Timeless craftsmanship: discover the beauty of sustainable architectural hardware from New Zealand

Halliday + Baillie has been in business for almost three decades, championing aesthetics, materials and finishes. Inspired by its remote location in the Pacific Ocean, the business embraced the ‘Kiwi’ way of getting things done. Resourcefulness, inventive drive and the courage to challenge the status quo have been driving forces since its inception. 

When Marus Halliday started building his house 27 years ago, he couldn’t find any door handles he liked. His search led him to the premium German brand FSB (Franz Schneider Brakel), whose products are often praised for their design, functionality and durability, and he fell in love with the simple, yet beautiful, designs. 

Marus not only used the stunning door handles in his home but also introduced the brand to local architects to sound out their opinion. The architects gave positive feedback, encouraging the designer to start bringing the handles to New Zealand. From there, Halliday + Baillie evolved into designing its own products to complement the high-end German brand.

“We just started to design our own things, which we never thought we would do. But here we are 500 products later,” says Halliday + Baillie Director, Tanya Rive. Constant evaluation and improvement in raw materials and sustainable work practices have led to more effective production techniques and less waste. These days, all Halliday + Baillie hardware is manufactured in New Zealand and Australia, apart from the European brands the company distributes. Halliday + Baillie hardware merges form with function, being classic, timeless and practical. “We don’t want anyone to look at our products and say: this is so 1980s,” emphasises Tanya. 

Explore the Halliday + Baillie product range

The latest product, developed in collaboration with New Zealand Daniel Marshall Architects, is the HB1220 Recessed Blind Extrusion, a sleek substitute to pelmets or visible mounting for motorised and mechanical blinds and curtains. The Blind Box is a full extrusion system that is installed into the ceiling cavity and sits flush to the surface. 

Especially in contemporary interiors with smooth lines, architects can hide away any motorised fixings for electric blinds, allowing seamless waterfall visuals for blinds to operate. The Blind Box is manufactured in Australia to reduce shipping costs and carbon footprint. 

As a manufacturing design company, Halliday + Baillie takes responsibility for the environment seriously. All its zinc, solid brass, solid bronze, aluminium and 316-grade stainless steel are certified by accredited producers. 

The manufacturer ensures that its engineers are accredited with ISA13485, ISO14001 and ISO9001 as well as being experts in precision componentry. This includes:

• Complying with international standards on environmental management systems
• Following international legal guidelines on the disposal of hazardous material
• Following European Regulations around safe chemical use
• Manufacturing without liquid chemicals, solvents or caustic solutions
• Using components and packaging made in New Zealand (over 95%) and within 20km of its head office

Be inspired by projects around the world

The team at Halliday + Baillie works closely with architects, designers, builders and homeowners to find the right hardware for their projects. 

“Sometimes, architects ask us specifically to sit down with the client to explain why they should consider beautiful high-end hardware. It’s not something that clients think about until they start to pick all the bits and pieces for their home,” explains Tanya.

The owner of this beach house in the coastal township of Barwon Heads near Geelong, Victoria, chose to use as many local products for his new home as possible and opted for Halliday + Baillie because of local manufacturing and the quality of the products. Halliday + Baillie worked closely with the client to curate the right products for the client’s lifestyle. The project features Halliday + Baillie hardware on the outside joinery, flush pulls for sliding doors and levers and knobs for the hinged doors. The handles in medium bronze aluminium and powder coat blend in beautifully with the interior finishes.

Apart from residential installations, Halliday + Baillie hardware also embellishes prestigious commercial projects. The business supplied many leading international hotel chains with its outstanding products, which guests in the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, the J. W. Marriott Hotel in Qatar, the Fullerton Hotel and Queen's Park in Hong Kong can enjoy.

More from Halliday + Baillie on ArchiPro.