Insight

Taking a cursory glance the quality of finished products designed and produced by furniture and joinery manufacturers today is to bear witness to a level of sophistication, finesse and elan that our 70’s and 80’s forebears would find both incredible and hugely impressive.

The last 20 years has seen a vigorous and renewed appreciation of our living spaces and we want our furniture and joinery to reflect that higher ambition, and to perform better than it ever has done.

No respectable kitchen today comes without a slew of well-designed fittings and components: from high-performance often damped hinges, superb soft-closing draw slides, luxurious lighting options, an endless range of handles and knobs, a choice of amazing worktops in so many different looks and feels – and the end products, designed correctly, can be a show-stopper.

In short, since the 90s, the democratisation of design and performance regarding fittings and components has elevated furniture and joinery designs to new highs to the point where these things have come to be expected, even from modestly priced furniture and joinery.

For some time now, consumers have been demonstrating a renewed confidence to invest in products which look and feel special, and perform enjoyably well in everyday use. Taking the kitchen for example, the average consumer will want to create just the right look for them that performs as good as it looks – and savvy consumers who really know what they want and are less inclined to settle for second-best.

So when it comes to investing in that desirable considered purchase, it will be one with excellent fittings and components, for we all know that higher-specification kitchens (and bathrooms) sell houses, so generally it is being seen as a safe investment – and long may that continue.

I hope you enjoy the special feature on fittings and components.

John Legg, editorial director