GRANDVILLE, MI — Several milestones have been marked this year at Belwith Keeler Décor Solutions as the company celebrated its 130th anniversary. The firm, based in Grandville, MI, includes brands Belwith Keeler, Hickory Hardware, First Watch and Keeler Brass Company.
The company has a living library that contains hundreds of original drawings, images and internal documents that have been archived over the years at its Michigan headquarters, stated Knikki Grantham, creative director, Belwith Keeler Décor Solutions. With OEM experience dating back to 1893, the vault contains more than 300,000 concepts and 100,000 manufactured designs, she reported.
That design experience has expanded with a new industry partnership, Grantham added. In January of this year, the company announced the return of Keeler Brass Company, which offers solid brass and bronze luxury hardware, and its pairing with Monogram. The luxury appliance brand introduced its first designer series with interior designer Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, with pieces including custom handles that are inspired by fine jewelry and designed and developed in partnership with Keeler Brass Company.
“We were doing something that hadn’t been done, and we had to invent the tool instead of just settling for what could be done with what was already out there,” explained Grantham. The result is a handle that showcases a pie-pan sawtooth design on the inside, she continued. The leather-wrapped handles also feature a slotted bar where the leather is folded in and the brass is embedded on the top, different from the stitched-leather hardware currently on the market.
The company also launched its B2B Portal later in the year, a platform that delivers a customized shopping experience. The Portal’s Designer Toolbox includes spec sheets, 3D models, photography, social media assets and more.