Drummonds has announced a seminal collaboration with celebrated interior designer Steven Gambrel. The newly launched Colvin collection is an eight-piece family of bathroom storage and accessories designed by Gambrel and handcrafted at the Drummonds brassware foundry.
Famed for his layered architectural style, which uses opulent materials at an imposing scale, Gambrel’s spaces are tempered by sparse lines and an abundance of natural light. The result is a quiet grandeur that remains relatable and inviting, a quality which underpins his collection for Drummonds.
Gambrel comments, “The materials we celebrate throughout the house – heavy plaster walls, marble mantles,nantique brassware – these are the perfect elements to build a bathroom. We’ve moved far beyond the white sanitary box of previous eras.
“I’ve always loved hardware – doorknobs, hinges, brackets – anything really. I often use it as a grounding element across a series of rooms. I see it like jewellery. And if I’m matching hardware to high walls and large, heavy doors, I need it to look strong and architectural. I wanted to continue that into the bathroom as well.”
Comprising of a mirror, storage shelf, towel bar, bath rack, single robe hook, double robe hook, loo roll holder and waste bin, the collection is handcrafted at the Drummonds foundry using a blend of brassware techniques; from he ancient lost wax casting method to precision CNC lathe and milling. Each piece is available in all nine of Drummonds’ house brassware finishes to coordinate with other fittings such as vanity basins, taps, showers, and lighting.
Drummond’s creative director, James Lentaigne reflects, “Our artisans began as restorers of antique bathrooms and carried the traditional skills over to our factory when it was founded nearly 30 years ago. We have honed these techniques to the point where we really are the finest in the world; we can make brassware designs that are intricate, detailed and sophisticated with a flawless level of detail that most factories would struggle to achieve.
“Even with this knowledge, Steven’s designs broke new ground for us and we are extremely proud of the collection. Passing through the hands of five or six skilled artisans, each piece is flawlessly crafted and finished in solid brass and takes weeks to make. There are no compromises. We want to make products that look good now nand will look good in 50 or 100 years time.”
The Colvin collection will be available via Drummonds’ New York and London showrooms from May 2024; advanced orders may be taken beforehand.
