Stair Rods Designed by Blacksmith

Rodney Brittain, an acclaimed blacksmith from Edmundbyers in Northumberland has designed the new Blacksmith range for Stairrods (UK). Made from solid steel, the rods are individually beaten into shape when hot, left to cool and then given a protective coating to prevent rust.

Some of the earliest ornamental wrought ironwork found in the UK dates back to the Iron Age.  More than two thousand years later wrought iron is still a firm favourite for decorative purposes and used extensively in and outside the home.

Rodney Brittain's simple designs means that the stair rods are equally suited to a rustic, period property as a modern town house and are a perfect example of the continuing tradition of decorative wrought ironwork in the UK. The stair rods would also look great with the Kersaint Cobb Moroccan stair runners we focused on last week.

The rods are available with three simple shapes for the finials - Ball (pictured), Flat and Spear. The stair rods themselves are 12mm in diameter and come in varying lengths.  The brackets are made from matching cast steel, which gives them extra strength and are designed to cater for any thickness of carpet – from thin, flatweave natural flooring to a thick Wilton.

Wrought ironwork is all around us from weather vanes to church railings, ornate door latches to stair spindles, wrought iron furniture to lighting.   Made from either iron or steel, today the term “wrought iron” is used fairly loosely and tends to refer to forged metalwork – both decorative and functional and that's certainly the case for the Blacksmith stair rods as they are suitable for both runners and fitted carpets.

The hand-made Blacksmith stair rods from Stairrods (UK) retail at around £19.00 each including rod, brackets and attaching screws and are available from John Lewis, Harrods and independent carpet retailers.

For more information visit www.stairrods.co.uk