In Practice: Studio Sio’s Favourite Figurative Hardware
Hardware that has more personal character than some people we know.
We love a hardware moment that doesn’t take itself too seriously. A drawer pull shaped like a hand. A doorknob that stares back. Figurative hardware - with its tiny bodies, faces, and unexpected charm - brings a bit of mischief into a space. It’s functional, yes, but also a little weird in the best way.
At Studio Sio, we’re always drawn to those double-take details. Over the years we’ve used them as Picasso-esque bag hooks at El Quijote, mischievous brass guardians on the peepholes at Hotel Chelsea, and now, in all kinds of unexpected corners.
Below are ten favourites - handles, knobs, tiebacks, and hooks - that bring a literal sense of character to a space. Some are splurges, some are sweet and simple, all of them made us (and themselves, often) smile.
one
Solid Brass Duck Hook
If you’re looking to dip your toe into figurative hardware - or, in this case, a duck foot - this is the one. Refined and quietly charming, it reads as a sleek brass hook until you catch the beak. It’s subtle, sculptural, and just a little bit funny. The gateway figurative hook.
two
Nelly hand toilet paper roll holder
Because even your loo deserves a little theatre. This sculpted brass hand is equal parts Victorian séance and old-world glamour. I love how it feels oddly formal - like your toilet paper is being presented on a tray in a Parisian parlour. The whole Nelly range is completely ridiculous, but totally necessary.
three
Venus & Mars door Escutcheons
A little cheeky, a little surreal. These Venus and Mars escutcheons - decorative plates that frame and protect a keyhole - are like tiny Brâncuși sculptures with a sense of humour. Something purely practical into a little moment of art.
four
Vintage Brass Alligator Door Handles - a Pair
These midcentury brass alligator handles mean business. The detailing is sharp, the mood is playful, and the scale makes them feel more like sculpture than hardware. I love how they straddle old-world safari charm and midcentury Floridian - a door handle that bites back, in the best way.
From Interesting Things
five
Ella
Octopus Hook
Perfect for hanging in a closet and holding towels, coats, bags, jewellery, and many different home essentials, the Ella Octopus Hook from Maison Midi is a sculptural wall hook handmade in India from 100% recycled brass. The detailing is charmingly imperfect. It’s a little sea creature with a lot of personality. Perfect for tossing beach bags on in your closet in Montauk, or in the closet of a kid’s room where a coat hanger is going to be a little too much to ask.
By @maison_midi
six
Lady Face Handmade Solid Brass Wall Hanger
She’s a little haunting, a little beautiful - like something you’d find in a drawer at an estate sale in an artist’s house upstate. The acid-green patina, the sunburst cheeks, the slightly unimpressed expression. Technically a hook, but really more of a tiny wall sculpture that just happens to hold your keys. Extremely affordable to boot.
seven
The Hand And Bamboo Mortice Door Handle
The hand that opens the door. Literally. Soane Britain’s fully operable brass door knob is part surrealist sculpture, part Regency drama, and fully iconic. The bamboo handle is such a good twist - softening the formality just enough. It’s the kind of hardware that makes you pause, then smile, then tell everyone about it.
eight
Cat Door Hinge Topper
This tiny brass cat perches on your door hinge like it owns the place - because of course it does. Hinge toppers are completely unnecessary, but those who notice such things will certainly notice them, which is exactly why I love it. A secret detail, smug and perfect, watching over the hallway like a feline gargoyle.
nine
Sun Metal Curtain Tie-Back Set
Somewhere between tarot deck and ‘70s dead head poster, this little sun is pure serotonin. Brass-toned, slightly smug, and ready to hold back your linen sheers like it’s the easiest job in the world. I love how the sun itself is the main reason we have drapery; and this tie back controlling it’s own light source adds some cosmic drama to that equation.
Urban Outfitters
ten
Vintage Brass Lobster Doorknocker
A little coastal drama, right on your front door. This vintage brass lobster is pure theatre—sculptural claws, a weighty knock, and just the right amount of seaside eccentricity. I love that it’s both slightly menacing and completely charming.
From THE LANAI
Figurative hardware is like jewellery for a space. It isn’t about making a big statement - it’s about the small surprise. The quiet wink. The detail you notice only after living with it for a while, and then can’t imagine the room without. Whether it’s a smug little cat on a hinge or a sun-faced tieback catching the light just right, these pieces remind us that design can be playful, personal, and just a bit odd - in the best possible way.