BOLD BRASSWARE & MUTED METALLICS RichardMcGrail


Armac Martin: Craft, Clarity and a Confident Next Chapter


With themarket under pressure and imitation still rife, Armac Martin is doubling down on British manufacturing, new category expansion and a refreshed proposition for its KBB partners, as RichardMcGrail, co-CEO of Armac Martin, tells BKU’sMatt Broughton.


the pressures were clear.He describes a year where “the gap between people’s disposable income and the continued increase in manufacturers’ costs widened”, forcing clients to revise budgets across kitchen and bathroom projects. Against that backdrop,Armac Martinmade a decision that stood out: a significant price decrease across some of itsmost popular products, introduced at the end of the year to support partners and respond to a market increasingly saturated with copies. As Richard explains, the move was notmade


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lightly. “As a British manufacturer that has been making our products in England for 97 years, this was not a decision we made lightly,” he says, adding that the reduction came with no compromise in process or material. “None of our manufacturing processes have changed, nor the quality of the solid brass that our products are made from.” The core of the proposition remains the same, with each product still passing “through the hands of at least 10 craftspeople” at the Birmingham factory. The response, Richard says, has been immediate. “We have already received really positive feedback from our kitchen and bathroom partners,” he notes, and he expects the conversation to continue into 2026 - particularly


or many KBB brands, 2025 was defined by caution - and for Richard,


at KBB Birmingham, where the brand will again have the opportunity to put product quality front and centre.


New categories, new collections While the price move grabbed attention, Armac Martin’s wider story in 2025 was one of steady expansion. Richard points to continued growth in solid brass bathroom accessories, alongside the launch of the company’s debut collection of solid brass electrical switches and sockets. Crucially, these sit within the same 20-finish offering as the cabinet hardware, allowing specifiers to coordinate details across a space rather than mixing metals or compromising on consistency. The business also took a step towards greater


physical presence, joining TheMix by Bert & May - a collaborative showroom space in East London. Richard describes it as “a natural and exciting step”, marking Armac Martin’s first London base, and aligning the brand with other businesses that share a commitment to authentic design and craftsmanship. Product storytelling continues into the details of


its newest launches. Richard highlights Barwick bathroom accessories, introduced at the end of 2025 as an extension of the best-selling Barwick cabinet hardware. Inspiration, he explains, came from Birmingham’s industrial heritage - specifically gin distillery tanks - resulting in “a sophisticated, subtle cylindrical bar” form, with “elegant ribbing


detailing and art deco inspired backplates”. The collection spans practical pieces including toilet roll holders, towel rails, wall hooks and shower door pull handles, all available across the brand’s finish range. Elsewhere, the Whimsical collection has


opened a different kind of design conversation for the business. Created for children’s bedrooms, nurseries and playrooms, it has received what Richard calls “a fantastic response” since launching last autumn. Crafted from lost wax castingsmade from hand-carved moulds, Whimsical is produced in solid bronze and white bronze and celebrates “the perfectly imperfect”, with intricate surface details and textures. With knobs and wall hooks shaped as bows, stars, rockets and clouds, it’s designed to bring personality into spaces that are too often overlooked.


Made in Birmingham - and built to last If there’s a single message Richard wants to reinforce, it’s that manufacturing in Birmingham is not amarketing line - it’s the foundation of the business. “‘Made in Birmingham’ isn’t just a message - it is the very foundation of Armac Martin,” he says, tracing the company back to 1929 and his great grandfather, Harold McGrail. That heritage is not treated as nostalgia. For


Richard, it is the reason the brand has remained consistent in its approach: “authentic, original designs that are timeless and not trend-led”, paired with skilled finishing that is still done by hand. He also notes that Armac Martin encourages showroom and design partners to visit the factory and see the process first-hand - a reminder that craftsmanship, weight and quality are still best understood in person. Looking ahead, 2026 will bring further portfolio expansion, including the launch of Armac Martin’s debut collection of solid brass door hardware, following repeated customer requests. Richard also hints at a larger, multi-category launch later in the year - “an entirely new design direction” that merges art, sculpture and functional product design. For now, KBB Birmingham will be the next


major stage. Richard sees it as a vital moment to reconnect with existing partners, meet new ones, and reinforce the value of original design at a time when, as he puts it, “the UK and Irish markets have been flooded with copies”.


46 BKU MARCH 2026


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