Ironwork made by hand, piece by piece
Ornamental work is where forging gets close to sculpture. A leaf is drawn out from a bar, veined with a chisel, then curled over the horn of the anvil. A scroll tapers to a fine point. A collar is wrapped tight around two bars while the iron is still hot.
You cannot cast or laser-cut that kind of life into metal. You have to make it.
We take on one-off ornamental pieces for homeowners, interior designers, architects, hotels, restaurants and bars across London. Our craftsman has 20 years of hand-forging experience. Fine scrollwork, hand-formed leaves and gilded acanthus are particular strengths. Every piece is designed with you, forged in our own workshop and installed by our London team.
What we make
Forged leaves and flowers
Forged leaves are the signature of fine ironwork. We make acanthus, oak, ivy, vine and laurel leaves, plus roses, lilies and rosettes. They can be part of a larger piece or stand alone as decoration. Leave them in blackened iron, paint them, or finish them in gold leaf.
Gilded details
Gold leaf on forged iron has a warmth that paint never quite matches. We gild single leaves, collars, finials and rosettes, or larger parts of a screen or staircase. Most clients use it lightly. A few gilded details catch the eye far better than a whole piece covered in gold.
Screens and room dividers
A forged screen splits a room but keeps it open and bright. We make them for restaurant dining rooms, hotel lobbies, open-plan homes and private offices. Patterns range from classical scrolls to Art Deco grids. A screen can stand on its own feet, fix between floor and ceiling, or hold glass in its frame.
If the screen needs a new fixing point in the floor or ceiling, our team can do that building work too. We open up, fix into the structure and make good, so the screen goes in without a second contractor.
Fire screens and fireplace pieces
An old fireplace deserves fittings that suit it. We make fire screens, fenders, fire baskets, firedogs and tool sets, sized to the fireplace and in the same style. They have to work every day, so bases are stable and handles are comfortable to hold.
Furniture
Iron furniture has a weight and presence that few materials can match. We forge:
- Console tables and side tables, with stone, marble, glass or timber tops
- Bases for dining tables and coffee tables
- Bed frames and headboards
- Mirror frames and shelf brackets
- Outdoor tables and seats for terraces and gardens
Door furniture and grilles
Forged handles, knockers, hinges and keyhole plates give a door real weight in the hand. Decorative grilles for door panels, fanlights, windows and air vents add security and ornament at the same time.
Hanging sign brackets
A forged sign bracket is part of the London street scene. Pubs, restaurants, shops and hotels have used them for centuries. We design brackets with scrolls, leaves and finials, sized for the weight of your sign and the wind it will catch.
Garden pieces
Arches, arbours, plant supports, obelisks, small garden gates and wall panels can all be forged to order. Outdoor pieces get a zinc coating first, by galvanising or spraying, and then a tough paint system.
Metal ceiling features for restaurants and bars
More and more venues hang metal grids and frames from the ceiling. They break up a big room, carry lights and add texture overhead. We forge ceiling grids, rafts and frames that can hold pendants, plants or sound-absorbing panels. We work alongside your designer, your mechanical and electrical contractor, and building control, which is the council or inspector who checks that building work is safe.
Working with designers and architects
Much of our one-off work comes through design professionals. We have shaped the way we work around how they work.
- Your brief. We start from mood boards, sketches, drawings or a detailed specification.
- CAD drawings. You get drawings with sizes, profiles and fixing details to sign off before forging starts.
- Samples. We can make finish samples, or a sample leaf or scroll, so you can judge texture and colour.
- Other trades. We talk to the contractor, the services engineers and other trades about fixings and timing.
- One pattern. A single pattern can run through screens, lighting, staircases and furniture across a whole project.
Two ways to start a design
From the design album
Our craftsman’s design album holds hundreds of proven patterns. It covers scrolls, leaves, rosettes, collars, finials and complete designs. Many clients start here, picking elements and adapting them to a new piece.
From a blank sheet
You may have a particular motif in mind, a brand identity, or an architect’s concept. Then we design from scratch. CAD drawings let everyone check the proportions and details before any iron goes in the fire. Nothing is forged until you approve the drawings.
Finishes
The right finish depends on where the piece will live.
- Blackened and waxed. The classic indoor finish. It shows the hammer texture and the natural colour of forged iron.
- Paint. Hand-applied, in heritage or modern colours.
- Powder coating. A hard, even finish for simpler shapes and busy venues.
- Gold leaf. On a few details or a whole piece.
- Zinc and paint for outdoors. Hot-dip galvanising or zinc spraying, then a paint system. Micaceous iron oxide paint is another tough option for iron that faces the weather.
Permissions and practical points
Most indoor pieces need no permission at all. Some do.
- Listed buildings. Fixing a screen, grille or feature to a listed building may need listed building consent, even indoors. That is permission from the council to change a protected building.
- Signs. Many signs that stick out or light up need advertisement consent. Conservation areas bring a closer look at the design.
- Fire and building rules. Screens on escape routes, ceiling features in commercial spaces and pieces near a fire may need to meet the Building Regulations and fire safety rules. We work through this with your designer and building control.
- Lighting. If a piece carries lights, the wiring uses approved parts and a qualified electrician installs it to UK standards.
Always check with your council if you are unsure.
Why forged and not cast or laser-cut
A lot of decorative metalwork sold today is laser-cut from flat sheet, or put together from cast parts out of a catalogue. It can look tidy in a photo. In the room, it usually looks flat and repetitive. Forged work is different.
- Depth. A forged leaf or scroll has shape in three dimensions. It tapers and curls in a way a cut-out profile cannot.
- Proportion. Bars can be thickened, drawn down and shaped to suit the size of the piece, so the ornament sits naturally.
- Joints. Collars, rivets and forge welds give honest, visible joints, not hidden welds ground flat.
- Character. Small differences between hand-made parts give the piece life, especially when light rakes across it.
For many designers, that is the difference between a piece that fills a corner and one that people stop to look at.
Size, weight and fitting
Forged iron is heavy, and that matters early on.
- Floors and fixings. Big screens, consoles and ceiling features must fix into the structure, not just plasterboard. We give weights and fixing details to your contractor or engineer. If walls or ceilings need strengthening, our own team can carry out that work and make good afterwards.
- Getting it in. We design pieces to fit through your doors, stairs and lift. Large items can be made in sections that join neatly on site.
- Tops and glass. Stone, glass and timber tops are planned with the frame, so the weight is carried properly and the fit is tight.
- Busy venues. In restaurants and bars, pieces are built to take knocks and cleaning, with finishes chosen to last.
Looking after forged ironwork
Blackened and waxed pieces like a fresh coat of wax now and then, rubbed on with a soft cloth. Painted and gilded pieces only need gentle dusting. Avoid harsh cleaners, as they can strip gilding. Outdoor pieces should be checked from time to time, and any chips in the paint touched up before rust gets in. We give care notes with every piece.
How a commission runs
- First conversation. We talk about the piece, the space and your references.
- Design. We work from the album or start fresh, with CAD drawings and samples where they help.
- Forging. The piece is forged by hand and finished in our own workshop.
- Fitting. Our London team delivers and installs it, working with the other trades on site.
We focus on new, design-led pieces rather than small repairs or stock items. That gives each piece the attention it deserves.
Request a quote
Have a piece in mind, or a project that needs some forged ironwork? Request a quote through our short online form, or give us a call. Send any references, drawings or photos of the space, and we will arrange a time to talk it through.