In any artistic endeavor, the quality of the details commands the success of the whole. This prime rule of good design is the key to the popularity of Jacqueline Nicolas Architectural Imported Hardware, a uniquely creative studio in Corona del Mar specializing in distinctive custom and antique door, cabinet, shutter and gate hardware, hinges, lighting fixtures, and bathroom fittings that figure in some of Orange County’s classiest homes.

Jacqueline Nicolas was a busy decorator when she created the hardware company in 1987 to meet the pressing demands of clients, mostly building trade professionals who wanted a source for the beautiful natural aged iron European hardware that distinguished her designs. A frequent traveler to her native France, she had the resources and design expertise to procure original pieces precisely suited for perfecting the looks of Italian traditional, Tuscan, Spanish Revival, and French cottage and castle styles.

Demand became so strong for her exquisitely authentic hardware that in 1994, Nicolas put her decorating business aside and went full-time on the hardware concern by opening the Corona del Mar showroom.

Today, internationally-known J. Nicolas Hardware employs two blacksmiths and a refinisher. Her clients, about 3/4 trade professionals and 1/4 private homeowners, know Nicolas makes one-on-one client commitments to producing the fine detailing in hardware they need for their projects. What she doesn’t find during regular trips to Europe, she can custom-design and fabricate in her shop. The blacksmiths create wonderfully innovative bathroom accessories, pot racks, all UL-approved light fixtures, and more; the finisher is an expert in authentic aged rust over steel, as well as pewter, black antique brass, nickel, and gold finishes.

Many trade professionals regard Nicolas as the “go-to” consultant for such prestigious neighborhoods as Shady Canyon, Cameo Shores, Newport Coast, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and Rancho Santa Fe. She has deep historical knowledge that assures the choice of hardware for the entire home is meticulously authentic to the period. Small though the hardware details may be, they’re the crucial elements that pull entire projects together for total success.