Modern History

Knikki Grantham, trend manager for Belwith-Keeler hardware, pulls from the company’s storied past as she shapes designs that influence today’s furniture industry

New hardware nods to the furniture industry’s past.

Q

Keeler Brass Co. (now Belwith-Keeler) was founded in Middleville, Michigan, in 1893, and in 1900 moved to Grand Rapids to further its symbiotic relationship with the 40-plus manufacturers based in “Furniture City”—industry giants such as Stickley Brothers, Berkey & Gay, Imperial, Widdicomb, Williams-Kimp and its successor, Baker Furniture. What’s your favorite thing about Belwith’s history?

A

Of course, my answer would be furniture! We are part of the history of American furniture design. To be able to pull a drawer with original prints from, say, 1938 and see what someone was inspired to create truly amazes me.

Q A

How did your role as trend manager come into being?

Working in the furniture hardware division, I saw a gap between how we designed hardware and what furniture companies wanted from us. I’ve always been in love with furniture and fashion. Five years ago, I began to do trend research on my own. Customers craved that knowledge, and the trend manager position was born.

Q

Where are your favorite places to mine information about trends?

A

The runway! I am glued to the runway shows. Social media makes it so easy to see the shows, and the sights all go into the “vault” in my brain. Red carpet events are also great for inspiration—the Met Gala has to be my favorite. Then, of course, there are our furniture shows, lighting and home accessories shows, and kitchen and bath shows. I also do some regional research to see if trends or micro trends will penetrate certain markets. My brain is set up with “folders”—I have the ability to absorb visuals and place them into these pockets in my brain. I gather my data, and then extract it and place it into a visual report.

Q

What’s the process to transform trend inspiration into a piece of hardware?

A

I try to release three reports annually, each containing 10 to 12 micro trends. I make a mood board consisting of images I have collected, then turn this over to our fantastic team of designers in Grand Rapids without any input. This is where the magic happens. Each person has a different background and strength to pull from as they design freely around the micro trend. It’s truly magical to see how they interpret them. Sometimes it’s quite literal, such as the geometric pattern in our “Cullet” design that just launched. And sometimes it’s a detail that is driven into the design, such as the knurling in the “Verge” collection. When I began, our designs were influenced by the furniture industry; now we are influencing the furniture industry with our designs.

Trend manager Knikki Grantham, below, peruses the library of historical hardware molds at BelwithKeeler’s headquarters. Grantham finds inspiration in the company’s history of handcrafting, including the early days of melting brass and making hardware molds at the Grand Rapids, Michigan, plant.

Clockwise from top left In addition to furniture hardware, Keeler was known for making brass parts for the auto industry, from door handles for the Ford Model T to the hood ornament for the 1933 REO Royale. The “Trellis” pull, available among current offerings, is the poster child for timelessness—it’s a contemporary interpretation of Belwith’s Design No. 1. “Verge” hardware features a knurled design. The X-shape handles created for Brown Saltman Furniture in 1969 are among many pieces custom-designed for the furniture industry.