Choosing the Right Hardware for Your Doors

Many people forget how important choosing the right hardware can be in making your home as beautiful as possible.  Cheap hardware or hardware that really doesn’t match your overall aesthetic can make a space look unfinished, unpolished, and not well thought out.  The perfect hardware can make a space look immensely better.  As they say, “It’s all in the details!”  Use these tips to make sure you use hardware that makes the space zing.

Think Color

One of the biggest mistakes people make when choosing hardware is choosing the wrong color.  A beautiful mahogany door will not look so beautiful with a cheap chrome door knob.  Gorgeous oak cabinets will look cheap with plain, painted gold knobs.  People, knowingly or not, really look to the hardware detail when evaluating how luxurious and appealing the entire space is, so by choosing the right hardware, you literally up the appearance of everything.  Think carefully about what metals truly fit your design style.  You may be able to even look to your other metallic accessories such as your favorite lamp to see what direction you need to go.  Choose dark metallic finishes such as oil rubbed bronze or metallic black if you want the decorative doorknobs and cupboard handles to blend into dark wood finishes like walnut and dark cherry.  If you really want the hardware to stand out, pick a purposefully contrasting finish for your cabinet knobs and handles like satin nickel.  Typically you will want all your hardware color to match, so also make sure to buy exposed hinges, faucets, and even exposed screws in the same finish.  This will cost you a few extra dollars, but will make the space look hundreds if not thousands of dollars better.

Think Style

The color of your hardware for things like interior doorknobs can make a huge difference, but if you choose the right color in the wrong style, you still won’t be happy.  Think about the design style of the other items in the space.  If you have the space filled with antiques or new items that are manufactured to look old, also buy antique doorknobs or other antique reproduction hardware.  If you have a very formal space, think about using things like crystal doorknobs or crystal cabinet knobs.  There are hundreds of places to buy all kinds of specialty hardware, so it isn’t difficult to find a style that works for you as long as you take the time to put thought into what would work best.  If your design is modern and sleek, you can easily find hardware that reflects the same.  If your design is shabby sheik, there is also perfect hardware available for that.  You may not find the perfect hardware in the selection of stock Schlage doorknobs at your local home improvement store, but don’t limit yourself to that selection.  It is truly amazing how much the overall appearance of a room can be transformed if you simply take the time to order hardware online or through special order at a store that is truly what the design calls for.