P.E. Guerin Architectural Hardware
Reviving the past and designing for the future
Greenwich Village in New York City is known predominantly for its bohemian, artistic vibe. There’s always the possibility of seeing a celebrated actor or actress pop up in one of the popular cafés or restaurants. But there’s a real sense of history in The Village of which many are not aware. It has been the home of P.E. Guerin’s foundry since 1892, where metalworkers have heated and shaped fine architectural hardware for businesses and homes since the namesake founder opened the company’s doors when he emigrated from Brittany, France, to the U.S.
The foundry serves trade professionals—interior designers and architects—who are working on luxury residential and commercial projects across the country. The company manufactures both inventoried and bespoke brass hardware for cabinetry, doors, windows, kitchens, baths, and all of the details that make a house a home, such as customized switch plates, brackets, finials, carpet rods and much more. The Wren is proud to facilitate custom orders for its clients directly from the historic NYC foundry, where each order is kiln-fired and meticulously handcrafted by P.E. Guerin’s 55 metalworkers.
Skilled artisans use traditional techniques—the same since the company’s founding—to produce brass work based on more than 50,000 patterns from its archives. “We cast, machine, file and plate—all in-house,” says Martin Grubman of P.E. Guerin. “We have the same quality as we did in the mid-1800s. Our differentiator in the industry is our ability to bring the old-world methods into the modern age. We chase our hardware, refining items and adding intricate details by hammering the front, lifting and curving the metal by hand. The only other place you can get this process is Paris.” The metalworkers sand-cast items, a process that has been used for centuries and requires a high level of skill to refine the hardware into exactly what a customer wants the finished piece to look like.
While P.E. Guerin’s roots are in designing and producing 18th century French and English hardware, the company’s products represent all types of design styles, from traditional to mid-century modern to contemporary. “We’re such an old company that when we reproduce an 18th century hardware design, it’s usually one of our own original designs,” Grubman says.
P.E. Guerin also makes lighting and furniture, a continuation from its origins when brass works were sold in dry goods stores. “We used to produce for Tiffany & Company and all of the great 19th century furniture makers,” Grubman adds.
P.E. Guerin’s work can be seen in museums nationwide as well as in significant historic and modern buildings. The foundry designed hardware for 111 West 57th Street in New York City back when it was Steinway’s headquarters. In more modern times, P.E. Guerin created the hardware for new condos in the building when it was recently renovated. “We completed the projects in the same building in the 1920s and 2020s,” says Grubman. “Not many companies can say that; there are so few companies that are around that long and that remain in the same family.”
P.E. Guerin’s artisans have designed custom hardware for many notable projects throughout history, including Henry Ford’s house, the White House, and Edison Phonograph Works. “Name a titan of industry or finance, and we have probably designed hardware for their home or business,” Grubman says.
“We only add the finest artisans of bespoke home products into our portfolio,” says Lori Bate, founder of The Wren. “P.E. Guerin is an exquisite hardware company. Through its partnership with us, we are able to bring their artisan hardware ‘jewelry’ into our clients’ homes.”
