STORIES
Why we're proud to be a new company in the brassware industry
Studio Ore started in 2017. So we’re proud to be a new brassware company in an industry so rooted in family history. To be able to call brands like Waterworks, Vola, Gessi, and Samuel Heath our competitors. European houses and family businesses that have been around for decades. They’ve got strong heritages and huge workshop floors. We don’t have the history. But we think that’s what makes us exciting. Especially as there hasn’t been a new independent tap brand in the last 30 years, apart from us. Because we’re newer, we can do things our way.
We’re not saying we're better; we’re just different. We are all companies that understand the importance of long-lasting products. Waterworks’ designs have stood the test of time. And are found in some of the most beautiful homes around the world. Vola hasn’t fundamentally changed its designs since 1968, which is saying something. The brand has led the way in modern tap design, and maintained strong Danish quality. Then there’s Gessi, with its boundary-pushing tapware, some designs acting like pieces of jewellery. It's experimental. And well made. Lastly, Samuel Heath. A British heritage brand since 1820. Operating from the same brass foundry for 200 years. Its designs age well. And we’re fans.
We started because we saw a gap. An opportunity for something new. A niche for industrial-looking taps with a living finish. Fittings that respond to today’s trends. It wasn’t easy to get here. Building a brassware company today is a monumental task. We’ve done it from scratch. Getting finishes right, repetition, building teams. Doing the unglamorous work for years before the brand has any weight. But now we’ve made it, and we can say that we’re authentic. We’ve done things our way, so we can work directly with you. The architect, designer or homeowner.
And we’ll always work like this. When you buy our products, it’s always on a personal level. Our specialists talk to you about your projects in detail. We’ll invite you to come and see us, or even come to you if it's helpful. Sometimes this level of communication can get lost with the heritage brands. They’ve grown beyond being able to do it anymore. Relying on third party distributors, where the personal touch isn't there.
Those that know us like us because they want something no one else has. Precision engineered taps in our style. Our specialty finishes, living or lacquered. Our aesthetic is what sets us apart. Our design approach is rigorous. And we started out wanting to make genuinely beautiful things. Everything at Studio Ore is deliberate.
We’re also proud that we have nothing to hide in our production process. Nothing is outsourced to faraway shores. Which we think is an important consideration when specifying brassware. To know where what you’re buying comes from. And how it’s actually made. Our making happens on our own terms. Never mass-produced. Designed in Britain, made in our facility on Lake Orta, in northern Italy (which was actually the natural home for metal shops back in the day. Makers used to cast church bells here). All of our pieces are made to order, hand-finished by us.
We’ll have our own heritage story one day. But for now we’re happy being new in the industry. Doing what we do best: working directly with you. And designing beautiful brass fittings.
