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Building a Home Remodeling Design Dilemma

Design for dummies (me): Interior Door Knobs?

last year

Greetings!! I am doing a major home renovation and addition. I’m trying to plan for as much as possible so I don’t make any last-minute, uninformed decisions! I have what is probably a pretty basic question, but should I plan for all interior door knobs to be the same (barring a unique knob on something like a closet door)? And what is considered a classic color choice? I have a fabulous, very old craftsman getting a facelift in the same style.

Thank you in advance!!!
Liz

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Comments (8)

PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
Can you simply match your current door sets? A craftsman would likely be a bronze finish.
bpath
last year
Special doors can have special hardware, not just closet doors.

(And, in my current house ca. 1960, there are a few kinds of knobs. Original brass on the main floor except for the front door, and newer lacquered brass upstairs. It seems to work just fine.)
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interior door hardware: dummy sets and strike plates
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Comments (3)
Our house has the same type of closets as yours. For the double-door closet, you need a dummy knob on each door, with a ball-detent catch at the top of each door, as you have now. We used Baldwin solid brass egg locksets throughout the whole house. The dummy knobs attach from the front of the door with two screws and a trim piece covers them. The knob goes on last. There is a small amount of routing that had to be done to get them to fit the doors. For the walk-in closet doors, you need a standard lockset, either with or without privacy lock. If the closet is large, I'd probably install one with a lock. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
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Interior door knobs, yes, it's home decor, lol
Q
Comments (5)
I'm on the laptop now, ipad hinders me but its easier, lol! FYI: I overthink things all the time so you just have to bear with me. Sorry folks! lol Hubby doesn't want levers because they catch on his pant pockets sometimes. Valid point for dummy knobs on those 4 closet doors. It took me a while to adjust to the idea of knobs but I like egg shape the most. I'm liking the Weslock Julienne in ORB. Its a bit over budget. https://t.build.com/products/s95750 Then I ran across this design but haven't found much on the brand. I like that it comes in solid black. https://t.build.com/products/s438134 I want to stay in the vintage/old fashioned look. I don't want a Tuscan style. Suggestions would be deeply appreciated! I am spending way too much time thinking about this but I want the hallway to look great. Its kind of sad that I don't even have anything hung up, lol.
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schlage interior door knob - help
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Comments (9)
stash - thanks for the link, I found that online too. This is an interior set with no locks so the set up is different. bondrey102: I've done door sets before too and I hadn't seen a pressed-on knob before either. I agree that the best fix is to just pick up a new knob. I don't know exactly how he managed it. He's 20 yo and luckily did not fall down the stairs. FWIW I took out the two screws and the halves split in the middle with a knob and cover plate going to each side. For the short term, I banged the loose knob back on with a hammer. It's not straight and has some wiggle but at least it operates and stays on for now. I'll pick up a new knob set one of these days. Thanks to all who posted for the input.
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HELP! Do we need 4 dummy door knobs?
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Comments (16)
I use Baldwin knobs. The half dummy is a small 1/2 inch bore hole similar to a cabinet knob with a small matching plate on the back of the door. This would be used for a closet door where you don't see the back of the door. The knobs come with a template for the hole. You just use a 1/2 inch regular drill bit, takes 30 seconds. My Baldwin full dummy is a spindle through the 1/2 inch hole with a fixed knob on either side. It looks like a regular door knob but doesn't turn so it is used on doors that you see both sides. I would definitely get a full dummy set for your doors since it is a passageway. Just make sure your guy doesn't drill regular bore holes in the door. I ordered closet doors prebored and am stuck using a regular functioning knob set since the holes are too big for a dummy set. I guess some dummy knobs must just get screwed on from the front? Maybe that is what you were looking at? I thought they all worked like Balwins.
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RedRyder
last year
I used the lower right door knobs Beverly posted throughout my previous house. I chose the brushed nickel finish but the dark bronze is beautiful. The front door lock set matched it. It was amazing how many people noticed the door handles when they went into other rooms. Nice door handles matter in a craftsman house.

For my 1925 house, every door handle was a glass round handle with brass. Keeping with they style of a house matters.
Liz Ortuzar
Original Author
last year
Thank you both!! I have a beautiful cremone bolt on my coat closet door which I plan on keeping. The levers are really beautiful - just gorgeous! I love the bronze, but I learned that the finish rubs off, even on the Emtek ones, so I may use matte black. I know there are no hard and fast rules, but I struggle with decor as I love way too many things haha.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
So you think the black will not rub off?????????
Liz Ortuzar
Original Author
last year
@BeverlyFLADeziner, I haven’t seen nearly the number of complaints for the black rubbing off as the bronze. Commenters also pretty consistently say the black can be touched up; not so much with bronze. Thanks for your thoughtful comment!!
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
Old craftsman houses had living finishes on the hardware, in my experience working class houses had brass plate over steel with a bronze finish that wore off where it was touched frequently. To me hardware should be consistent throughout the house but not necessarily exactly the same- my exterior doors have levers my interior doors have glass knobs but all the same aesthetic and the same chrome backplate.
RedRyder
last year
I love the darkened silver one that Beverly posted (upper right corner). The finish-coming-off issue would be reduced or not a problem. Will that finish work in your house?

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