Developing our Finishing Process
15th May 2024
Finish is one of the most important factors in choosing hardware, and so it is important to us to ensure we offer a wide range of choices that exude luxury and work in harmony with our designs.
![<h3>Finish options</h3>](https://croft.co.uk/assets/media/blog/MC.png)
Finish options
This is why we continually invest time in improving, developing, and rigorously testing our finishes to make sure that they are always the best that they can possibly be.
From the trendy to the timeless, we are proud to offer over 25 signature finishes and patinas that range from the stylish Dark Bronze to the opulent Polished Brass. In recent years living finishes such as Aged Brass and Oil Rubbed Bronze have grown in popularity due to their beautifully aged appearance. With wear and handling over time, living finishes reveal the brass below, giving the hardware further character and a completely unique look.
Innovation and pushing boundaries are in our ethos, and we’re not afraid to take unorthodox approaches with our finishes either. Our most maverick finish to date is the Mineral Collection, which was shortlisted in the SBID awards. The Mineral Collection replicates natural occurring minerals and celebrates the relationship between nature and craftmanship. A true showstopper, and popular amongst those looking to create an abstract or more eccentric interior.
![](https://croft.co.uk/assets/media/blog/ZB.png)
In total contrast to the Jade gloss and Tiger’s Eye matt of the Mineral collection, our portfolio also includes a finish so dark, the only suitable name we could give it was Zero Black. Zero Black has absolutely no shine or colour to it and is the perfect finish to create a dramatic and sophisticated statement.
In our efforts to continually improve our current offering and explore new finish processes, we have been joined by Alex, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Birmingham whose primary aim is to aid us in pushing our finishes to the next level.
![<h3>Alex's time with us </h3>](https://croft.co.uk/assets/media/blog/finish and patina box.png)
Alex's time with us
Our principal goal in working with Alex is to make space and time for experimentation and curiosity. Alex has been helping us get an even deeper understanding of our finishes, the optimal processes, and where we have space to improve. This is an ongoing process and thanks to the work Alex has been doing, we have already made a number of improvements, and are now looking towards how we can push our offering even further.
![](https://croft.co.uk/assets/media/blog/alex.png)
We recently caught up with Alex to talk about his time at Croft so far:
‘My time at Croft so far has been a fantastic opportunity to expand my knowledge and use what I already know to have a real impact on something that I find interesting. I love that no two days are the same here and I am really enjoying stepping up to new challenges that I’m faced with and problem solving to overcome them. I’m currently spending some time in the machine shop where I’m learning about CNC machines and learning to code, load, and troubleshoot them which is really fun, and I love working with the team every day and getting to know new people and new areas of the factory.’