Great design principles
Great design and what it means is in some ways subjective. No doubt there are philosophers who have expounded on the subject – probably at some length. There are also some elements, such as balance, composition and functionality that must be in sync for a design to be great.
At Metalier, we’ve often worked with Sue Gillbanks of Kitchens by Design and the picture above is one of Sue’s kitchens. In this kitchen the design’s central element is the unusual pattern and colour in the stone splash back. The palette is muted in tones of cream and a mushroom brown. Sue has carried forward the colours into the cream bench and the cream cabinets with their brown handles. The range-hood tones perfectly in Metalier smoky bronze (one of Sue’s favourite metals). The table and chairs complete the brown contribution to the theme.
Variety is added with having glass in the end cabinet to show off the owners’ glassware and crockery and there is a touch of whimsy in the little shelf high on the left side of the splash back. The towel rails with their ceramic knobs are a quirky touch too.
This kitchen is an illustration of all the elements that make up great design in our opinion – subjectivity again! Above all good design contributes to how we live and how happily and well we live and function. I am sure that the cook or cooks who get to work in this kitchen just love every minute they spend in this room. I imagine too that this translates into the great dishes that are produced here. And you certainly wouldn’t want to leave it in a mess!
And don’t forget that the design has to be stunningly beautiful. We think this kitchen is and we’d love to take it home.
Contact Metalier in NZ, UK, USA or India for recommendations of great designers for residential and commercial fit-outs or complete the form below.
Copper baseball - any substrate
Copper baseball shows off an unusual substrate
This copper baseball was coated and polished by our friends and distributors in North America, M2 Supply of Elkhart Indiana. It illustrates clearly the Metalier mantra that we can coat almost any substrate. There is no doubt that this is a genuine and used baseball. You can even see the little fibres on the surface of the ball. And the copper baseball, because it is curved, is an ideal vehicle to show off the shine and beauty of the metal.
The “any substrates” that can be coated with Metalier are almost unlimited. The main requirement is for the substrate to be able to take a key. For Metalier liquid metal to bond to the substrate it needs to be slightly roughened. This creates strong adhesion which lasts for years. In fact, there is no reason for Metalier to ever delaminate if the initial bond is properly formed.
Polystyrene, which is frequently used for props, in theatre, film and entertainment venues requires a barrier coating. The barrier coating needs to be able to take a key too. It’s not rocket science though. Even regular paints require sanding between coats for good adhesion.
Most of the work that Metalier is contracted for is seen in great fit-outs like Dior, The Sugar Club, Paul Smith and Harrods of London.
There’s another side to the business too. We’ve had fun with lots of substrates – we’ve coated bathtubs and basins, gumboots and baby shoes. One of our most moving commissions was coating a cap which was to be a part of a tombstone. It was for the grave of a young lad who had died tragically young. It broke us up doing the work but we were proud too to contribute to the memorial.
If you have something unusual that you would like us to coat as well as your front door, fireplace surrounds, kitchen cabinets, floors or hundreds of bedheads in your hotel, please contact us here or complete the form below. You can also ready more about possible substrates here.
Liquid Metal Curves - metal versatility
Metalier Liquid Metal curves and follows the substrate
It does so whether the substrate is concave, convex or flat. Curved and complex substrates become real metal with ease. Many of the substrates we coat couldn’t otherwise be created in metal at all. Or if they could be created out of sheet metal they would be extremely expensive and very heavy.
Liquid Metal Curves are a feature of the Harrods escalators
The beautiful bank of escalators at Harrods was created using a Metalier coating in a specially created colour we’ve called champagne gold. It was also created using our unique water-based coating. The bulkheads of the elevators are curved with feature grooves. Quite frankly this would be a nightmare to create in sheet metal.
Liquid metal curves can be convex or concave
I confess that I always have to check which is concave and which is convex. Concave curves inward like a bath and convex bulges outwards. Metalier has coated a bath in high-polished classic gold – you can see it in the Projects-Objects section of the main website. It is more common to coat convex articles – scotia, light-fittings, cherubs, statues, bowls, portholes, Dr Gloom and even gumboots and shoes.
Liquid metal goes round corners
As well as being a star in the curves department, Metalier liquid metal can also be applied to corners and edges. In homes and apartments it is ideal for cabinetry in kitchens and bathrooms and for statement front doors. For offices, shops, bars and hotels it is ideal for reception counters, bar fronts, elevator doors and surrounds, bed heads and feature columns.
There is no limit to where you can use Metalier liquid metal coatings and there are so many colour options and textures and effects to choose from that every application is unique and bespoke.
There are 10 (or 11) reasons why you should choose Metalier liquid metal and we’ve listed them all here. For more information you can email us, telephone us or complete the form below. We look forward to hearing from you.
Cold liquid metal - cold & seamless
Cold liquid metal
Being cold is an essential character of Metalier cold liquid metal. It's essential for a number of reasons. You can read all the reasons for choosing Metalier liquid metal here.
Because it's cold, Metalier liquid metal can be sprayed on the most unlikely of surfaces including polystyrene. It can be sprayed through lace fabric and on to delicate substrates that would be destroyed by a hot or molten process. This is one of the features that gives Metalier its versatility. The leaves in the pattern in the picture would have been destroyed if a hot process had been used.
If a smooth surface is required Metalier liquid metal is sprayed using conventional cold-spray equipment. If you want a textured finish, you mix the metals and binder together and then trowel or pour it onto the substrate. Whether the mixture can be poured or not depends on how thick it is. And thickness is governed by the type of texture you are creating. A heavier texture will require a thicker mix.
In addition our liquid metal can be moulded. As you might imagine, cold-casting is much faster and much less expensive than foundry metal. It's also a lot less dangerous to work with and - surprise - you don't get hot working with it.
Metalier liquid metal finishes when cured are cold to the touch. They are cold just as sheet metal or foundry metal is cold to the touch. If you have any doubt that you are touching a real metal coating - give it the touch test. If it's cold it will be genuine. If it's not, it will be paint.
Another essential feature of Metalier is that it is seamless - that means application is not limited by the size of the substrate sheet. In fact - no limitation is at the heart of liquid metal coating. You can create virtually anything on virtually any substrate of virtually any size. What more could you want?
To find out more contact us by completing the form below, telephoning us on +6493767099 or emailing.