To really figure out what is right for your home you need to know a bit about the first family to live in it and what was going on in your part of the world at the time the house was built.Knowing who they were, what they were about and what was happening specifically in your area might give you some hints as to what Federal details they might have PICKED to used. A trip to your local history museum or society might help you more than you know. No style lives in isolation. What the books and historians tell you is right is only right to a point. They have to generalize, to be specific would be too complex for any one book. The best guide you will find will be other homes in your neighborhood and what you can find out about what was happening in your own area when the house was being built.

Regarding casements, I don't like the ugly indoor screens, the awkward cranks. the limited glass width and the obstruction of porches and decks. What I like about double-hungs is the ability to compose with them which is critically important for the 2 story houses of the northeast. The double sash automatically introduces a horizontal element and, if mullions are added, in the upper sash it can become a very strong strong element. To me casements are like big blank eyes; I wouldn't know what to do with them. But some of the Greene & Greene houses are pretty wonderful.

I have a mixture of both lever and round in my home....round on the interior doors and lever on the entry. I have the oil rubbed bronze bath fixtures, and went with that color for the interior doors. However, at the suggestion of my decorator, I went with the black on the entry door as it is a dark wood door and we wanted some contrast. I'm glad I did. Hope this helps...

Knobs/levers are sort of the jewelry on a door, that function. There are pros and cons to both. Levers are easier to open, when you have your hands full, for children and elderly people. Knobs are harder to open for children, small children will try and try, which is also an annoying sound. It really depends on what you need for function versus the style you like. Bead board doors can go many different directions, but if you have an older home the knob may look more appropriate, if its a more recent home you can go either way. No help right?? I have levers in my home, but I was really careful when I chose them. I had the problem before that when my hands were full, the curvy lever like your #2 caught me by the pants. However, my kids are grown and I now have grandchildren, and unless the door is locked the 3 year old can get into everywhere. We have a lake house where everyone gathers for extended time periods, I changed out the levers for knobs so the 3 yr.old can't get into everything, but he tries and tries, that is an annoying sound.