Southern Design Group: Leading Innovation in Architectural Hardware

The Bradleys’ leadership has guided Southern Design Group through a period of bold expansion, elevating the company’s brands to international prominence.

Today, Southern Design Group has three distinct offerings: Bankston, Iver and TradCo, each providing unique hardware solutions that cater to a range of design aesthetics and functional needs. Bankston represents the premium offering, featuring high-end, design-driven collaborations with leading creatives that push the boundaries of architectural hardware. Iver caters to modern homeowners with trend-led collections that balance style and functionality. TradCo, rooted in restoration, celebrates timeless design with a collection that revives classic styles while maintaining the high standards of quality for which Southern Design Group is known.

Husband-and-wife duo Emily and Steve Bradley bring a shared passion for art, architecture and sustainability to the company. As co-CEOs, they transformed the family-run business into a powerhouse in the architectural hardware industry while maintaining its Adelaide roots. Their leadership has guided Southern Design Group through a period of bold expansion, elevating the company’s brands to international prominence. Steve’s background in environmental science and urban design has shaped his innovative approach to product development, while Emily’s expertise in law and sustainability has driven the business’s strategic growth.

Sans-Arc’s offbeat and playful ethos is evident in every piece, offering a fresh perspective on what architectural hardware can be.

In 2018, the Bradleys rebranded Bankston, positioning it as the premium offering within the group’s portfolio. Under their direction, the brand has distinguished itself through bold collaborations with leading architects and designers, challenging conventional hardware design while pushing the boundaries of form and function.

The Super Collection, Bankston’s first collaboration with Sans-Arc Studio, marked a bold departure from traditional hardware design. Inspired by the Radical Design movement of the 1960s, the collection embraces daring shapes, vibrant colours and unexpected materials. Sans-Arc’s offbeat and playful ethos is evident in every piece, offering a fresh perspective on what architectural hardware can be.

Emphasising materiality and craftsmanship, the Casts collection offers a raw, tactile experience that enhances spaces through character and subtle detailing.

Bankston’s second collaboration, Casts by Edition Office, took a more textural and process-driven approach. Known for its innovative architectural work, Edition Office applied its design philosophy to create a collection that explores the relationship between person and place. Emphasising materiality and craftsmanship, the Casts collection offers a raw, tactile experience that enhances spaces through character and subtle detailing.

This spirit of innovation continued with Bankston’s latest partnership, Hemispheres, a collaboration with Brooklyn-based design studio Civilian. Hemispheres introduces bold geometries and striking finishes, offering modular components that allow for endless configurations. With influences ranging from Art Deco to industrial prefabrication, the collection’s versatility makes it adaptable to any interior style.

Under the Bradley’s leadership, Southern Design Group has expanded both geographically and creatively, fostering collaborations that merge artistry with functionality.

Under the Bradley’s leadership, Southern Design Group has expanded both geographically and creatively, fostering collaborations that merge artistry with functionality. Each collection within the Bankston brand offers something distinct. Together, they reflect a commitment to pushing the boundaries of design while maintaining the integrity and quality that have defined the brand for more than 40 years.