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Home Decorating

Knobs/lever finish oil rubbed bronze vs. matte black

14 years ago

Help me chooose! We are building a contemporary cottage style home and I need to decide the finish of my door knobs and levers. The door is a simple 4 Flat panel door and it will be painted white. We will have dark stained wide plank pine floors and a white shaker cabinets in the kitchen. base board and mouling with be a simple square profile. No crown moulding. Just to give a feel for house.

Does the matte black go with a certain style home vs. the ORB? And if I choose blakc does that mean I need to choose black for light and plumbing fixtures as well?

I wish I could hire an Interior designer but we spend so much money on architect-there's no money left-LOL!

Front elvation for reference:

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Comments (3)

patty_cakes
14 years ago
Hi PPS7, when I built a year ago, I decided to go w/ORB because I wanted an *older* look/feel to the home~*I* feel it accomplishes what I wanted. Yes, I did all my door hardware, door stops, as well as bathroom fixtures in the same finish. My light fixtures are mostly black w/ the exception of chandeliers. IMO, it's a personal choice. I like continuity in a home, that's why I chose to do everything in an ORB.

If i were in your shoes, I would use the ORB as the black looks much to flat to me~light fixtures don't have to match in either case. Hope i've helped. ;o)
pps7
Original Author
14 years ago
Hmmm, the satin nickel looks very pretty too! I can't wait until this house is built so I can't change my mind anymore. Probably will go with ORB. What brand? Emtek is our of our price range except for the front door. We can do Schlage, but I was thinking of using Welock instead. Any comments on Weslock???
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"Is there any way to keep the finish looking like new & protect it from wearing off revealing the shiny brass underneath?" I'm in the hardware business and I can tell you that no, there are no bronzes that won't eventually patina or eventually become "rubbed" bronze. The reason for this is that the pigmentation of the finish is done with soft metals. Just as copper colored spray paint has copper in it. This means that the finish will reflect the weakness of the soft metals used to paint it. Pigmentation used in red, black, blue, green, knobs etc. are minerals which are much harder. Other finishes that won't change over time are finishes that actually are the metal, such as stainless steel. The bronze is simply too malleable of a metal to not wear away over time. Here is a link that might be useful: D. Lawless Hardware
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Genuine ORB finishes will wear off or patina on the high spots when rubbed, there are "ORB" finishes that are more like a permanent brown coating. I did inexpensive ORB for a client that felt and looked like matte brown paint, to me. I am not sure that ORB is going to go away, now. The first time I used it was about 17-18 years ago in a 170 year old house where the original brass was mostly blackened, and modern antique brass finishes were too golden tan looking in comparison. The door Knobs were fairly shiny because they got touched all the time. Most of the stuff I did at that time was a custom order or custom plated. Some of it got pretty light at the high spots, but that is the nature of the true finish. If you don't want that, I think I would go with black. But I think ORB is here to stay for a while just because it actually has developed over more than a decade.
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Yes, I now know. Not because the salesman advised me of this or that I was given any literature that would have told me this. It was only after I spent $5,000 on handles and had the finish wearing off after 6 months did Emtek advise me and the store where I bought the handles that this is the way they are. I have had ORB from Schlage on another house in the mountains and the only wear any of the handles have shown after 6 years was on the front door with direct sun exposure. When I called Schlage customer service they asked for a picture and then sent out a brand new handle assembly. Customer service and standing behind your products is important.
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I'm no expert, but I am in the middle of a whole home renovation and have been doing a LOT of research. I see the satin brass/gold everywhere as well, but I'm pretty sure it's trending downwards. Black can go with everything, so I think it has a much broader appeal. We're doing all matte black door hardware, and a mix of custom wood and matte black pulls for our kitchen cabinets. I was tempted to go with brass/gold as well, but I just don't see it aging very well. In the end though, it comes down to what you love. If you sell, and someone doesn't like your cabinet hardware, it isn't' too difficult to replace. Good luck!
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les917
14 years ago
I think both finishes are pretty, but from what I understand, over time with use the ORB finish will wear off and the brass-colored base will show through.

I don't think your door hardware has to match your lighting. If that were the case, then every lamp in every room would be the same finish, etc. Mixing gives depth and interest to a space, and avoids the 'too matched' feeling, imo.

Best wishes for you in your new home.

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