Miles Nelson sales and marketing manager David Eeles says in terms of colour palettes, black as a hardware option is still moving well, and satin graphite is the latest trend in finish options.
The growth in satin graphite and black door handle sales is largely driven through showhome representation/applications. It would be unusual these days to see handles in a showhome that aren’t on trend. A basic stat is that 70% of the products used in a showhome end up in a purchased house.
To complement the black and satin graphite handle finishes, Miles Nelson has designed a full range of complementary products, including traditional and other window fittings, and door stops.
Ease of installation is also becoming a focus as suppliers look to speed up the installation process by providing more pre-assembled products where possible.
Better installation instructions and installation that requires less input from the contractor, and requires fewer components and uses more environmentally-friendly packaging, i.e. less plastic, are all becoming more prevalent.
Entrance doors continue to be the showpiece of any new or renovated home, and there are two trends:
• Automation: Electronics are being used to solve access control issues where, in the past, a simple mechanical solution would have been used.
There are many options available now that include keyless entry via the use of touch pads, smart cards and phone apps.
• Pull handles: This is not new, but home owners looking to create a visual statement are opting for pull handles in satin silver, satin graphite or copper.
In the high end of the market there has always been a trend to towards aesthetics. Mechanical efficiency is still paramount but, again, there is a trend towards new finishes and hardware concealment, which streamlines or minimises the impact of the hardware on the door.
Also at the high end we have a noticed a slight trend back towards traditional timber joinery. To this end, Miles Nelson has designed a proprietary range of new window fittings which was launched recently.
