The Oasis Collection: A Sophisticated Collaboration
by Jennifer Walton
The mindful and lush exploration of architecturally distinct shapes and historical references is channeled and evidenced in the powerful collaboration between Rocky Mountain Hardware and RAMSA (formally known as Robert A. M. Stern Architects).
When the Idaho-born, premier manufacturer of solid-bronze architectural hardware met the internationally-celebrated architectural firm, they conceived their iconic statement with the Oasis Collection, which consists of 13 inimitable forms for doors and cabinetry that can be showcased singularly or as a group.
Both entities approach bespoke design and craftsmanship with diverse backgrounds, yet each reflects the fluidity between architecture and architecturally designed hardware. This debut blends the classic with the organic, the ebb and flow of the eternal and the natural.
“We wanted to create a collection that was different from what people may expect,” says Lawrence Chabra, RAMSA Interiors Studio Director and Associate. The Kennet exemplifies this relationship with its cabinet knob, pull, and grip. “Several of the pieces feature a slice with a continuous form,” explains Chabra. “We wanted to take something predictable but add a gesture to turn it on its head.”
“Rocky Mountain Hardware’s experience and exceptionally skilled team were key to our successful collaboration creating this high-touch collection, as was their meticulous execution.”
––Lauren Kruegel Siroky, RAMSA Interiors Design Director, and Senior Associate
That feeling is echoed and tangible in the door handles and knobs, Ophelia and Portia, which resemble sensual pieces of art with their dreamy curves. While the Flora and Madeline knobs, wildly different in their appeal to their user’s shape preference, epitomize the essence of originality. The former, round and candid, the latter, a luscious-shaped nubble. All embody the spirit of luxury. “The result is a sculptural collection that juxtaposes the structural quality of doors and millwork with the inventiveness and craftsmanship of jewelry, featuring design elements that are similar to gem cutting,” Chabra adds.
Rocky Mountain Hardware, with its prominent and signature aesthetic in artisan hardware, and RAMSA, with its unparalleled reputation in architecture’s global history, represent a shared story that defines the connection to our homes. Home is where we decide how we want to feel, what we want to see, hear, and touch, as well as how we choose to live and what we choose to live with. Our homes are just one of the investments we make in our lives to live well, and when they express our identities, we radiate our authentic selves. By applying this approach, we live more happily surrounded by a vision of our curation.
The Oasis Collection is imbued with that sentiment as bronze becomes its own character through the design elements. For example, the Oasis passage set with Raleigh levers is a testimony to the indelible tactile properties when experts translate a traditional design with clarity and beauty.
“Rocky Mountain Hardware’s experience and exceptionally skilled team were key to our successful collaboration creating this high-touch collection, as was their meticulous execution,” says Lauren Kruegel Siroky, RAMSA Interiors Design Director and Senior Associate. “The end result is a versatile collection that is both unexpected and delicate.”
The Oasis Collection elicits another magical moment in Rocky Mountain Hardware’s near 30-year history and RAMSA’s 52-year history of creating impeccable objects that clearly identify the harmony when generational artisanal methods and design excellence meet. “Our Oasis Collection boasts the utmost levels of craftsmanship and architectural detail and is also a true representation of our artistic capabilities,” states Christian Nickum, president of Rocky Mountain Hardware.
