FF&F or Fixtures, Fittings and Finishes are an integral part of the design process in our office. A quick explanation; fixtures are taps and bathroom ware, kitchen sinks, they are things that are fixed into place. Fittings are items like lights, pendants, blinds, security systems and the like, they happen to be fitted in place. Finishes are materials and coatings, what is the floor, what are the walls, the ceiling, the window frames and roof? This process starts well before the beginning of any project as we are constantly researching and sourcing new materials and fixtures for future projects, we have no preconceived ideas of what will suit you or your project when you come to us but we are constantly cataloging bits and pieces whenever we see beautiful items. We are, of-course, designers so we reward other good designers by taking note of their products over poor designers or copies. We seek beauty, harmony and balance in every item that goes into a new project and we seek out tested innovations. We also look at products that we believe will have longevity and stand the test of time.
When the time comes during a project we will seek to fully understand our client’s brief however we then delve deeper to understand their aesthetic, their likes and dislikes, material preferences etc. Generally most clients come to us that are already sympathetic to our own principles and preferences however we are not precious artists that will cancel a project over a colour. We do prefer noble materials that show their finish in lieu of painted or coated items. We prefer real materials rather than reproductions, I fear we will look back at this time in history and wonder what were those people thinking when they chose a ‘timber look’ tile or ‘timber look’ aluminium extrusion. Timber is timber, steel is steel, tiles are tiles, keep them real. Environmental considerations also come into play as materials include embodied energy, Aluminium as an example takes the highest amount of energy to create however it is also the most recycled, most items only contain a mere 5% of raw new aluminium.
We love this part of the process as do our clients. You will see throughout this blog a smattering of furniture and artwork, new and modern classics, we think they are beautiful items and we’re happy to share them with you. The image above is from Sussex Collection tapware and shows all their material options.
