This Designer Thinks Most Hardware Is Too Large, So She Designed the Antidote

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Living in a rental can have its bright spots. For Leanne Kilroy, an interior designer and the founder of London-based Good Bones, there were four in her former home: a group of old, perforated tin pendants hanging in the kitchen. “The way the light would play through the perforations and bounce off the wall was pure magic,” says Kilroy, who tried to find the exact vintage shades for “years and years” before giving up—and deciding to make them herself instead. Her first collaboration with UK lighting brand Plank, inspired by those very perforated lights, sold out when it was released earlier this year. Today, she’s bringing the whole line stateside along with a collection of complementary hardware designs.

“Practical scale and design elements, mixed with beautiful shapes and no visible screws, make pieces that will stand the test of time,” says the designer. In a world with lots of lights and pulls to choose from, here’s exactly what makes both collections so balanced and unique.

Whimsical & Functional Light

When light slips through a tiny perforation, it creates a pinpoint on the other side; multiply that times many and you get an effect that casts an ephemeral sparkle on any surface nearby. Combined with wide open sections, Kilroy’s designs cast captivating shapes across the wall. But they aren’t just accents: The Aster can be used as a spotlight or flush mount, while the Stella swings on a hinge to provide customizable task lighting. All of them will infuse a room with personality during the day, and intrigue by night.

“We tried many iterations to get the perforations to be just the right size and placement, and in the end I think we nailed it,” Kilroy says. “Even the Aster, which has no shade, plays with the way light hits the multi-faceted metal base and bounces off.” Golf ball–sized globe bulbs are recommended to fit inside the fixtures, or you can experiment with how a capped bulb changes the shape of the light.

Classic & Playful Motifs

One shape that comes up in both collections is a raised, 8-point star that can be found on both the Aster light and Cecilia backplate. It’s a common motif in traditional metalwork, and Kilroy likes it most for the way it “bounces light in the most beautiful way” when the Aster is on. Other recurring shapes in the collections that draw on vintage designs include jewel, shield, teardrop, and several undulating lines—each of them combining crisp edges and rounded silhouettes with unexpected points.

The balance is what makes the pieces feel so timeless and, especially in the case of the hardware, touchable. “When working with metal, especially polished metal which can appear sharp and striking, I really like to balance it with an element of softness,” Kilroy says.

Delicate & Durable Craftsmanship

All of the hardware is designed to feel soft in hand, with no sharp edges—both for aesthetic appeal but also so it won’t hurt if someone bumps into them. “The pieces are designed to fit into the normal chaotic routines of a busy home, adding beauty and functionality without getting in the way,” says Kilroy, who deliberately made them smaller than most knobs and pulls on the market. “Maybe there’s an idea that bigger is better,” she muses, “but I think more subtle pieces allow for more personality—and more flexibility in how they are used.” For example, she recommends replacing one long drawer handle with two handles, two swing pulls, or two knobs. With their diminutive size, they won’t ever overpower a room and can look right at home on traditional Shaker cabinets or more contemporary flat fronts.

This delicacy extends to the engineering of certain pieces, too. The Drop Pull and Swing Pull are both equipped with an invisible stop that prevents them from swinging back onto, and potentially damaging, the cabinet door or drawer front where they are mounted. “They swing freely and then (very satisfyingly) stop short of the furniture behind,” Kilroy explains with pride. It’s easy to imagine how living with these pieces—dainty in hand, sculptural on the wall, soft to the touch, and enchanting when the sun goes down—actually improves the experience of living in a house.