Richly Decorated Massive Blacksmith Railing (BA43)

BA43 is massive and full of blacksmith detail: diagonal lattice, forged leaves, rivets, studs and floral motifs on a balcony of red brick.

Every detail is finished to the highest standard.

A frame, a lattice and a medallion

BA43 has a strongly drawn structural frame and a central medallion placed on the axis of the balcony. Between the top and bottom rails, a diagonal lattice forms the background, enriched with forged leaves, rivets, studs and floral motifs, and everything is arranged symmetrically around the centre. In the photo the railing crowns a balcony of red brick, where the dark steel and the gilded accents of the medallion stand out clearly.

Visual weight under control

With this much detail, a railing could easily overwhelm the facade. The solution is proportion: the frame is heavy enough to contain the ornament, the lattice keeps the background calm, and the richest elements are concentrated in the middle. The mass of the steel follows from controlled sections, not from random thickening, and the joints are made to keep the whole railing stiff.

Riveting outdoors

Rivets are not only decorative. On an outdoor railing, a riveted lattice holds its crossings mechanically, so there are no long welds where corrosion could start under the paint. After assembly the railing is hot-dip galvanized, which coats the inside of every joint, and then painted and gilded.

We make balcony railings like BA43 to the exact width of the balcony and the style of the house; more ideas can be found with our hand-forged railings.

The medallion in the centre is a good place for a personal touch: a monogram, the year the house was built or a small coat of arms can replace the floral motif.

Frame thickness and field width

For balconies with a lot of detail, the first decision is the relation between the width of the infill field and the thickness of the frame. With a massive structure, a clear top edge and a stable base keep the visual weight from dominating the facade, and an accent on the axis of the balcony gives the composition a clear centre. Railings of this mass go especially well with facades of clinker brick or stone.