What Corston does

Corston Ltd. is a privately held British manufacturer of premium architectural hardware, electrical wiring accessories, and lighting, founded in September 2019 by a small team of product and digital designers from the interiors industry. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures solid brass switches, sockets, dimmers, door and cabinet hardware, window furniture, and a full lighting range (pendants, wall, bathroom, garden, spotlights, picture lights, bedside, and table lamps) in-house at its purpose-built Wiltshire headquarters and a Chicago workshop. Its flagship product differentiators include 2mm-thick clear switch plates that blend into wall finishes, anti-flicker dimmer engineering, hand-blown glass shades using standard replaceable bulbs, and a lifetime guarantee across all products. All items are offered in three signature finishes (antique brass, bronze, polished nickel) plus clear and paintable collections to support cohesive whole-home specification.

The business operates a dual go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce at corston.com with 13 physical showrooms across the UK (Malmesbury HQ, two London locations), France (Paris, Nice), Spain (Barcelona, Madrid), Germany (Munich), the USA (Los Angeles, New York, Dallas), and the UAE (Dubai), supported by warehouses in Wiltshire and Poland. A dedicated trade programme targets interior designers, architects, hoteliers, and developers with project support, dedicated account management, and trade pricing; named hospitality customers include Hyll Hotel, The Vices, Langdon Court, and the Coal Exchange Hotel's Aura Bar. Pricing is unit-based at premium levels (£27-£178 for individual switches/sockets), with revenue derived from one-time product sales, custom engraving services, and restoration kits.

Corston is founder-owned and bootstrapped with no disclosed external equity or parent company. The company places material emphasis on sustainability, using 67% recycled plastic (up from 9% in 2023), 26 tonnes of recycled brass offcuts in 2025, 91+ MWh of solar generation, and DHL GoGreenPlus shipping. It earned the Judge.me Diamond Verified Reviews status (4,171 reviews, 4.88/5) and won a debut award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025. Geographic expansion accelerated materially in early 2025 with launches in the UAE and United States.

Name

Corston

Legal name

Corston Ltd.

Website

https://corston.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Corston Ltd. is a UK-founded, privately held premium manufacturer of solid brass architectural hardware, switches, sockets, and lighting, serving homeowners, interior designers, architects, hoteliers, and developers through direct e-commerce, 13 global showrooms, and a dedicated trade programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Architectural Hardware

NAICS

Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593), Hardware Manufacturing (332510)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Wiring Devices & Receptacles (switches, sockets, plugs, industrial outlets, pin & sleeve) (IMAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Enclosures, Boxes & DIN-Rail Hardware (junction boxes, cabinets, panel enclosures, DIN rail, gland plates) (IMAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Architectural hardware
• Switches and sockets
• Interior lighting fixtures
• Door and cabinet hardware
• Premium brass fittings

Headquarters

HQ city

Calne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time sales of premium architectural hardware including switches, sockets, door hardware, cabinet hardware, lighting, and accessories. Products are sold directly through their e-commerce platform and physical showrooms. Custom engraving service available as an add-on.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Corston designs, engineers and manufactures a coordinated range of premium solid brass architectural hardware including switches, sockets, dimmers, door hardware, cabinet hardware, window hardware, hooks, locks, latches, hinges and a full lighting line of pendants, wall, bathroom, garden, picture, bedside and table lamps. All products are offered in signature antique brass, bronze, polished nickel, clear and paintable finishes, and sold directly through corston.com and a network of showrooms with optional custom engraving and a lifetime guarantee.

Product overview

Corston Architectural Detail is a premium hardware manufacturer offering a coordinated range of architectural products primarily focused on electrical wiring accessories (switches and sockets) and architectural hardware (door, cabinet, and window hardware). The product portfolio is organized into three main categories: Switches & Sockets (including toggle switches, rocker switches, dimmer switches, smart dimmer modules, power sockets, USB charging sockets, and media sockets), Lighting (including pendant lights, wall lights, bathroom lights, garden lights, spotlights, picture lights, bedside lights, lamps, and lanterns), and Hardware (including sprung and unsprung door handles, door knobs, cabinet hardware, window hardware, hooks, shelf brackets, locks, latches, and hinges). All products are available in three signature finishes: antique brass (living finish that ages over time), bronze (darkest boldest finish), and polished nickel (durable plated finish). The company also offers a Clear collection of transparent switch plates that blend into wallpaper or paint, and a Paintable collection designed to be painted. The Cotswold Collection represents the company's first table lamps with coordinating pendant and wall lights. Corston designs, engineers, and manufactures all products in-house, and backs every sale with a lifetime guarantee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toggle Switches Solid brass two-way toggle (dolly) light switches available in single to 8-gang configurations for residential and commercial interiors, designed in-house and matched across the Corston finish family.
• Rocker Switches Smooth-profile solid brass rocker light switches available in multiple gang and two-way configurations for residential and commercial interiors.
• Dimmer Switches Anti-flicker LED-compatible dimmer switches available in two-way and 0-10V variants for residential and commercial lighting control.
• Smart In-line Dimmer Module In-line smart dimmer module that retrofits into lighting circuits to enable connected smart lighting control across the home.
• Power Sockets Single, double and USB power sockets with fast-charging USB-A and USB-C options, available across Corston finishes including clear and paintable plates.
• Media Sockets CAT6, HDMI, TV/Satellite and BT communication and media sockets designed to match Corston switch and socket finishes for cohesive wall detailing.
• Clear Switches and Sockets Transparent 2mm switch and socket plates with solid brass internal components in antique brass, bronze or polished nickel, designed to blend invisibly into wallpaper or painted walls.
• Paintable Switches and Sockets Switches and sockets engineered to be painted over on site, allowing them to visually disappear into the wall finish for seamless interior integration.
• Architrave Switches Slim-profile solid brass switches designed for architrave installation on narrow door frames and skirting boards.
• Pendant Lights Hanging pendant light fixtures including Brookfield, Hammersmith, Richmond, Windsor and Cotswold designs with hand-blown glass and standard replaceable bulbs.
• Wall Lights Interior and exterior IP44/IP56-rated wall-mounted lighting fixtures in fixed and hanging variants for indoor and outdoor use.
• Bathroom Lights IP-rated wall lights and spotlights specifically designed and certified for bathroom zones and wet environments.
• Garden Lighting Collection Outdoor garden lighting including spotlights, floodlights and mast lights with IP44/56 ratings for landscape and exterior illumination.
• Spotlights and Downlights Overhead Baylis spotlights, Buxton fire-rated trimless downlights, paintable spotlights and Cambridge 24V outdoor lighting fixtures.
• Picture Lights Taylor and Harrow art illumination picture lights, some pre-fitted with LED strips, designed to match Corston finishes.
• Bedside and Reading Lights Adjustable Sloane bedside and reading lights designed for focused reading illumination beside the bed.
• Cotswold Collection (Table Lamps and Lanterns) Corston's first table lamp collection with coordinating pendant and wall light, featuring hand-blown fluted glass, gently scalloped fine porcelain and pleated linen-cotton shades.
• Sprung Door Handles Spring-loaded solid brass door handles with backplate or flush rose options, suitable for interior and exterior doors.
• Unsprung Door Handles Traditional unsprung solid brass door handles compatible with standard multi-point locking systems.
• Door Knobs Fixed and unsprung solid brass door knobs including the Poplar range, sized for comfortable operation and matched to Corston finishes.
• Cabinet Hardware Solid brass cabinet handles, knobs and hinges across the Kilburn, Sycamore and Milliner ranges, sold individually with concealed-fix brackets rated up to 40kg each.
• Window Hardware Solid brass window furniture including Belmont sash fasteners and Southbank casement and tilt-and-turn handles for timber and aluminium frames.
• Hooks and Shelf Brackets Concealed-fixing solid brass hooks and shelf brackets for versatile mounting solutions across the home.
• Locks and Latches Mortice locks, tubular latches, strong latches, thumbturns and bolt locks for residential and commercial door security.
• Hinges Solid brass door and cabinet hinges including the Cedar cabinet hinge range, finished in antique brass, bronze and polished nickel.
• Outdoor Lighting Connectors IP68 waterproof split-T and straight connectors for secure outdoor electrical connections in garden and landscape installations.
• Back Boxes Bespoke 47mm-depth electrical back boxes engineered for Corston rocker switches and multi-gang configurations.
• Antique Brass Restoration Kit Chemical restoration kit that restarts the ageing process of antique brass Corston products, returning them to their original patina.
• Sample Finishes Orderable solid brass finish samples that allow customers to review antique brass, bronze, polished nickel, clear and paintable finishes before purchase.
• Custom Engraving Service Paid laser engraving service for Corston switches and sockets in bronze, antique brass and polished nickel finishes, used for room labels and personalization.
• Trade Programme Trade account programme for interior designers, architects, hoteliers and developers, providing trade pricing, project support and dedicated account management via [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,171 verified customer reviews with 4.88 out of 5 average rating
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DHL GoGreenPluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHL GoGreenPlus service used for sustainable shipping, utilizing electric vehicles for daily parcel collections and sustainable aviation fuel for plane transportation, reducing emissions by up to 30%.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buster + Punch: London-based luxury brand designing switches, sockets, hardware, and lighting with a similar industrial-luxe aesthetic. Directly competes with Corston across the premium switches/sockets and door hardware categories and shares a designer-led DTC-plus-trade GTM.
• Forbes & Lomax: British maker of premium invisible and clear electrical accessories - a near-direct analogue to Corston's Clear plates line. Operates in the same high-end residential and interior-designer channel with comparable pricing and craftsmanship positioning.
• Joseph Giles: Premium British designer and manufacturer of architectural hardware including door handles, cabinet hardware, and lighting. Serves the same interior-designer and luxury-residential customer base with comparable in-house design-led positioning.
• Dowsing & Reynolds: UK premium switches, sockets, and lighting brand sold direct-to-consumer with a strong interior-designer following. Overlaps with Corston across toggle/rocker switches, sockets, and pendant/wall lighting categories.
• Heritage Brass: Manufacturer of high-quality brass electrical accessories and architectural hardware. Competes with Corston in solid-brass plates, switches, and sockets, particularly in the traditional and period-property segments of the UK market.
• Soho Lighting: UK luxury lighting and switches brand with physical showrooms and a DTC and trade channel mix. Directly comparable premium positioning and product overlap in decorative pendant, wall, and bathroom lighting alongside switches and sockets.
• Fritz Fryer: Specialist UK lighting maker combining antique lighting restoration with contemporary bespoke fixtures. Adjacent but increasingly overlapping with Corston as Corston expands its lighting range (pendants, wall lights, bathroom, garden).

Emerging players

• Plumen: Design-led British lighting brand known for low-energy designer bulbs and pendants. Comparable premium positioning and design-forward audience, with partial overlap on pendant and decorative lighting categories.

Broad incumbents

• Legrand: Global electrical equipment giant encompassing premium switch and socket brands (e.g., Legrand, Adorne, Gale Force). Same product categories as Corston but distributed at vastly greater scale through electrical wholesalers and contractor channels.
• Schneider Electric: Global electrical equipment major with premium wiring-device brands such as Avatar and Odace. Competes indirectly with Corston via electrical wholesalers and project specifications on larger developments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Corston