What’s an easy, cost-effective way to bring new life to your home? New paint? New furniture? Hardwood floors?
While these are all great ways to refresh your space, there’s something else you can do that will cost far less. You might want to consider installing new door hardware.
For about $50 or so a door, you can dramatically change the entire look of your home. Door hardware is the final touch that pulls everything together, says Greg Bettenhausen, owner of Al Bar Hardware. It is the jewelry of the home.
Of course, it’s up to you whether you want to go with cultured pearls or natural. According to Bettenhausen, who does a lot of made-to-order work on the East Coast, it’s possible to spend as much as six figures for custom door hardware on a large home.
We’re currently working on a project on Park Avenue in New York. We are doing French deco levers in antique hand-plated silver, Bettenhausen says.
The cost for such luxury? Around $800-$900 a door.
It’s not for the faint of heart, Bettenhausen cautions.
In many ways, companies like Al Bar that specialize in high-end custom door hardware are simply re-creating the kind of high-quality hardware you’d find on doors in stately older homes.
Another way to do it is to get a hold of some antique door hardware and have it refinished. Often it can be done for a fraction of the cost of brand new hardware, says Bettenhausen, whose primary business is restoring and refinishing antique hardware.
People come in here all the time with doorknobs and hinges from their older homes and condos, he says.
While almost anything can be refinished or rebuilt, it’s not always possible to outfit an entire home in antique hardware, especially when you need matching hardware for 10-15 doors.
If you end up buying brand new door hardware, you will undoubtedly face the daunting task of selecting a finish. From satin nickel to polished nickel; oil-rubbed bronze to un lacquered brass; the wide variety of choices will leave your head spinning.
Should the hardware match your light fixtures? Should you choose the same finish for the entire home?
As a rule of thumb, you should probably pick a theme and stay with it, says Emtek representative Rick Julienne. You can mix and match knobs and levers on the same floor, but you should stay with the same finish although many people will choose one thing for the main floor of the house and another for the second floor.
Whatever you choose, make sure to do an actual hands-on inspection before buying, says Austin Kamm, salesperson for the Nanz Company at Luxe Home in the Merchandise Mart
Look at the quality of the finish, he recommends. If it looks and feels fake, don’t get it.
Trends may play a role in your selection as well: oil-rubbed bronze is the new satin nickel; polished nickel may soon overtake oil-rubbed bronze.
People are starting to break into finishes that aren’t as common things like copper, pewter and different kinds of brushed and burnished nickels, Kamm says.
But Julienne thinks door hardware should be more a function of personal taste than trends.
Most people really want to make a statement and be different than their neighbors, he says. The door hardware you select is a way of subtly expressing yourself.
Here are some tips from the experts:
Oil-Rubbed bronze: Going, going gone or here to stay? I think we’ll continue to see more of it, Bettenhausen predicts.
But Kamm disagrees: Personally, I think oil-rubbed bronze is done.
According to Julienne, oil-rubbed bronze is now the No. 1-selling door hardware finish in the U.S.
Crystal/glass knobs: You see those in a lot of the old apartments in Chicago and a lot of 1920s and 1930s homes, Bettenhausen says. Glass knobs are a classic choice.
Satin Nickel: Very 90s, says Bettenhausen. I don’t think I would put satin nickel in a whole house today. It’s been overused.
Polished nickel: Polished nickel has been on the rise for the last couple of years, Kamm says. It works in transitional environments and also adds a bit of glam and panache to an older, traditional home.
Bettenhausen agrees. I think we’ll see people putting it through the whole house more and more.
Silver-plated: The Rolls Royce of finishes (with Rolls Royce prices to match) this finish is only available in made-to-order custom work, unless you’re lucky enough to find some old original silver knobs somewhere.
Dirty nickel: We just did a house in Aspen with this finish [tarnished nickel] and it looks amazing, Bettenhausen says.
Black wrought iron: This finish would look nice in a Colorado mountain home or a Mediterranean-style or European-style home, Kamm says.
Porcelain: A vintage look that works well in bathroom interiors and kitchens, Bettenhausen says.
Polished brass: Some people don’t like it for whatever reason, but it is a timeless finish, Bettenhausen says. We’re doing a project in Lake Forest with polished brass hardware. The house is very formal and the polished brass looks gorgeous.
Unlacquered brass: A brass knob or lever that hasn’t been sealed and is allowed to patina and age, unlacquered brass imparts a rich, classic look to any home, says Bettenhausen. Alas, very few companies carry this finish, and those that do, like Von Morris, charge a pretty penny.
French Antique Gold: Faux unlacquered brass. This is the 21st century version of antique brass, Julienne says. It’s been growing in popularity.