The door hardware package was designed around an Italian satin brass handle and escutcheon which set the design tone for the whole scheme. The schedules had to encompass both new and old doors, new openings, and specially refurbished hardware. With a brief to retain the original character of the manor, Em-B chose sympathetic hardware specs such as concealed closers to make the ironmongery as discreet as possible. Pocket doors were utilised o bathrooms with a bespoke satin brass bathroom set for the project. Mitred pull handles were designed for corridor doors and again combined with concealed closers for maximum aesthetic appeal. In the newer parts of the hotel, Em-B provided a complete door set package. One highlight of the project was the Barnes Wallace room, named for the famous inventor who stayed at the manor while working on the renowned bouncing bomb.

The aesthetic plan for the hotel revolved around bringing an old property into the 21^st century and that held good not just for everything you see, but feel and touch too – which is where the hardware scheme came in. We designed doors in a very dark wood that fitted the traditional building but translated into a modern hotel. Em-B worked with us to find the right lever furniture – a very slick modern Italian design but in a brass bronze finish for a traditional twist – and the rest of the hardware and door specification continued from there.

What the architect said:

Em-B went above and beyond on this project. They not only organised the manufacture of the bespoke doors but provided them fully fitted with hardware so that the joinery contractor just had to hang them when they arrived on site. They thought of every detail – from specialist hardware on the disabled toilets, the lifts, and cross-corridor doors so that the hardware worked seamlessly across the whole piece. They offered a fantastic service, and the results look incredible.”

David McCormack RIBA APMP, Studio Map