PERIOD DOOR FURNITURE – MAKING THE RIGHT SELECTION

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PERIOD DOOR FURNITURE MAKING THE RIGHT SELECTION
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• If you are renovating a period property it is
  really important to give time and consideration
  to the smaller decorative details as they make
  all the difference. Selecting your period door
  furniture can be tricky, but hopefully using some
  of the tips below you will make the right choices
  for your property.

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Budgeting

• One of the first problems is that these are often
  overlooked at the planning and budgeting stage.
  This leads to the budget being used up on the
  larger more structural things such as doors,
  windows and floors.

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• Having good quality door and window furniture can
  be expensive, so it is essential to consider it
  right at the beginning of your project.

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Preserve What you Have

• Try as far as you can to keep the original door
  furniture. There can be issues with this, as old
  door knobs will have imperial spindles and so you
  will need to keep or renovate old locks and
  latches, modern locks and latches will be metric.
  Imperial spindles are a fraction too small for
  modern locks and will rattle around in the latch. 

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• There are a few specialist lock restorers about
  who can help with this. We do have a way around
  fitting metric spindles into imperial
  locks. Click here for further reading. 

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• Use original items to guide your selection if you
  do have to buy new. Iron door furniture may well
  have rusted, but brass will survive the years
  extremely well.

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Selecting the right items

• If you have lovely period doors or newly made
  ones, perhaps in reclaimed wood, these doors can
  be enhanced with suitable door furniture and
  equally ruined with the wrong items. You need to
  select pieces which are similar in style and
  sympathetic to the period of the property.

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• Your first clue, as we have said, is to look at
  what you have. Look at other houses close by,
  especially in terraces or where you have close
  neighbours. We often have photos of doors sent to
  us and we provide suitable items to copy the
  look.

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• Do your own research into the style of the door,
  when does it date from, what is the style and
  what wood is it made from? This can then lead to
  the correct selection of door knobs, latches,
  letter plates etc. Pinterest can be a useful
  source of pictures of period doors and their
  fittings. Not only do you have to decide what
  finish go for, but also what items to use.

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Material

• Black iron fittings would have been the most
  common prior to and through the Georgian Era.
  Black iron, probably made by the local
  blacksmith, would have been used on rustic doors
  and cottages and on early six panel doors. Not
  until later in the Regency period would brass
  have started to come in.

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• Brass was the most common in Victorian times with
  shiny brass on the front door to make a real
  statement. Nickel and Chrome plate would have
  been used, but the plating process was
  significantly improved at the end of the 19th
  century, leading to more volumes and cheaper
  plating prices .

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• Here is an article covering A Brief History of
  Nickel and Chrome Plating. Once we get into
  Edwardian and Art Nouveau, any finishes would be
  acceptable brass, nickel chrome or iron on rustic
  properties and into Art Deco where again all
  finishes would have been used, but especially
  polished nickel and chrome and plastics such as
  Bakelite.

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• Bakelite is no longer made but old door knobs can
  be found reclaimed, just beware the problems with
  imperial size spindles. One small note of caution
  is to be careful with applied finishes which can
  look a bit false in their attempt to replicate
  the look of old finishes e.g.

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• Antique Brass and bronze. For period properties
  it is much better steer clear and go for the
  unlacquered (uncoated) item which will discolour
  and tarnish soon enough. Never make the mistake
  of going for lacquered brass. More reading
  Unlacquered v Lacquered Brass.

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Which Items of Door Furniture

• Give consideration to which pieces you want on
  your doors. If you have planked internal doors,
  then just a pair of hinges and a suffolk latch.
  On an old rustic external door you would again
  have a latch and hinges and a knocker no letter
  plate. Make another arrangement for letters
  rather than spoiling an old door by cutting in a
  letter plate.

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• On six panel internal doors, a pair of door knobs
  and butt hinges and on external doors centre
  pulls were common. Have a look at pictures of
  famous Georgian streets and you will see this
  look designs are classic and simple.

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• Victorians liked statement pieces, fancy letter
  plates with the word letters on the flap, beehive
  and more fancy designs in door knobs and door
  knockers. They would normally have used finger
  plates to protect their doors from dirty fingers.
  See related articles below.

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• With all older buildings, especially if listed
  you will need to get consent prior to commencing
  restoration. The period features and historic
  character must not be affected by modifications
  to the interior or exterior.

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• Before you make any changes, do check if you need
  listed building consent which should be done via
  your local planning authority. The Listed
  Property Owners Club can also be a useful point
  of reference.

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• To know more information, visit us

http//www.priorsrec.co.uk/