brass is the warm workhorse, taking polished, brushed, satin, antique and burnished treatments. Aluminium gives lightness for large panels and takes powder and PVD coatings cleanly. Copper is the living metal — soft, warm and determined to patinate.

Patination is controlled ageing: chemical agents and time, steered by hand. The turquoise verdigris of weathered brass and copper, the deep browns of black patina bronze, and the sleek near-black of blackened and oxidised steel each carry a different temperature of age. Patinas are living finishes — sealed to hold a moment, or left to keep moving — and we match them to door ironmongery and hardware across the scheme, including custom metal inlay within joinery and pairings with timber, stone and woven mesh.

Copper and bronze bring warmth and natural patination; blackened steel and black bronze give depth without colour; antique and relieved finishes carry history into new work. Where the brief calls for sculptural metal surfaces on non-metal substrates, liquid metal — real cold-sprayed metal, polished or patinated — extends the family further. All finishes are approved as physical samples, matched across every trade that touches metal in the scheme.

When practicality and budget restrict the use of cast metal, a decorative Liquid Metal Finish can be applied.

Hand sculpted by our Decorative Artists, our striking decorative Liquid Metal Finishes combine the aesthetics and lustre of genuine metal with the texture and versatility of paint.

The types of metals we use mostly are steel, brass, aluminium and stainless steel. From these base metals we are able to create a wide variety of finishes. Our popular standard finishes are ‘Burnished Bronze’ and ‘Antique Silver Leaf’, but there are plenty more.

There are a number of interesting colours offered in mirror (polished) and hairline (brushed) options. The stainless steel is polished and then coated. This allows for a finish that resembles brass/bronze/nickel and combines the strength of steel. This has a practical application for creating a weight bearing frame or leg, which brass, being a soft metal, would not allow. Also, from a cost perspective, the polished stainless steel is less than the cost of brass.

PVD coating is a good option for applications that require an extremely thin functional coating. PVD coating processes deposit a layer of high density material that's only a few microns thick. Once applied, the coating is nearly impossible to remove, and won't wear off on its own.

Powder coating applies a decorative finish that is similar to paint but with greater durability. The process involves UV or heat curing of dry thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer powder onto the metal to produce a textured, matte, or glossy coating. It is an electrostatic process wherein a charge placed on the substrate attracts the powder particles to it.

When practicality and budget restrict the use of cast metal, a decorative Liquid Metal Finish can be applied.

Hand sculpted by our Decorative Artists, our striking decorative Liquid Metal Finishes combine the aesthetics and lustre of genuine metal with the texture and versatility of paint.