The issue with a lot of ‘functional’ products—such as extractor fan grills—is that they often don’t look very aesthetically pleasing. Surprisingly though, it often just takes a little bit of thought to ensure that style and substance sit side-by-side.
Form or function? Depending on which side of the industrial design fence you sit you may have a different opinion as to which of these is more important. There are, however, a cadre of New Zealand manufacturers who believe that neither needs to be sacrificed to the other. “Just because something has to be functional, it doesn’t mean it also has to be ugly,” says Director, Tiffiny Hodgson, referring to the company’s range of extractor fan grills.
The range in question is manufactured by New Zealand company, Unihatch, and is, says Tiffiny, one of the few product lines that Halliday + Baillie doesn’t oversee production of. “The journey to creating the range began 10 years ago. At that time we saw a gap in the market for an attractive metal ventilation grill and so we set out to design and manufacture a range of vents for high-end residential and commercial applications.
Halliday + Baillie: products that stand the test of time
“Halliday + Baillie has worked hard over the past two-plus decades to build a reputation as a trusted brand supplying quality, New Zealand-made products and that extends to this range,” says Tiffiny.
Unihatch Owner and Director, Sean Bullard adds: “They’re also really popular with contractors because, thanks to the square edge, they sit flush with the ceiling plane, which makes the whole installation process easier.
“They are available in a range of standard-size square, rectangular and circular models and with standard spigot size—150mm for residential and 20mm for commerical —that are designed to work with industry-standard duct work.”
Sean says the grills are suited for use in bathrooms and laundries and the design, with its negative detail, provides a nice, architectural touch. “Being a metal product, it is more expensive than the generic plastic options, but then you get what you pay for. The frameless feature does allow for clients to colour match the central plate after purchase to create a truly seamless look, while the framed version is popular with people renovating older homes.”
Learn more about the range of frameless or framed ventilation grills available for your next wet-area project.
View the full original article from Archipro 28th October 2021 here.
