Bridle Hangers
WRITTEN BY ADRIENNE ROMINE
So I’m a recovering horse girl - like, obsession level.
When I was fifteen, I begged my parents to let me attend high school online solely so I could clean stalls on weekdays in exchange for riding lessons. (And they let me - yes, my parents are very cool, but that’s a topic for another blog post.) I cleaned stalls, fed horses, and learned to ride. For most of my youth, I was lovingly referred to as a “barn rat” and the only souvenirs that remain are a dusty saddle in storage and a lingering collection of bridle hooks that hang at HALF HALT headquarters.
bridle hook 101
A bridle hook is a piece of hardware for hanging a bridle or halter on the wall, keeping it untangled and off the floor. There are many variations of the design but there’s a pretty classic metal version sold in tack shops around the country.
Over the years, these $5.95 metal brackets have hung on the walls of my various apartments and offices, always going with me to set up a new space. They are a practical way for me to be nostalgic while keeping my bags and hats tidy.
Seeing these remnants of my past life hanging on the wall served two purposes: one, to remind me of better, horse-filled days, and two, as a placeholder for an idea that stuck with me for years: A desire to redesign the bridle hook.
Cut to 2022
After our ARCHES Collection launched, we were left with a generous stack of half-moon-shaped offcuts. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to solve a waste problem with a design solution.
Every few weeks our entire team comes together for a design day. We bring ideas to the table and spend hours tinkering around with any way we can imagine resolving them. There are no wrong answers and we keep building and pivoting, one idea onto the next version of the last.
This time around the brief was to use the ARCHES offcuts to design a version of the bridle hook. As always, we wanted to keep the design and craftsmanship consistent with the current trajectory of HALF HALT’S design vision + furniture portfolio.
The Design Process
For all of June + July, we threw out ideas, making several prototypes from the offcuts. Our team played with shape + size variations and we all brought every size purse, tote bag and coat to test the hanging ability of the prototypes.
We discussed how it should be used - obviously for hanging things on, but also attaching things to effortlessly. Magnets for keys. We had lengthy discussions about what happens when you walk into your house after a long day and put your things away.
When it came to mounting it to the wall, the mechanism needed to be equal parts easy to install and secure. Many products designed to hang on the wall discreetly hide away mounting brackets, never to be seen. Instead, we integrated the hanging hardware into the design and in doing so, echoed the interwoven pieces of leather that make up a horse bridle.
Our final Bridle Hanger design.
Introducing our Bridle Hangers
Our final design is something we’re truly proud of and a reminder to me that our best work will always come from a place of authenticity, true curiosity, and collaboration.
If you’re ready to take a full look at our new design, pop down to our listing linked below.
Featured below, are our NEW Bridle Hangers. Now found on our website and to Minted.com.
