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handcrafted Archive

01 June

Measuring a window for a curtain pole

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Measuring A Window For A Curtain Pole

It’s extraordinary how much gets done around the house when you are actively discouraged to leave it. What about that window you’ve been meaning to spruce up for ages? How difficult can measuring up for a Made by the Forge curtain pole be? Answer? Not at all… Just three simple steps… W. W. W. – Where, Width, Work out…

Where is the pole going to go? Stand back, look at the window and check there are no beams, light switches or fittings in the way of a straight mount above the window. Ideally the pole should be mounted 15cm above the top of the window. If you have a low ceiling, it should be mounted halfway between the ceiling and the top of the window.
Width of the window to be measured.
Work Out 10% of the width of the window for each side’s drawback (the area the curtain hangs in when not drawn). Remember to allow for the thickness of your curtains and add one of two centimetres if necessary.

Also remember to take into consideration the length of the decorative finial at both ends, the size of your choice can be found on the finial’s product page online. We suggest adding one curtain ring for every 10cm of pole. Be sure to order an even number for symmetry.

For a video of Richard showing you these points, please click here. As ever, any questions, give us a call on +44 (0)1473 487118.

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25 February

How environmentally friendly is iron?

Written by Juliet Fishenden

There has been no period of time in human civilisation equivalent to this present moment. Right now, we understand that our actions as consumers have reached a tipping point and if we do not check our continued and unthinking usage of materials such as plastic, we will be responsible for vastly negative and irreversible effects on the planet. Responsible and discerning people know this and are slowly changing their attitudes towards the products they buy.

There is one material in everyday use that due to its longevity and strength is not actually consumed. It is used and can be re-used, re-purposed, re-made and recycled over and over again. An investment in this material is never wasted. It can be built upon by successive generations. At Made by the Forge we call this material ‘iron’. In other areas of manufacture it goes by the name ‘steel’ and as a metal in the construction industry it is one of the most recyclable and reusable metals in the world.

Steel’s inherent strength does not wear out from overuse. It does not creep (become deformed due to physical stresses) or buckle. If you have products from Made by the Forge and you move house, your ironwork can move with you. If you choose to recycle it, it will be reformed into something else, never losing its practical use in other areas. In short, environmentally, you can’t go wrong buying an iron/steel product. At madebytheforge.co.uk, you’ll find nothing but…

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04 July

French Style Curtain Poles

Written by Juliet Fishenden

The French have always had the reputation for style and knowing it when they see it. The well known French Rod or French Pole is a design classic, one that we respect but also make in our own distinctive and unique fashion.

Interior designers, discerning individuals and first-rate curtain makers, like Magenta Interiors, all choose our French Style Curtain Poles. They look traditional, classy, superbly crafted and they do their job.

“Made by the Forge is my first stop for the best French poles on the market.” Magenta Interiors – Bespoke Soft Furnishings

There are no finials to choose as each end curves ninety degrees back to the wall where the pole slides into a bracket. The advantage of such a pole is that it is much more efficient at keeping out drafts.

You can install a French style curtain pole for a curtain over a window or a door to keep a howling wind at bay. Depending on the age of your home, (or of your cosy gite in the south of France if you are so lucky) there’s always a draft looking for a way in. The curtain on a French Style pole will then create a more complete shelter from the wind.

Why not consider adding some ‘va va voom!’ to your room?

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16 March

Fire Pits for all occasions

Written by Juliet Fishenden

In creating a new product, like Made by the Forge’s fire pits, you often have to build it, live with it and put it through its paces to see how it can be improved. We had a lot of fun road testing both the huge Entertainer and the more portable Glamper fire pits. I heartily recommend an outdoor-cooked full English!

Henry from Apples from Suffolk commented recently on the Glamper he took away on holiday with him last year. “It looks beautiful and you can feel the quality craftsmanship. Even cooking a few sausages becomes an occasion and its portable too!”

As summer is knocking on spring’s door, we decided to redesign the product for more ease of use and attractiveness. The grilling surface on both fire pits has been reworked. It is now laser cut for precision while the outer ring is then handcrafted with hooks and handles. These enable you to effortlessly lift it off giving you the full heat of the fire pit to enjoy as the sun goes down.

This means the cooking surface now includes space at the sides and around the circumference of the grill to keep cooked food hot and if you’re using a pan to fry eggs for example, it’s somewhere to keep it warm while the sausages are browning. Get seriously fired up with Made by the Forge’s new and improved Entertainer and Glamper fire pits

barbecue, blacksmith, Blacksmiths in Suffolk, fire bowls, fire pits, handcrafted, Wrought iron From the Forge - News Leave a Comment

18 July

‘How to…’ helpful videos by Made by the Forge

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Here at Made by the Forge, we pride ourselves on the excellence of our handcrafted products so it makes perfect sense to use video to show our customers the best way to get our curtain poles and shelving up to make your windows and walls stand out. Once again we invited filmmaker Alan Miller to shoot and produce our videos. He has over thirty-five years of experience in the film and television industry and it’s great to have the benefit of his knowledge.

We put aside half a day to shoot three videos. Any one who’s been involved with these sorts of projects knows that it’s never as easy as the finished video appears. It helps enormously that Richard is very relaxed on camera, a one-take wonder even. Alan is a one-man production outfit but he’s not gifted as a hair and make up artist, so you’re getting Richard as Richard, no frills. He’s always ready for his close up.

The three videos are straightforward enough. How to (1) Put Up A Curtain Pole, (2) Put Up A Recess Pole and (3) Put Up A Made by the Forge Shelf. We hope you find them useful. How To videos online can be enormously helpful and even encourage you to do the work yourself. We hope ours are short, to the point and informative.

blacksmith, handcrafted, How to videos, Ironwork, Putting up a curtain pole, Putting up a recess curtain pole, putting up a shelf From the Forge - News, Interiors, Lifestyle, Style tips Leave a Comment

17 May

Ironwork for Interiors New Booklet

Written by Juliet Fishenden

At Made by the Forge, we make the finest ironwork known to humanity! As proof, we can now offer you a small pocket sized booklet to peruse and use for inspiration for your home or interior project. It features all our fabulous ironwork plus our new 25mm metal poles, new finials and a contemporary burnished wax finish. We have a downloadable version or we can send you a printed copy, whatever is the most convenient for you.

Shopping with us is easy and if you have any questions, we are always at the end of the phone or email.

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08 May

Stylish and Strong Shelf Brackets

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Handcrafted, stylish and strong are some of the words describing the fabulous shelf brackets we are making here at Made by the Forge. Recently we received an email, from a high-end interior designer, with the opening line;

“I need to order some more of these wonderful brackets!”

Praise indeed and we’ve had countless interior enthusiasts raving about them. They are incredibly versatile and can be used with any wood of your choice. At present, we don’t supply the actual shelves but after encouraging feedback, we’re making enquiries into providing the wood along with the shelf brackets.

These hand-forged, dark iron brackets have been successfully situated in both modern rustic interior spaces and contemporary ones to great effect. A customer kindly sent an image of her newly installed shelf brackets. They are particularly stunning because of the creative backlighting in her kitchen, a great idea.

The image below shows how our customer Emma furnished her glamping pod with a shelf under the TV so the handsets were all tidily off the floor.

“I’m really pleased with your lovely ironwork, and it’s made all the difference in terms of the finishing touches to both my own property over the years, and now to my newly completed glamping pod – The Owlery. Everyone is extremely complimentary. Thanks again for providing such an excellent service.”
Best wishes
Emma
Loch Sunart Yarns & Buttons

So deciding to put up one or more handy wall shelves is easy with our made to measure brackets. You choose the width of shelf for your needs and we make the brackets just for you. The raw metal is finished in a natural, locally sourced beeswax which gives the iron a beautiful sheen. The brackets can also be finished in a matt black paint according to your needs.

“I have just ordered 6 brackets for my newly decorated office space and am so looking forward to getting the contents of my office out of the boxes and up off the floor. I am the sort of person who likes to be able to see where things are so they are easily found!”

Ordering with us is easy. We have experts at the end of the telephone or an email whichever you choose.

Blacksmiths in Suffolk, contemporary design, handcrafted, handmade, handmade shelf brackets, Interior ironwork, made to last, solid iron shelf brackets, Wrought iron From the Forge - News, Interiors, Style tips Leave a Comment

24 January

Bespoke Ironwork for CLAW’s recently opened Carnaby Restaurant

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Bespoke ironwork can complement an interior like very few other designed pieces. It has the added benefit of being both reassuringly traditional and at the cutting edge. Context is all. Richard and the team at Made by the Forge were commissioned to work with Senior interior Designer, Annie Harrison at the superbly named design company Run For the Hills; a London-based creative design house that exists in the space where graphics and interiors meet.

Named by ‘Design Et Al’ magazine as one of ‘The World’s Leading Design Names, 2018’, Run For The Hills enjoys a superb reputation and Made by the Forge collaborated with the design team fashioning bespoke ironwork for a very specific space. Specialising in the very best seafood from around the British Isles is CLAW (another great brand name). They have a take-away outlet in the city, near Liverpool Street station and have since opened the Carnaby Restaurant right behind Hamley’s on Kingly Street, Soho. CLAW can also be booked independently for festivals and events.

It’s there you’ll find Made by the Forge’s work, ranging from bespoke wall brackets for their lighting and bespoke hand made coat hooks.

If you have an idea Made by the Forge can take your bespoke designs and turn your imagination into handcrafted, wrought iron pieces which will add a certain rustic charm to any interior. Old fashioned spaces or contemporary places, iron just works.

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14 December

Made by the Forge media coverage on BQ Live

Written by Juliet Fishenden

In the words of the BQ website (www.bqlive.co.uk), “We celebrate and inspire entrepreneurship to help businesses succeed and grow…” There’s a really nice article on BQ written by Chris Middleton on Made by the Forge and our relationship with the Manufacturing Growth Programme. The programme is a government initiative that supports manufacturing businesses and identifies where improvements can be made. Have a read…

http://www.bqlive.co.uk/manufacturing/2017/12/12/news/suffolk-blacksmith-forges-strong-growth-29447/

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05 November

Ugly House to Lovely House with George Clarke featured Made by the Forge’s Farrier’s Cage 5 Bar Long

Written by Juliet Fishenden

It’s always a great validation of our work at Made by the Forge (and to be honest, a great thrill) when one of our pieces gets media coverage. We’ve had our share of magazine exposure, and we’re very grateful for that publicity. But a few Wednesdays ago on Channel 4, we were lucky enough to have one of our leading lights featured in the clever and entertaining series Ugly House to Lovely House with George Clarke.

Our Farrier’s Cage Five Bar Long luminaire, designed by Anthony Dickens, hung decorously from the ceiling of a converted St. John ambulance station of all things. The filmmakers really showed off the piece shooting it from lots of different angles and in its first prominent shot, the Five Bar Long fills the frame albeit showing only four of the five lights.

It’s a very good feeling to have Made by the Forge associated with lifestyle programmes that point people at products that make for better interiors. The relevant episode, series two, episode two, is still viewable on the Channel 4 website until 24^th November here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/ugly-house-to-lovely-house-with-george-clarke/on-demand/65271-002

If you’re not logged in to view Four On Demand, then that simple process takes a few seconds. Hope you enjoy it.

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