Zetteler Films: Studio Ore

“You might see small imperfections in each product. But that is what we wanted to create. Finished by hand means that it has to be finished by hand. We are all human.”

Based in the bucolic surrounds of Ashdown Forest in Sussex, Studio Ore designs, makes and hand-finishes brass taps and bathroom fittings. To confess, we’d never been excited about taps until Studio Ore came along. However, thanks to a combination of the elegant industrial design, material honesty and the evolving nature of its products, we’d happily wax lyrical about Studio Ore taps all day.

The company was founded almost by accident. Inspired by a love of aged Victorian bath taps – and the lack of no modern design equivalent – founder Daniel Lee made the very first Studio Ore taps for his own (somewhat dreamy) home back in 2015. The interior-design world was quick to pick up on his creation and it wasn’t long before commissions started bounding in.

Studio Ore specialises in unlacquered brass, which means that, over time, the product’s colours will mature, the natural pattern will evolve, and a patina will develop. “It is a very unusual product because once you’ve actually installed it, that product continues to develop,” says Daniel in the film produced by Zetteler. “When you first take it [the product] out of the box, it is probably never ever going to look like that again.”