How to Choose Interior Door Handles

Even though they may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we are building a new home, renovating or simply freshening up our interior style, door handles are very important. They aren’t just a thing we have to have so that we can separate two rooms by closing the door. These small practical accessories can be a rather important asset when it comes to the aesthetics of your home, the style, as well as the consistency in the style of your interior.

But when it’s time to buy door hardware, you may start realising how many good choices there are out there, how many styles, colours, finishes, shapes, designs… When we are choosing a small but important item for your home, as the handles for your interior doors, it can be pretty hard for many of us to paint a picture in our minds of how it will look.

But how lucky are we that in this time and age we can do anything from the comfort of our home, including to buying home hardware products online, right? Things are so much easier nowadays when it comes to choosing the style of any product for our home, whether it’s a furniture piece, an artwork, a decorative accessory, or accessories vital for the functionality, as well as the aesthetical appeal of our home, like the door hardware. We can simply open a photo that the store has published of the handle we like, and point our phone towards the door to help ourselves imagine how it would look.

But even with a good photo, some can still struggle to make their minds up. So, to make things even easier for you, here’s what you should know when it comes to door handles.

Types of Door Handles
Door handles come in an incredible variety, but they can all be divided into two main categories, according to the way you use them to open and close your door. Most of us have a preference when it comes to whether we are going to choose door lever handles or doorknobs, often according to the doors in our childhood house, because one may feel more natural to us than the other. The important thing is to find whatever is most comfortable for you.

Door Lever Handles

These are a newer option in comparison to doorknobs, and they are ideal to match with contemporary or modern furniture and decor. Many people find them more comfortable, which is why they are the more popular choice for interior and exterior doors in contemporary homes, as well as businesses, public institutions, etc.

Furthermore, this door handle option is often considered to be more practical than doorknobs, probably because there are more people who find it to be more intuitive and somewhat easier to use. The fact that you could also use an elbow to open it is a plus, especially when it comes to interior doors, so in case you are bringing something from one room to another, it can be much easier to move around.

Doorknobs

Doorknobs have been around for longer than levers, and they can offer more when it comes to aesthetics since they can be crafted in some incredible designs. Even though they are older, and they are often used in older period properties, they can look beautiful on any type of property. For those that prefer knobs over handles, but their property isn’t in an older more traditional style, there are many contemporary designs that can look great in your home.

The Style

Even though all parts of the door hardware, also called door furniture, are crucial for a functional home, when it comes to style, what you should be thinking about is the door handles. These accessories are the jewellery of the door, and they can give your home a complete look.

Both types of door handles come in a huge variety of designs so there is plenty to choose from. While knobs are often considered to be more suitable for period styles, and door lever handles for Scandinavian style, other minimalistic and contemporary styles, modern styles, etc., regardless of the type, they both offer beautiful almost art-like designs, with the traditional or old-timey vibe, or with minimalistic, sophisticated or even futuristic options.

The Material and the Finish

One way to choose the ideal door handles for your home when you are searching for home hardware products online is according to the finish. The material used in the finish can help you determine whether the door hardware will go well with the interior design or not and how durable it will be. Traditionally door handles were made from cast iron, malleable iron, and so on, whereas nowadays the most common option is stainless steel. All of these are extremely durable options you won’t go wrong with.

Today’s handles, on the other hand, often made from brass or stainless steel, come in a wide variety of finishes, with the most popular ones being nickel, chrome, bronze, black antique, polished brass, etc. Each of these finishes offers stunning selections of door handle suitable for different styles. Nickel and chrome are often an ideal choice for homes with modern and contemporary styles and they are easy to clean, while bronze and black finishes can go well in traditional home designs.