The designer door handles that took a turn for the better

Why take the cheap option when you can go for quality? Caroline Wingfield looks at how the homeowner can still have a touch of architectural class without breaking the bank

For many people, the dream of commissioning an architect to design a house is just that, a fantasy. But just because you can't see a plot of land transformed into your vision of 21st-century living, it doesn't mean you have to compromise on style. It is possible to have a slice of architectural design in the home without getting Sir Norman Foster in with his sketchpad.

One of the classic and most enduring British architect-designed fixtures you can have in your home is Twyford's Barbican sink. Developed in 1962 when Twyford Bathrooms joined forces with the architects of London's Barbican flats, built on a 40-acre bomb site after the Second World War, the hand basin was born out of necessity.

Architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon were faced with the task of fitting a basin in the already small toilets without increasing floor space. Their compact solution is still going strong, and no one has yet found a way to improve the design; it even has an integral loo-roll holder. It makes a neat fixture in a narrow guest bathroom and the fact that it was designed for mass production means that it is competetively priced (from £96). Not bad for a slice of architectural history.

The advantage of having an architect-designed fixture, rather than a bog standard one, is that you can be sure the designer will have given equal importance to form and function. In other words, the item will do the job it was designed for, and do it well.

Arne Jacobsen was the ultimate exponent of functional design. During building of the Royal Hotel Copenhagen between 1956 and 1961, he designed a range of furniture, lamps, textiles and tableware inspired by organic forms. True to the Danish designer's principles, the door handles he created are as functional as they are aesthetic; the ergonomic design fits the hand perfectly.

His other great success in the world of fixtures and fittings was a mixer tap, the KV1, for the Danish manufacturers Vola. Designed in 1961, it was a concept far ahead of its time. By hiding the mechanics, the only visible parts of the tap are the spout and the handles, a much-copied design. Both designs were so successful that 40 years on they're still selling strong.

As with buying a beautiful piece of furniture or one-off artwork, there is a certain thrill to be had in opening your bedroom door with an Arne Jacobsen handle or filling the kettle from his taps. And for those buyers in the know it will add considerable appeal and let's face it, snob value, to your property. But isn't it ridiculously expensive?

Gary Williams, of Williams Ironmongery, which markets and distributes the Jacobsen door handles in the UK, says: "In relative terms, if you're comparing it to what you can get at B&Q, yes, it is, extremely. But if you look at it in relation to items of furniture designed by architects, say a Le Corbusier chair, then it is, in fact, relatively cheap." A pair of Jacobsen door handles will set you back £60.

Jacobsen is not the only architect to agree with Mies van der Rohe's statement that "God is in the details". Antonio Gaudi, the architect whose distinctive style defined the look of Barcelona, also ventured into the world of door furniture, with typically distinctive results. These are now produced by BD Barcelona, from £65 (in brass) to £109 (silver plated). More recently Sir Norman Foster, David Chipperfield, Ron Arad, Renzo Piano, Richard Maier and Aldo Rossi have all designed door handles with their signature precision. Italian company Fusital produces designs by Foster and Piano, for example, which are sold through Williams Ironmongery and cost from £50 a pair to £200.

At the top end of the price range, you'd be forgiven for thinking the main audience would be commercial. So who is buying them? Williams says: "It's mainly architects for their own houses, or genned-up members of the public who have friends who are architects." As you might expect, you won't find these items at the local DIY superstore, so insider knowledge is the key. Williams rightly points out: "The man in the street may have heard of Sir Norman Foster, but has no idea he's designed door handles."

Williams Ironmongery (0121 550 7970), Vola UK Ltd (01296 655 725), Twyford Bathrooms (01270 879777), BD Barcelona enquiries Paul Hemsley (020 8998 4806)