As homeowners increasingly focus on finishes and fixtures, some manufacturers are joining forces to create whole-house consistency with more attention to detail. “What's relevant to the consumer is not only an individual hardware or faucet selection but how well the products coordinate with one another,” says Erin Beazley, marketing communications manager for Price Pfister. Price Pfister and Kwikset (both owned by Black & Decker) have gone in on a joint venture with the Architecturally Inspired collection of faucets from the former and matching handlesets from the latter. “The intent is to offer a hardware solution that addresses the desire to match the design of a product throughout the home, while not losing sight of the importance of the product's finish,” Beazley says. Similarly, Andersen Windows & Doors has debuted its Mix-and-Match line that lets homeowners choose different finishes for interior and exterior patio door hardware. “We've found that many people want one finish for the exterior, such as white door hardware or something weather-resistant, and something else on the interior where they may have a satin nickel finish in close proximity,” says Mary Witzel, Andersen's accessory product manager.
Speaking of doors, entryways have also been touched by the industry matchmaker. Several years ago, Wayne-Dalton approached Therma-Tru about opportunities to apply Therma-Tru's Accugrain technology to Wayne-Dalton garage doors. The patented graining process creates a wood-grain look on Therma-Tru's fiberglass entry doors and now also on Wayne-Dalton's fiberglass garage doors. “Most often, garage doors will be painted to match the trim and not the entry door,” says Bill Earnest, director of marketing and product management for Wayne-Dalton. “What we've seen is a move toward making the garage door the ‘last frontier' of the home, and being able to incorporate the AccuGrain technology is part of that for us. If homeowners choose to, they can now tie the garage and entry doors together architecturally for a consistent look across the front of the home.”
Beazley expects collaboration across product categories to continue, saying, “Today's home is not only a dwelling but a sanctuary, and the more we can lend to customer satisfaction, the greater our value in the marketplace.”
For more product information, visit ebuild, Hanley Wood's interactive product catalog, at www.ebuild.com.
