Just this morning I spent what I consider a small fortune on doorknobs. I blame my DH though (who will probably have a seizure when he finds out how much they cost), as I was more than happy with the less expensive Emtek rectangular handleset, whereas he preferred the Baldwin Boulder Rustic w/interior egg knobs. Of course, we also wanted the more expensive distressed ORB finish. The mortise lock upgrade for our front entry doors was pricey, but recommended since our doors are so large. And of course, I wanted matching egg knob handlesets with a rosette backplate for all of my interior doors, so I didn't want to switch to a less expensive brand for these doors - again bumping up my total cost. With a 10% discount for ordering from the manufacturer rather than taking them from the shelf, my total price from a local dealer came to approximately $1700, including tax. This was the lowest price I could find after receiving several quotes from different online sites (although my local dealer also offers his products online). I saved some money by choosing to pick up my order rather than have it shipped. These are my choices (except with the knob rather than the lever) - I can't wait to get them!

We chose ORB when we sold our house last year just because it looked better in the house (1994 Cape) - the only place that had BN was the master bath. Both are "in", some will like BN better and some will like ORB better, so it's pretty much "flip a coin"! We used nice levers for most of the doors simply because I thought they were pretty, but it's also easier to operate a lever if your hands are full, you're wearing mittens, or you have arthritis in your hands or wrists. (If we had gotten the little ranch we had bid on we'd be putting levers on the doors, but there's no way I'm replacing these antique porcelain knobs!) We too purchased our hinges on eBay for 1/4 the cost of the ORB ones at the home centers, and got a great deal on the knobs/levers by purchasing them in a multipack on eBay. They were an unfamiliar brand (Copper Creek?) but I was happily surprised by how sturdy they seemed when they arrived. Do be careful, though, as there are two different ORBs out there - one has a cool, gray tone, while the other is a warm brown. If you order the hardware from anywhere make sure you ask which it is because they look awful together! I think it looks unfinished if you leave the old brass hinges and just change the knobs out, as a buyer a little part of me would have been wondering just how many other projects had been just half-done? If you have two people to do the job and a cordless drill/screwdriver with a full charge, taking the doors down to change out the hinges is a very easy job even if you're hopelessly unhandy.

It takes a while for the commercial market to catch up with us DIYer's but they finally did! You can now buy a Rustoleum spray paint in almost any metal finish you desire. Bought some oil-rubbed bronze today and sprayed up some hardware for a friend. Try it yourself! This is the beginning of a major house overhaul, for sure! Be sure to prepare the metal surface well (remove old paint - a razor works well; scuff up the surface with steel wool; rinse and dry well) then prop it up on wooden screwers in the ground or nails on a board. Place items close enough for the over spray to be collected on the next object but far enough apart to be able to manipulate/cover all the surface areas with paint. With focused effort, 12 doors' hinges (and a few draw pulls) were removed, cleaned, and sprayed and left to dry (12 x 3 = 36 hinges). You do not have to spray the screws for the hinges - these can later be touched up with paint dipped in a q-tip and dabbed onto the screw head or not � your choice � hardly noticeable once the doors are hung. We also took the metal vent covers (the ones on the floor), cleaned one up and sprayed as well. The test result was really pretty! About 15 in all would be the final result. Great savings! The vent covers are abt $15/each - no need now to spend $250 on new ones now. And the hinges ~ savings of near $150. And the old hinges fit perfectly into the slot that is cut on the door and frame already. WHAT A TRANSFORMATION AND FOR ONLY THE PRICE OF $7.30 a can!!! Entire project will take ~ 6-7 cans or ~ $45. Hard to argue with a savings of ~$350!!! Opps - forgot to tell you we took a old bathroom light fixture, disassembled it, and did the old paintaroo on it as well. OMGoodness! The finished product was striking! You can spend some bucks on light fixtures too - not this one, though! We figured a additional savings of $125 easy. Sorry - we did not think of before and after photos until after we were done!

I had the upstairs knobs changed to levers a couple weeks ago and I love them! Changed the hinges to match (orb). I think they make the entire second floor hallway (surrounded by 5 doors) look so much better, and they are easy to use...no problems. Laschnit, I had Kwikset levers installed that I purchased at HD. I think they look and feel super, and my handyman said they were easy-peasy to install. They are still fairly pricey, (though I know not close to Baldwin's prices)as the bill adds up when you go from door to door! So worth it, though. I'll change out the downstairs after I re-do the powder room and paint a couple of doors. HD had Baldwin on display, but I didn't think they looked any better than the ones I bought. I couldn't justify the cost differential. In fact, I liked the way the Kwikset looked more than the orb Baldwin options.