We all know the importance of making a good first impression and the power of a dramatic entrance. But how does that translate to our homes? What details give your home that special wow factor and enhance the overall look and feel?
What home accessories reflect your personal style and set the mood for your home? Besides the obvious such as colour, flooring and window treatments, there is one detail that gets overlooked despite packing a lot of power. It’s door handles.
Don’t believe it? Look at a rack of postcards next time you’re shopping in Dublin and take note of how many feature the city’s striking Georgian and Edwardian doors. Interior door handles have just as much impact, maybe more because there are more of them and visitors spend more time inside your home than standing on your doorstep!
Whether you are doing a major renovation or just looking for an easy way to update your home’s look, door handles are a small detail that make a big difference. You can choose to have the same door handles throughout your home, giving a seamless style to the dwelling. Or you can pick door hardware that reflects the specific look of different rooms. If you do that, finding coordinated handles with some common theme will draw the look together. For example, you could use different shapes for different rooms, but keep the same colour and material throughout for consistency.
Choosing the Right Door Handles
Just like clothes, it isn’t how the handles look in the shop that counts. It’s how they look on your door. A set of door handles might be absolutely gorgeous, but still look wrong in your house. To find the right interior door hardware, you need to keep three basic criteria in mind.
PROPORTION
Measure your doors before you select door handles. Consider what size will work. Small, delicate handles won’t look right on large doors without panels or windows. Likewise, a large handle can look out of place on some doors. Take stock of the door and consider how much space the handle should take. Think about how far up the door the handle will go and where the lock will sit.
COLOUR / MATERIALS
Interior door handles come in a range of finishes, including black, brass and the versatile and classic silver. Think about what finish will work best with the light fixtures, switch plates and other details throughout the house. The handle should be visible against the door. A dark handle on a dark door is going to be annoying, especially for anyone with vision problems. If you decide to use a variety of door handle styles in your home, using the same material throughout gives your home a consistent, coordinated feel.
OVERALL STYLE
Sleek, modern door handles will look out of place in a period home or rustic country cottage. But stylish, contemporary door hardware looks fantastic in most modern homes built in the last 50 years. The trick is to consider the overall style of your home. Is it minimalist or richly detailed? Have you added quirky personal touches throughout or stuck to classic looks?
Quality Counts
Whatever style interior door handles you choose, you want to make sure they are of premium quality. This is one bit of household hardware that gets constant use. No one notices when they work perfectly, but a wonky handle will annoy everyone who enters the room. And a jammed or stuck door handle is a safety risk. Look for a respected name such as Fortessa, and check the quality rating. Make sure the door hardware you select comes with a warranty. An interior door handle should move smoothly and feel solid in your hand.
