In an exclusive collaboration with Lutron, Focus SB has created an extensive line of accessories finished to pair with its distinctive Alisse Keypads.
Showcased by Lutron at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) and at Decorex in 2022, the high quality, innovative Alisse Keypad accessories range was displayed by Focus SB at Decorex 2023 and captured the attention of interior designers visiting the adjacent Lutron stand, where visitors could experience high-end design lighting control and shading systems solutions. The 'Alisse accessories by Focus SB' range offers a sophisticated finish palette from the Lutron Signature Metal Collection and is exclusive to the Alisse family of luxury wall controls.
The complementary range of Alisse accessories include power sockets and data outlets finished in-house by Focus SB. 'Alisse accessories by Focus SB' are handcrafted in a selection of Lutron’s Signature Metal finishes including Aged Brass, Aged Bronze, Brushed Brass, Satin Nickel and Bright Chrome finishes, creating the perfect complement to Alisse Keypads, and can be ordered directly from Focus SB.
Focus SB creates desirable faceplate and light switch designs and finishes using a blend of traditional artisan crafts combined with cutting-edge technology, complemented by years of in-house experience and investment in sustainable manufacturing processes and technology. All components are manufactured and expertly finished in-house across the company's three sites in East Sussex.
The Alisse accessories engineering process sees solid naval brass ingots machined into blanks before faceplate apertures are precision machined using cutting edge technology for exact component fit. The faceplate, including edges, are pre-finished for a flawless final finish. Specially turned 'stepped head' screws are manufactured for a perfectly flush fit on installation.
Focus SB's head of strategic partnerships, Duncan Ray said: “It has always been important to offer our clients different solutions for continuity of finish. Working closely with other manufacturers and suppliers to deliver this vision is key and we are delighted to collaborate with Lutron on finishes for this second exciting product range, following the successful launch of the Palladiom Bespoke Metals collection for Lutron Homeworks QS Wired Palladiom.”
Mr Ray continued: “The new suite of ‘Alisse accessories by Focus SB’ is available to complement the Alisse family of wall controls and further demonstrates Focus SB as the partner of choice by high end brands specified in global luxury construction”.
Download the brochure at Focus SB's website and contact the company for further information.
About Focus SB Ltd
Established for over 40 years in East Sussex, Focus SB’s award winning in-house manufacturing and metal finishing expertise presents designers with a comprehensive collection of switches, sockets and components complemented by bespoke project services. Quality faceplate styles made from the finest solid brass and durable stainless steel offer striking solutions for high-end hospitality, prime residential, heritage and commercial interiors. Working closely with design consultants, control system companies and fire and security specialists, Focus SB’s unrivalled ability to match metal finishes across its collection, coupled with custom finish options, sees the company’s products specified for world class projects internationally.
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Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited British luxury electrical accessories manufacturer Focus SB on Wednesday 22nd November 2023 where she formally presented the managing director Gary Stevens with The King’s Award for Enterprise crystal trophy for the company’s achievement in the international trade category.
The Princess Royal arrived at Focus SB’s main factory in St Leonards on Sea on 22nd November and was welcomed by Mr Graham Peters, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex who presented her to distinguished guests Mr Richard Bickersteth, High Sheriff of East Sussex; Councillor Peter Pragnell, Chairman of East Sussex County Council and Councillor Margi O’Callaghan, Mayor of Hastings before Mr Gary Stevens MD welcomed Her Royal Highness and invited her into the building where he presented The Princess Royal to some of Focus SB’s senior management team: Mr Roger Kemp, recently retired company chairman and owner; guest Mrs Suzi Baker, PR and social media consultant; Mr Mark Curtis, technical manager; Mr Duncan Ray, head of strategic partnerships; guest Mrs Andrea Randall-Smith, CEO of Little Gate Supported Employment and Mr Chris Turner, general manager Focus SB.
The Princess Royal was then invited on a tour of the factory by Mr Chris Turner, flanked by Mr Gary Stevens, during which she was given electrical accessories product manufacturing process demonstrations by each departmental group, introduced by Mrs Jo Cloute, HR and customer aftercare manager; Mrs Val Chandler, assembly manager; Mr Andrew Lanworn, finance manager and company secretary; Mr Steve Moss, sales and marketing Manager; Mr Rob Little, operations support manager and Mrs Terri Hoey, sales office manager. Demonstrations included both traditional and robot technology, hand finishing including spray painting and component hand assembly. Her Royal Highness greeted employees from each department, including apprentices and trainees from Little Gate Supported Employment, after which she proceeded to one end of the factory where all staff were assembled for a formal presentation of the King’s Award for Enterprise trophy to Mr Gary Stevens introduced by Mr Andrew Blackman, Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex.
The Lord-Lieutenant welcomed the attending guests and invited The Princess Royal to give a short speech of congratulations and present The King’s Award for Enterprise engraved crystal winner trophy to Mr Gary Stevens, who accepted the award on behalf of Focus SB, giving a short speech of thanks. He then invited Mrs Terri Hoey, sales office manager, to present Her Royal Highness with gifts comprising a Sussex Trug containing a beautiful floral arrangement of locally grown flowers from Sussex Cutting Garden, part of the Flowers from the Farm organisation which champions British flowers (growers in the group supplied cut flowers to the florist chosen for The King’s coronation) presented with honey from a beehive sponsored by Focus SB at SW Honey Farms and a wreath of flowers grown and handmade by the trainees at Little Gate Farm. Sussex Cutting Garden also provided an attractive floral arrangement to decorate the company’s reception area for the occasion.
Gary Stevens then invited The Princess Royal back to Focus SB’s reception to unveil a commemorative plaque manufactured in-house by the company to mark her visit. Design industry guests joining Focus SB to share in this prestigious moment for the company included Mr Grant Pierrus, Interior Style Hunter and Mrs Sophie Harper, Editor Hospitality Interiors magazine who delighted in joining Mr Stevens and Focus SB employees in celebrating this very special occasion.
Mr Stevens commented: “It was an absolute honour to host HRH The Princess Royal at our factory in Hastings yesterday and to receive our King’s Award from her. I think she spoke to virtually every member of staff and was very knowledgeable. What a year for Focus SB and me personally, getting to meet The King, a Princess and a Duchess!”
Gary Stevens continues: “We were delighted to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to Focus SB to present us with our King’s Awards for Enterprise for International Trade trophy in person. This visit rounds off one of the most exciting years in the company’s history.”
“It’s a huge honour for an SME based in Hastings to have the recognition of The King’s Awards, one of the most prestigious awards a company can be bestowed, but in addition to that, meeting The King at Buckingham Palace and then to have a visit from The Princess Royal is a huge boost and reward for every single employee at Focus SB, without whom, none of this would have been possible. I have been in manufacturing of electrical products all of my career and I started off as a 16-year-old technical apprentice and have worked my way through various businesses from technical to marketing, sales and general management and I have been an MD of two manufacturing companies, including currently with Focus SB.”
Mr Stevens concludes: “I am passionate about manufacturing and introducing more young people into manufacturing and encouraging them to take up apprenticeships, I would like to think that we are doing our bit here at Focus SB by working with local educational establishments, employment agencies and local charities to fulfil that goal, and that my own journey can act as a beacon for those young people who may be thinking about a career in manufacturing and what can be achieved. After all, manufacturing accounts for 2.6 million jobs in the UK and we are the 8th largest manufacturing country in the world!”
About Focus SB
The Ambassador Wall Light is an exclusive design collaboration between the artisans at Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard and Focus SB’s in-house technical engineers and finishing experts, offering a striking addition to the British premium electrical manufacturer’s extensive suite of hospitality products.
Complemented by three metal finish options comprising Jordan bronze, satin and antique brass this industry-first collaboration from Focus SB in partnership with Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard offers luxury interior designers unique handcrafted bedside lighting pieces in attractive clear, smoked and reeded glass shade options.
The glass shade details of each Ambassador Wall Light are cut by hand using traditional techniques (a ruler and glass knife) and bonded by hand at Gwyn’s Chesterfield studio. Edges are arrised (smoothed) by hand. The long thin rectangular glass shades are complemented by an attractive Tubular Gold Flex LED filament dimmable lamp.
Established by founder and Director Jeff Fuller in 2013 The Light Yard was rebranded in 2020 to underscore the company’s artisanal offering with Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard producing light fittings for numerous commercial and residential projects in the UK, Europe and North America. Introduced to Raymond Blanc OBE at the 2019 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard was invited to provide the lighting design including bespoke interior and exterior pieces for his botanical-themed Chelsea pop up restaurant Jardin Blanc in 2021.
Offering superior solutions for exceptional project design and finish continuity detail, the Ambassador Wall Light sees Focus SB leading its industry in the design and manufacture of striking luxury hospitality products.
Interior designers who visited Decorex stand A74 would have been able to view the beautifully handcrafted Ambassador Wall Light from this exquisite new lighting collection featuring a smoked shade, lamp with spiral LED filament by Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard, paired with a quality metal plate finished in-house in Jordan bronze by Focus SB; and the company's debut of its exceptional design-first flat screwless range with distinctive square corners in solid brass, RENAISSANCE.
View information and an Ambassador Wall Light inspiration image gallery in the Design Collaborations section at Focus SB’s website.
Focus SB® unveils a high quality low profile solid brass flat screwless plate featuring distinctive square corner detail entitled Renaissance, an evolution of a classic design and unrivalled on the luxury electrical hardware market.
Modern and crafted to last in-house from highest specification recycled solid brass, Renaissance products are available in bespoke sizes. The attractive low profile solution is achieved by cleverly conceived pocketed, clip and divot design details to the rear of the plate with hidden fixings for a superior flush electrical installation. Precisely machined switch and socket aperture details and craftsmanship are reinforced by reverse pressing blank brass plates for sharper edges, hand polished for consistent high quality.
A finishes palette comprises ‘Ochre’, ‘Sienna’, ‘Roma’ and ‘Umber’, with ‘Canvas’ offering primed and bespoke colour coated solutions for design story continuity. Plates are sprayed with matt lacquer in-house to retain lustre. Unbranded socket inserts and a lack of visible screws offer a minimalist design aesthetic.
Managing Director Focus SB, Gary Stevens says: "When I set our in-house technical design team the Renaissance brief in 2021, I knew it would be challenging because what I wanted didn’t exist! The concept was to design a true flat screwless plate with square corners, rather than a formed, or dished plate, or one that sits inside a frame in two pieces, or sits on a visible plastic frame, like the majority of available products on the market."
“I also wanted the ability to create bespoke sizes because that will be a prerequisite for most high end residential or hospitality projects. The team set about designing and trialling various solutions, taking inspiration from traditional and modern architecture, and the result is Renaissance, the rebirth of a classic design. A product like no other on the luxury market today – a true work of art.”
Available for projects in Hong Kong, the Middle East and the UK.
Focus SB® is an award winning innovative British manufacturer renowned for the design, development and specialist hand finishing of premium electrical wiring accessories, blending traditional artisan techniques with the latest technology; specified for world class hospitality and leisure resorts, prime residential developments, heritage buildings, royal residences, superyachts and commercial projects both domestically and internationally.
Chosen for the British electrical accessories manufacturer's broad range of distinctive products and in-house manufacturing, testing and finishing capabilities complemented by bespoke services, premium switches and sockets brand Focus SB's Horizon Square faceplate style has been selected by the global interior designers at Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) for this striking high-end residential and hospitality mixed-use project. All products are to be delivered in a sustainable product packaging solution tailored to the luxury property development by Focus SB's design and engineering team.
The £470M Aspen at Consort Place development from Hong Kong Far East Consortium (FEC) is designed by architect Pilbrow & Partners and at 80,000 sq m features London’s newest skyscrapers in Canary Wharf. The taller east tower out of the 65 and 35 storey towers being built by main contractor Midgard is to be known as Aspen and is set to become an impressive landmark on the London skyline.
Aspen will comprise 495 contemporary apartments, a health centre and four star international hotel Dorsett Aspen at Consort Place Canary Wharf offering 231 guest rooms, a restaurant, cafe, gym, conference facility, sky bar, terrace and a specialist retail space. The development is set to complete in 2023.
Designers can contact Focus SB to book a product presentation with a regional business development manager or to register their interest in receiving a 24hr exclusive lookbook preview by email of an industry first luxury product which launched on March 31st!
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Focus SB, a leading international premium electrical accessories brand presents its debut collection of innovative traditional style control switches, featuring low voltage technology.
Developed to meet demand from luxury smart home integrators and IoT technology and design consultants, the attractive push button Control switches by Focus SB can be configured in a variety of ways to suit functions required, whether programmed for lighting and shading controls or used with inline dimming packs, and can be finished to match across one of the widest ranges of electrical wiring accessories available in the luxury construction markets in UK, China and the Middle East today.
Designed to allow space for several switches on one faceplate, the ‘Control switches by Focus SB’ collection, handcrafted and finished in the UK, offers a proprietary system interface solution with a traditional aesthetic. Compatible with inline dimmers, lighting controls and home automation, with the advantage of providing a low voltage option available in component form and LED indicator switch options, Focus SB’s control switches offer flexibility and style for multi-function programming including audio, selection of lighting scenes, turning lights on and off when entering or leaving a property, raising or dimming lights, opening and closing blinds, curtains and shutters.
Available as complete products or in button, grid and plate component form, with the option to include LED switch functionality and custom text via the company’s in-house bespoke laser marking service, designers can choose up to four circular or square buttons on a single and a maximum of eight buttons on twin vertical or horizontal plates, offering a simple to use smart solution with the convenience of configuration flexibility paired with a superior finish.
Showcasing unparalleled craftsmanship, Focus SB’s modern control switches are manufactured from high quality metal base materials and offer the same functionality solutions as the company’s innovative retractive (momentary action) switches. The control switches can be finished to match across the company's electrical accessories products enabling designers to complement metal accents and hardware throughout an interior scheme.
Offered with Classic and True Edge faceplate styles as standard, this latest collection from Focus SB features smaller terminals better suited to low voltage control cables, with LED indicator programmable options in red, green and blue that work independently from the switches, and a voltage (V) terminal to enable selection of the system voltage with OFF (20-48V) and ON (5-20V).
Unique to the Focus SB luxury brand every component is designed, manufactured, tested, finished and hand assembled in-house by the company’s experienced engineers and artisans in East Sussex, UK.
Contact Focus SB for more information, request 2022 brochures, or to enquire about the company's bespoke product presentation and project support services.
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