About JWL
A company that started on the West coast of Canada, residing in Vancouver BC, JWL has shaped its design philosophy around the fast moving pace of a modern city that embraces new ideas. Form following function is paramount, our mantra being, ‘it has to work’. Conceptual designs take inspiration from our built environment. How to take something as fundamental as a handle and make it better is our motivation and passion. We strive for the subtle details that come together in a finished product that is not only pleasing to look at but will last.
Approach
Our approach to designing cabinet hardware and door handles stems from a history of working in the field of interior design, specifically in firms that specialize in residential home design. Seeing a need for an elegant but durable finish on areas of the home that take the most wear and tear became clearly obvious. Adding a clean lined contemporary aesthetic to a handle design that encompasses this mandate for durability brought the JWL product line to fruition.
From an environmental standpoint, JWL recognizes that having high quality, beautifully designed and well constructed hardware in your home will negate the need to replace inferior hardware prematurely. Our brushed and polished finishes highlight the natural beauty of the material. Only the pure natural properties of stainless steel continually reveal themselves over decades of use. Our coated finishes are rigorously tested to ensure longevity. Providing an architectural contemporary design criteria to this high level of craftsmanship ensures that JWL hardware will stand the test of time. Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, making it a clear choice for use as our base metal in all of our handles.
Process
Our process is rooted with the understanding that a beautiful well built product will not need to be replaced and it always begins with a sketch. Either on an afternoon coffee shop napkin or an evening cocktail napkin, pen to paper is still where it all starts. Taking a concept sketch further with 3D CAD modelling and rapid prototyping helps to develop each concept into a working model. Once a design has us excited enough to actually mount the 3D printed models in our own home as placeholders for the finished product we know it’s time to manufacture. JWL goes through a lengthy process of screening fabricators that strictly adhere to our quality standards and that are ethically sound in their manufacturing processes. We’ve built long term relationships all throughout the process from initial concept to satisfied customer.
