How often do you stop to admire the subtle beauty of your door hardware? Although knobs and handles are essential functional components of a home’s décor, people rarely pay attention to them. Most homeowners don’t think about their door hardware as much as they think about colour schemes and lighting. They would be surprised to find out that these tiny details can make or break their home design.
There are several things you should consider before purchasing these home essentials. Your choice depends on the architecture of your home, your preferences, and your way of life. In the following paragraphs, discover seven crucial factors to consider when choosing door hardware for your home!
1. Consider the Style of Your Home
Make sure to pick door knob and handle designs that complement your design scheme! These elements come in traditional, mid-century, and modern designs, so there’s a wide variety of them for any type of household. The proper door hardware design can improve the appearance of your home and raise its resale value. Look at your house from a distance, begin with the exterior of your house, and work your way inside.
What’s your home’s style? Tudor, Hampton, contemporary, traditional, or a mix of those? Your home could also have one design type for the outdoors and another one for the indoors. Considering the décor scheme when choosing hardware is a crucial first step. Think about the style of each room. It’s okay if you want chrome kitchen hardware and black knobs in the living room. It’s necessary to consider all options. I do, however, suggest matching the cabinet hardware to the door hardware, as this unifies the space.
2. Consider the Finish
What’s the best finish for door handles and knobs? Metal plating finishes come in too many varieties nowadays, so what works well for one household might look terrible in another. Before selecting, think about how useful each of the options is and how well it complements your home’s interior design. Since flat surfaces like matte don’t show fingerprints, they’re an excellent choice for both traditional and modern homes.
There are certain modern antique treatments that provide a particular aged look for knobs and handles. These are a great way to spice up your living space if you’re an old-school hardware enthusiast. Door hardware made of antique brass and nickel is designed to mimic the natural appearance that comes with tarnish and old age.
3. Pick Privacy Handles for the Bedroom and Bathroom
Your comfy bedroom and bathroom are two places where you usually retreat when you need some peace and quiet. However, your loved ones can easily disrupt your relaxation if there’s nothing stopping them from entering. This is where privacy door handles come in useful. These door hardware elements include one-way keyless locking systems that, as their name suggests, can only be used from within the room. However, they usually have an emergency release feature that allows someone on the outside to unlock the door in an emergency.
4. Instal Weather-Resistant Hardware for External Doors
An external door knob or handle is both durable and aesthetically pleasing. These elements are made from strong materials that can withstand harsh weather. If you use regular hardware for your front door, it won’t last you long, even if it gives a good first impression. The best hardware for outside doors is that constructed of aluminium, marine-grade stainless steel, chrome, and powder-coated steel. These materials require no maintenance and won’t rust or corrode.
5. Make Sure They’re Low Maintenance
After a hectic week of running errands, cleaning a week’s worth of grease, sticky fingerprints, and smudges off your beautiful door handle is the last thing you want to spend your weekend on. Choose a brushed finish or matte powder-coated hardware rather than high-shine hardware (such as brass and chrome) to save yourself the work. If you want the appearance of metallic hardware that shines brightly all the time, just remember to get a soft cloth and wax polish or have a stack of metal polishing wipes stashed away in your cleaning closet.
6. Choose Ergonomic Hardware for Those with Hand Problems
Does anyone in your household struggle with moving their hands? If so, use door handles instead of circular knobs, which call for a firm grip and a twist to activate. These manoeuvres are usually uncomfortable or challenging for people with mobility difficulties. Both young and elderly can use lever handles with ease, even if they have weak hands or restricted hand movement.
Think about installing lever handles that fit the shape of the hand. These are comfortable for everyday use and they’re easy to operate.
7. Account for the Door’s Weight
All doors are different – some are thicker and wider, while others are thinner. When selecting door handles and knobs for your home, you must consider the thickness and weight of your doors. There are handles made for thinner doors and others made for thicker doors. Additionally, you should make sure the lever handle is sturdy enough to handle a big door—no pun intended! Lightweight, inexpensive handles like the ones you can get at a superstore are probably a bad fit for your doors.
Bottom Line
Modern door hardware is nowadays more than simply a practical element that we use to open doors. Choosing the right pieces will make your home look better and feel safer. These elements round off your interior design and unify your space.