Renovation Diary: Replacing Doorknobs

You know how one thing leads to another?

The other day I was trying to decide if I wanted to jump on the black 

door trend. So we painted one door. Remember this post?

While I've been thinking, I've also been holding up the reno.

I've sorta made up my mind. But to make sure, 

I needed to think about doorknobs--the type and finish

would affect the final decision.

So I went shopping.

First, a  little backstory. 

Our interior doors are white.

I've gone back and forth about painting them.

Gray, dark gray, light gray, and black.

As Will pointed out, this trend could end 

(but probably not in my lifetime).

Each color would affect the look of the overall decor, of course. 

To keep from traipsing into blooper territory,

we painted one door a deep charcoal.

I was totally ready to go for it.

And I love a dark door with a brass knob.

Some might disagree, but I think brass is classic.

Any kind of brass.

I have no qualms about mixing metals, either.

Last year, I bought a pretty shiny brass doorknocker on Ebay

and it's going somewhere in my house, along with a shiny, ornate swinging door plate. Very old and very fine-looking.

However, I'm not sure if I want charcoal doors. 

These are circa 1993, hollow core. My initial research indicated that dark paint would add style to builder's grade doors.

On mine, the paint seemed to bring out the faux wood grain. 

Not sure I liked that. However, this is one of those

nitpicky things that are noticed during the reno and forgotten.

That said, I've just about decided on white doors. 

Two reasons.

First, I'm afraid my husband might get up in the night and bump into the door. Second, dark doors will chop this hallway to pieces:

Yes, it's pale, but the carpet will eventually

be replaced with wood flooring.

And doorknobs will make a difference.

A brass or nickel doorknob on a black door is fabulous.

Dark knobs on a white door look great, too.

I would never choose a knob without asking my family what they like and don't like. It usually comes down to this: 
I say "tomato" and Will says "tomahto."
So we picked a few tomatoes and tomahtos.

(One hasn't arrived, but you can scroll down and see what it looks like.)

Dark jewelry for the white doors.

An assortment of tomahtos, including a knob with a

nickel finish for the (possible, still undecided) darker doors.

I am fond of crystal knobs. They add instant history to a builder's grade door. This one has a matte black finish.

And this crystal knob is fluted. The backplate is dark ORB.

Below: A "tomato" knob, the one that hasn't arrived.

I am still looking for a backplate that has a simple, straight-edged top and bottom. Definitely a tomato, Will would say.

source

We're going to test drive a few knobs and see them on actual doors. This is going to be too much fun, I can tell.

How do you feel about mixing metals?
Do you like an unobtrusive knob, one that blends in?
Do you like contrast?
Do you think about fingerprints? 
Dirt collecting into froo-froo swirls? 
How did shiny brass get a bad rap? 
I hear it's making a comeback. (But it never went out of style in places like Boston and Williamsburg, Va. Right?)

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