Watch Your Back Plates

Behind every great doorknob is a great back plate.  Back plates are just as important as the knobs themselves, and can be just as highly designed, so if you are planning to replace your knobs you should also consider replacing the back plates. 

Why not purchase your new hardware in complete sets so that everything matches?

After all, you don’t want to have a brass doorknob situated within a copper back plate. Also, if you’re looking for an ornate Gothic-inspired door knob, it's counterpart should be the same to keep the look completely eye-catching. If you’re keeping your hardware sleek and modern then make sure that the back plate doesn’t look too old or lavish.  Thinking about these small details may seem significant, but having a stellar doorknob with an equally exquisite plate could be the secret key to making your door entrance pop.   

And while I recommend keeping the metals and designs of your doorknobs and back plates consistent with one another, perhaps you are the more adventurous type with an eye for aesthetics and a desire to make a look that’s all your own.  Go ahead and explore mixing and matching. Perhaps a highly sculptural polished chrome doorknob might sit nicely on a very basic back plate in the same finish.  Or maybe you’re looking for something regal and eccentric, and want to pair a muted dark nickel knob with an elaborately decorated and bold back plate in polished brass?

Whatever it is you are looking for when replacing your hardware, what is important to note how many options there are available for any style and in any color.  In addition, it is important not to just think about the small picture in terms of the doorknobs—but also to think about the options and varieties in the other areas of a hardware set.  Just because your installing a new back plate, does not mean it has to fade unnoticed to the background.      

Door Pulls With A Twist

The other day I visited the new Diana Student Center at Barnard College and came across its eye catching door pulls.  Before even entering the highly designed building I was already taking notice of a fine architectural detail, as each door contained a long glistening rectangular band of metal with a 180-degree twist at its center. These pulls weren’t just regular door handles for me to grip without batting an eye—they begged to be noticed.  After coming across these handles, I got to thinking about how effective unique and interesting door pulls can be, and about the potential they have to add a successful decorative element to any lacking space. 

Think about it. Every person has to notice a door handle, since he or she has to use it to enter and exit a space. Because of its daily functionality, a door handle is easy to brush off as an ordinary item, and so many people simply go for a plain and basic model. This is why users for the most part don’t remember what a doorknob looked like, since it more than likely was ordinary in the first place. But if I think about it, nine times out of ten an upscale retail store will ornament their front entrance with a more elaborate door pull, and I always can’t help but take notice.  That’s because a unique door pull is a simple and easy addition able to spruce up an overall look by adding luxury and texture to any entrance. 

Don’t just settle for an average everyday handle. Instead, I implore you to think about the endless possibilities there are available in choosing a door pull. No matter what manner or style you are designing for, I can bet there is hardware out there for you.  If you’re designing a modern interior, you might want to keep it simple and add some shine to your space with a sleek silver amorphous pull. Smooth and unornamented, these pulls are glossy and chic in their undulating shape and the way they catch the light. 

Are you more of a fan of art-deco design? Then perhaps you should go for a vertically ribbed pull, which will add some texture to your room and feel good on the door-opening hands.  Maybe you’re designing in a gothic manner, and are looking for something with heavier ornament.  Well there are plenty of styles to choose from including handles with pointed floral detailing to ones with spiraling cable designs.  There are even pulls out there for those with artistic and whimsical eyes, who are looking for the door handles that resemble nothing like they’ve ever seen.