We stock our products in the finishes that we feel suit them best. From traditional antiqued metal effects, to bold contemporary paint colours, our products are available in a fantastic variety of hand crafted finishes to perfectly suit your home’s style.
We are often asked how we would recommend our customers care for their Jim Lawrence products so we thought it might be helpful to touch upon a few of our finishes and provide some hints and tips to keep your products looking at their best all year round…
This is our most popular finish and deservedly so. We create the Antiqued Brass look by treating our solid brass with an antiquing solution. This solution simply speeds up the natural tarnishing process and means that you are able to take home an authentic aged brass product from day one that will only improve and darken over time.
In the trade this finish is often referred to as a ‘living’ finish because of the natural oxidisation process that occurs to the brass over time leaving it to dull down to an authentic antique look. This darkening and dulling is accelerated outdoors or in damp environments.
To clean the brass, we recommend using a small amount of soapy water and/or buffing it with beeswax or a good quality wax polish to help protect the finish. To remove smudges or finger marks, gently brush the entire surface of the product with a Scotch-Brite pad so there is an even tone over the whole surface. If you concentrate the brushing in one area, it may look patchy. Then buff with a soft cotton cloth.
If you are wishing to slow down the natural tarnishing process then we recommend regular polishing with a good quality brush and a soft cloth. One thing we do have to warn our customers about is that chemical polishes may strip away the original antiquing solution too so take care.
We have developed this version of our most popular Antiqued Brass finish specifically for our Bletchley Bathroom accessory collection. We create the traditional antique look by treating solid brass with an antiquing solution, and we then lightly lacquering each piece with a clear matt lacquer. This seals the items – preventing unwanted marks to towels and garments. Our brass products are all non-corrosive and ideal for bathroom use. Free metal swatch available on request.
As this is a lacquered finish it will require no on-going upkeep, however would advise that you simply wipe it over with a clean, lint free, soft cloth from time to time to remove any residual build-up of dust and dirt on the product.
This finish is truly unique, and if you are looking for a traditional wrought iron look then this is the one for you. The Beeswax technique is something that has been used by craftsmen since Tudor times. Each piece is heated in our workshop until the steel darkens and then dipped into hot natural beeswax.
This finish is one that does require some light maintenance to retain the unique traditional look and feel. To avoid any unsightly corrosion occurring we advise that you apply a fresh coat of pure natural beeswax with a lint free soft cloth every 3 – 6 months. We must mention that this finish is not suitable for outdoors or bathroom use.
As our Heritage Copper products are made from natural, un-lacquered copper, they will continue to age and develop a darker dull patina over time in your home. To clean the copper, we recommend using a small amount of soapy water and/or buffing it with beeswax or a good quality wax polish to help protect the finish. To remove smudges or finger marks, gently brush the entire surface of the product with a Scotch-Brite pad so there is an even tone over the whole surface. If you concentrate the brushing in one area, it may look patchy.
Much like the Antiqued Brass finish, our Heritage Copper products use natural, un-lacquered copper. This means that it will continue to age and tarnish over time within your home. If you would like to decelerate this aging process then a handy tip is to use a good quality metal cleaning solution on those tarnished areas. Rub this in briskly with a soft cloth and then buff the copper to restore its original beauty. Please note that chemical polishes can strip away the original antiquing solution too, so take care to use cleaning products sparingly to retain the aged look of the product.
A clean uniform finish, the paint is applied with a powder coating process that creates a smooth, hard-wearing surface. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, Matt Black is one of our most popular choices for its quality and availability across most of our ranges. A perfect choice if you want to match up all the finer details.
As this is a powder coated painted finish it will require no on-going upkeep, however we would advise that you simply wipe it over with a clean, lint free, soft cloth from time to time to remove any residual build-up of dust and dirt on the product.
Our Nickel Plated finish has a highly reflective, silvery patina that is more akin to Chromium than to the many ‘brushed steel’ nickel finishes available elsewhere. To create this crisp clean finish we coat solid brass with a heavy plate of nickel and then a flash layer of chromium to ensure a long life. Its corrosion free qualities make it an ideal choice for bathrooms. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
Our bright nickel finish is simply maintained by regularly wiping over with a slightly damp, soft cloth using a very mild soapy water solution. This will remove any grease spots or smudges on the product. For a more persistent blemishes on your products we suggest using a soft lint free cloth and a small amount of chrome polish.
We polish our forged iron to a pewter finish, then seal with a lacquer. A signature Jim Lawrence grey, our Polished Lacquer finish is a slick, industrial-inspired gunmetal colour that has a subtly distressed texture beneath the gloss that you can fully appreciate when feeling the weight and quality of the product in your hand. This finish is not always suitable for outdoor use, so please refer to individual product descriptions for more information.
We advise you clean your polished items once or twice a year at least with a soft cloth. You can seal any chips and scratches in the lacquer itself with a high quality natural beeswax. This keeps the product clean and weatherproof. Lacquers may deteriorate over time in exposed or damp conditions and regular waxing will prolong the life of the product.
A classic, go-to choice for door furniture and other smaller details like locks, letters and latches, or for those who just prefer their brass brighter, shinier and looking ‘new’. Supplied in a natural un-lacquered finish, however, Polished Brass will ultimately deepen and darker over time.
If you wish to retain a bright, polished effect as pictured, we recommend the products are regularly cleaned with brass polish and a soft cloth.
This semi-gloss, deep grey paint finish is achieved with a powder coating process that creates a smooth, hard-wearing surface. Long an interior go-to, Slate Grey and other variations of this new neutral are at home in contemporary and period properties, bringing a cool-toned depth to both.
As this is powder coated painted finish it will require no on-going upkeep, however would advise that you simply wipe it over with a clean, lint free, soft cloth from time to time to remove any residual build-up of dust and dirt on the product.
Choose Old Gold for a classic, regency inspired look. Not holding back on this lustrous gold, we paint our forged iron with in this bold colour, which is then subtly antiqued by hand to create a slightly burnished and deeper hue. Old Gold is only suitable for indoor use.
As this is a delicate, hand finished paint effect we would only recommend only lightly dusting with a clean lint free cloth.
Last but certainly not least, our remaining painted finishes. Choose from our Blue, Duck Egg Blue, Clay, Plain Ivory, Old Ivory and Shaker Green options. All requiring no ongoing upkeep.
We do advise, however, that you simply wipe your painted finish products over with a clean, lint free, soft cloth from time to time to remove any residual build-up of dust and dirt on the product.
We know it is a tough decision deciding on which finish to go for, which is why you can request a free metal swatch of any finish. Alternatively, our sales team not only see all the finishes on a daily basis but also are extremely knowledgeable on which ones work best in certain environments. So, please do not hesitate to give them a call on 01473 828176 or email us at sales@jim-lawrence.co.uk for any advice.
As an alterative to cleaning home, we can now offer a full refinishing service for brass that will restore your product to the same condition it was when it originally left our workshop at a small cost. Kindly note that the finish will again dull over time. For lighting, this will incur a further cost where rewiring is required.
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