ABI Interiors Antique Collection

Aged brass is highly desirable in interior design for its warmth, character and sense of history, but traditional living finishes require ongoing maintenance and age unpredictably over time. Existing alternatives, such as lacquered aged brass, acid-washed brass, or electroplated finishes, did not fully resolve the tension between appearance, performance, and long-term reliability. ABI identified a clear market gap: customers wanted the aesthetic and tactile appeal of aged brass, with greater confidence in how the product would look and perform over time. The challenge was to create an antique-inspired finish that captured aged character without continuing to age unpredictably.

ABI developed a proprietary surface preparation process that physically transforms the stainless steel surface before the PVD coating is applied. The team reimagined tumbling, a process traditionally used to create uniformity, as a tool for controlled organic variation. Custom machinery and bespoke ceramic tumbling media were developed to create tonal movement and subtle surface irregularity across the product. Colour development used spectrometer readings to match the warmth and depth of naturally aged brass. More than 2,000 test samples were produced before the final finish was achieved, ensuring the surface character delivered authentic aged appeal without compromising PVD coating performance.

The Antique Collection gives customers, designers and architects a more durable and reliable way to achieve an aged brass aesthetic, reducing the uncertainty typically associated with living finishes or lacquered alternatives. For ABI Interiors, the collection establishes a proprietary finishing capability that differentiates the brand in a competitive category. From a sustainability perspective, the finish is designed for longevity, reducing the likelihood of premature replacement and supporting longer product lifecycles. By creating a finish that captures aged character without continuing to age unpredictably, ABI has introduced a new standard for antique-inspired architectural finishes that is more accessible, predictable and durable.

Proprietary surface preparation process: ABI developed a custom tumbling process using bespoke ceramic media to create controlled organic variation across stainless steel, transforming a method traditionally used for uniformity into one that produces individual character and tonal depth. More than 2,000 test samples: The finish was developed through extensive iterative testing, ensuring surface variation remained intentional and aesthetically consistent without introducing contamination that could compromise PVD coating performance. Colour developed through spectrometry: Antique Aurum was developed using spectrometer readings of aged brass references to accurately capture the warmth, tone and maturity of naturally aged brass. High-performance PVD coating: The proprietary surface process retains all the durability and performance benefits of PVD, including salt spray and linear abrasion resistance aligned with ABI’s existing product range. Lower maintenance than living brass: The finish is designed to maintain its appearance over time without the ongoing care required by natural patina or the degradation risk of lacquered finishes. Compatible across ABI’s existing range: The collection can be applied across ABI’s tapware, accessories and hardware, allowing specifiers to achieve a cohesive antique aesthetic throughout an entire project.