Alternate post title: Come And Knob On Our Door. Don’t you love a good forced pun on a Wednesday morning?
Ever since we shared a bunch of doorknob options last week (and ordered the ones we liked the most), we’ve been waiting for them to arrive so that our upstairs doors could finally have some closure. Literally, we couldn’t close any of the doors. So when the box landed on our porch, we got right on installing them.
Like many DIY projects, adding the new knobs was a bit more complicated than we anticipated. The latch assembly was bigger than the existing holes in our doors, so I had to use a drill to carve them out a bit wider. I tried a file at first (as the knob instructions suggested) but it took a lot more time and effort than using the spinning drill bit to chip away at it, so that became my preferred method.
I had to do that on every single door (all eleven of them), so it definitely added to the timeline (and mess) of the project. On five of the doors I also had to chisel out this notch a bit deeper because it wasn’t allowing the latch to stick far enough into the hole where it had to line up with the knobs.
So, what I thought might be an hour of work turned into a four hour drilling and chiseling marathon (oh DIY, you unpredictable beast, you). But in the end, it was time well spent.
I didn’t really realize how unfinished the upstairs hallway looked with all of the naked doors staring at us. Although I’m sure Clara will miss peeking through the open knob holes and making faces.
This is the best I could do to get all of the doors into one shot (the master bedroom – seen above – is behind me). Taking this shot was actually the first time we’ve ever been able to close them all since moving in, which has been especially nice for rooms like Clara’s (no more propping the door shut with a floor pillow for naps) and the bathroom (for, well, obvious reasons).
We’re really happy that we went with the knobs with the big back plate too. They’re a nice traditional touch without looking overly ornate. Sherry says they’re like little exclamation points on every door, which is pretty accurate I think. They sort of quietly make a statement without being crazy and compete-y if that makes sense.
And as mentioned in last week’s post, we opted to put versions without the back plate on the closets and bathrooms to save a bit of dough (they were $10 less). We ended up putting a plated version on the hall bathroom too, just so that it didn’t stick out among the other doorways in the hallway when you get to the top of the stairs. So the plate-less version ended up going on the attic door, since it’s tucked away beyond the laundry area.
There’s also a two-doored linen closet in the hallway (you can see half of it in the fourth picture), but we thought two of the plated doorknobs right next to each other would be too much for that, so it got the basic closet ones on it as well as all of the other closets, which is nice. It blends since everything is the same finish, and it’s sort of a subtle reminder that the doors with the back plates are rooms, whereas any door with a regular knob is just a closet (or the attic storage room).
Last week some folks wondered if/how these doors locked, so we snapped these detail pics. On the inside there’s a little button behind the knob that you can push to lock it, and it unlocks when you turn the knob from the inside. We like having locks around so Clara’s exposed to them and can learn about them (we worry she’d lock herself into her friend’s room or a hotel bathroom or something if she never learned what they were and not to touch them). And it’s nice to know that if Clara were ever to lock herself in, there’s a keyhole on the other side that pops it right open with a flat silver key (see that small hole in the photo on the right below?). We’ve stuck the keys in our junk-drawer for easy grabbing, but so far we have lived with the doorknobs for a few days and Clara has heeded our “please don’t touch that part” requests. Update: Thanks for the tips to put the keys on top of each door! We did that in our houses growing up, but these keys are larger and flat (sort of like a hinge) so they wouldn’t balance on the door frame.
Which is good because we don’t want any funny business going on behind closed doors around here. We already caught Burger playing with Clara’s old play mat. Sneaky chihuahua…
So we’re glad that we don’t have a bunch of holey doors giving us the stink eye, but when it comes to furniture placement, window treatments, closet organization, and paint picks for the walls… let’s just say that we’ve lived here for two weeks and it looks like we moved in two weeks ago. There are still chairs and boxes in weird places, bare walls and mostly bare windows, and a whole lot to be done. But planning is the fun part for us. We’ve been brainstorming late into the night until one of us stops talking and we realize they’re asleep and we’re talking to nobody.
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Mandy says
I lived in a farm house built in 1900 when I was a kid and the door knobs were just like this…. I think there is something wrong with me, since door knobs are making me nostalgic right now. Haha
Kristy S says
Did you guys match door stops to the door knobs? Do they make them in the same finish?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, the latch part on the wall side of the door came with the knob (all sold as one “unit”) and it’s in the same finish.
xo
s
Stephanie P says
I’m curious, being that the knobs have an oil-rubbed bronze finish, will you incorporate that look into other fixtures – lights and faucets, etc?
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve always loved ORB curtain rods, so those will definitely be in most rooms if not all I would think. Along with some ORB lights I’d guess. We’ll have to see where we end up!
xo
s
Alyssa says
The new knobs look great, I love the style you picked! I haven’t commented since you moved in and started posting about all your little projects, but I am loving this! It’s like I found a whole new blog, but I already know the writers, so were not going through the awkward “getting to know you” phase!! Haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Alyssa!
xo
s
Auntie Allyn says
You’ve vexed me! I live alone and, as such, rarely ever close a door (and, as such, I really don’t notice my doorknobs). Obviously, I close the front and back entry doors when necessary, but that’s different. You’ve now got me thinking about changing the knobs, because yours look so fabulous (and your old ones look exactly like mine). I’ve only got about a dozen doors, so it wouldn’t be a huge expense. Except, of course, I’d probably need to hire someone to install them. John seems to be a real pro at this now . . . I don’t live that far from you, so let me know if he’d like to earn a little extra pin money by installing some new doorknobs at my house!
Auntie Allyn says
And I’d dress up like Mrs. Roper!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
christina @ homemade ocean says
A Three’s Company reference….didn’t think I could love you all any more. But it’s true, I do. I do love you more than ever, and now that song is stuck in my head haha!!!
Olivia says
Heh. “Closure.” :)
Sherry@The Impatient Remodelers says
Those look amazing!! It makes me hate our doors even more!!! One day…
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
Oh wow. Those look awesome. Crazy how seemingly easy projects always get a little more complicated. But they are definitely worth it. It definitely has a more expensive look!
Joseph says
Replacing our doorknobs is turning out to be a pain too, surprise. We had to go and get different screws to make up for the last knob installer using a larger size then intended. When we finally got the knob in it turned out to be defective! So now we’re returning them and getting a replacement set.
Heather @ Barefoot Crafts says
Love the contrast!
Melissa says
Love the knobs – they look great. Makes me more excited to switch out our own 1986 brass knobs.
And on the Clara locking herself in front, we actually flipped our kids knobs so the locks are on the outside. That way they can’t lock themselves in.
Amy says
I think, so far…….what you guys have shown in pics, that the new house looks awesome…..your standards are pretty high—just a guess:)
love the door knobs too, the contrast is charming!
Barbara says
They look lovely!
What is that crazy tiny ballister thing by Clara’s door? Is it really a stair handrail? It looks tiny!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, that’s the top of the stairs. I think John’s just tall and it’s in the background, so there’s some perspective play going on :)
xo
s
Kath says
They’re beautiful! It’s amazing how much of a difference a the right hardware makes, or how different styles can change the “feel” of a house! My fiancee sells building products: door & cabinet hardware, doors (interior and exterior), house trim, windows, etc. and I LOVE seeing all the new products and the styles some of the larger (18,000sf+) houses are choosing. It’s a whole different world!
If he ever decides to get out of the business, I’ll need to make sure to take advantage of his at cost pricing, but even with that great of a discount, it’s amazing how much these things can cost. I guess it doesn’t help that I always seem to choose the most expensive things! ;)
Just wondering…have you ever had “levered” door handles in any of your houses? I saw that you had 1 option when you had shown your choices. I currently have them in my house (1st time) and as much as I LOVE the handled knobs (I actually like them better), the convenience of being able to open a door with full hands (whether it be a bay, groceries, etc.) out-weighs my liking the knobs better. I’m not sure I could ever not have levered handles in my house again!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve never had those on anything but french doors, but we hear they’re so convenient!
xo
s
Julia @ Chris Loves Julia says
I suddenly feel like we NEED new door knobs immediately. Charming upgrade.
Venia | Organized Bites says
Now, I feel like all my doors are wearing cheap earrings. :( Those knobs are gorgeous. I love the plates, and the locks are a must have in case Mr. Roper comes knockin’.
Kim says
The doors and the knobs are beautiful! I would think the dark color would be great for toddlers, too, to hide sticky fingerprints.
Adrienne B says
OMG! I’ve been singing that theme song to my 3 month old! :)
Jordan says
I love love LOVE these doorknobs! My husband and I want to replace all of our doors and get new knobs and considered hiring it out because it seemed tedious (all of our doors don’t shut properly and the previous owner who installed them did somewhat of a whack-job chiseling out for the hinges) buuuut, that quote came in near the $4k mark for our entire house (GULP!). Needless to say, we’ll be repainting and hanging doors ourselves. Did you guys replace all of your hinges too? We’ve thought about spray painting the ones we have, but weren’t sure if it would rub off or not. Did you have any issues rehanging them or was it pretty straightforward? One last question– Did you guys sand your doors down before painting them with the sprayer? I’m so loving the way your house is already coming along!! Thank you so much for sharing what you do!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we replaced them with one contractor pack from Home Depot (they sell them cheap in bulk, and the ORB finish is perfect). That way we don’t have to worry about them grinding or rubbing off. As for the doors, we didn’t sand them because they weren’t glossy (they were a chalky matte finish) but if yours are, a quick sanding will help!
xo
s
Amy @ Croquet & Cocktails says
Looks great! It’s amazing how finished such a seemingly little detail makes it seem. At least to us… When you open those doors you’re faced with boxes and such reminding you how much work there is to be done. Ah, the joys of moving!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes! Now we can hide the chaos moving piles behind doors that latch!
xo
s
Whitney Dupuis says
Love the color and finish choice! These look great.
Laura says
They look fabulous. Definitely a major upgrade.
Jen says
You guys are amazing! I spend EVERYDAY reading and searching through your blog :) You guys have given me the BEST ideas for my new house! My favorite part about all of your projects is that you do everything on a budget! You have shown us that we can all have nice things and decorate fabulously, without spending a fortune! Thank you for all of your inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Jen, you’re so sweet!
xo
s
Peggy McKee says
The new knobs are great–however, IMHO all doors should have had the rectangular plate. I have an old (1905) house with similar knobs and all doors have the rectangular plate, even closet doors. Can you exchange the round ones?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we could’ve exchanged them and upgraded to the plated ones on all of the doors if we wanted to, but we really like the distinction between the rooms and the closets. Definitely a personal preference thing :)
xo
s
betty says
love them! the upstairs hallway is really coming together :) now you just need some paint, art, and light fixtures! i’m slowly replacing all the doors and knobs (with your closet/bathroom knobs) and i love the new look. its funny how a little ORB can make me so happy.
Elle says
I know you said you aren’t committed to redoing anything that you’ve done before, but if you redid something like the frame hallway you had a key hanging in there. If the key(s) for the new knobs are pretty enough you could hide them in plain sight on the frame wall.
Now I want new knobs on all my doors too.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a cute idea!
xo
s
Sarah says
They look beautiful! I picked brushed nickel, but looking at these almost wish we went for dark! BTW thanks for the recommendation on simplicity parenting on the sidebar! I bought it through kindle and am loving it! I figured out my daughter’s response to stress is hyperactivity and its helping me pick up on her stress cues before a meltdown (which as you know, when you have a 2 year old, that’s really helpful!)
Love you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t it good?! I just finished it and John’s starting it now.
xo
s
Jamie says
Interested to see what you do with the mini banister thing at the top of the steps…any ideas yet? I wonder if a small half-wall would look better than the two spindle look.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah I think first we’ll paint things (we’re thinking about white spindles and an ebony railing) and then see what we think!
xo
s
Cair says
Amazing! You’ve only (!) done three things – trim paint, floors, and knobs and it’s made such a huge difference. I like how you’ve completed the things that apply to the whole second floor. Now if it takes some time before you get down and dirty in diy-ing and decorating individual rooms it still feels like it’s all cared for an consistent.
Love, love, love.
Caitlin says
It’s amazing how simple things like fresh paint, new floors, and hardware make such an enormous difference- that hall does not at all resemble what it did a month ago!
kristy says
Perhaps my most favorite subject line of yours, ever! (And now I’m curious if Three’s Company is on netflix, hulu, or amazon video!)
Lauren Nicole says
Is it weird that I’m really glad the Three’s Company theme song is now on a loop in my mind? Thanks for the smile!
Melissa Ricci says
The best title for a post…ever.
Come on and knob on our dooooor, we will be waiting for youuuuuuuuu
Gaah! It’s in my head now! Thanks a lot John and Sherry :-)
Love the knobs, great pick!
Xo Melissa
Jennifer says
That last pic of Burger is too cute! Now that you’ve been in there full-time for two weeks, does he seem to navigate the stairs ok? I would be concerned my high-energy beagle would try to go down too fast and instead tumble down!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, he has been great with them (Clara too) but we still have the old carpet runner on them, so when we finally tear that off we might need to add a seagrass runner or something.
xo
s
LauraC says
I have looked for 4+ years for a sea-grass runner (that doesn’t cost $1000). If you find one I will be very happy!
YoungHouseLove says
I’m up for the challenge! Although with all the steps we have, we might need to get more than one…
xo
s
Anne says
*tear* John Ritter *tear*
Knobs look good! You could have also done an innuendo like Colin from “Love Actually”: “Here comes Colin Frissell, and he’s got a big knob!” (said in a British accent)
YoungHouseLove says
Hilarious. I forgot all about that one (not sure John has seen it).
xo
s
stephanie says
I laugh hysterically every time I see that part in the movie. HAHAHAHA
Anne says
I don’t know how John is with Rom-Coms, but even my husband likes that movie. We quote it to each other all. the. time.
Janel says
They sure are puuuuuuurdy! Love the traditional feel and how it perfectly compliments the crisp white of the doors and the rich reddish-brown in the walnut floors. Bravo, Petersiks…bravo!!! (insert golf-clap here)
Oh, and off the subject: have you guys done a “drive-by” at the old-ish house yet? I bet everyone would love to see if the new owners have changed anything on the outside. They’d be out of their dang minds if they did!
YoungHouseLove says
I really want to! Maybe sometime this week!
xo
s
Kathleen says
In my condo the previous owner replace the original 1950’s brass knobs and some hinges (with great back plates and a soft patina) with cheap nickle plated door knobs. Not only do they feel cheap, not all doors / hinges were done. And doors like the bathroom and bedrooms don’t have locks. Ggrrrr. It’s a project I need to get one but am dreading the expense.
Emily | Sparkle Meets Pop says
Looks great! Had to laugh a bit about the late-night brainstorming sessions. Just be sure to get the other to agree on your crazy idea at the right time, so you can easily get a “yes.” ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I like that strategy…
xo
s
julia @ cuckoo4design says
Wow, so pretty! Love them!
Wrenaria says
They look lovely! Definitely a worthwhile upgrade, even if it took four times as long to install than anticipated. The details make all the difference.
HK says
Did I miss the post on hinge painting, or did you buy hinges?
YoungHouseLove says
We got a contractor pack of ORB hinges at Home Depot (they’re cheap in bulk there!) and just used those instead of painting the old ones because we worried they’d rub/grind the paint off over time.
xo
s
Leslie M says
Hey, these are great! First time commenter/reader. I have heard great things about your blog. Would these work on hollow core doors in your opinion?
thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, I definitely think they would! They’re nice and heavy too, so they might make them feel more like solid doors when you open and close them.
xo
s
Angel says
I love the plates on these. I’m also glad you could choose because I was only able to narrow it down to six on the door handle post.
Speaking of knocking on ones door, have any neighbors introduced themselves yet?
I just delivered sweets and flowers to our fourth new neighbor, and I may be single-handedly keeping the local in business. Everyone is moving this year!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so thoughtful! We have met a ton of our neighbors and they have all been awesome! One family came bearing sweet tea and another had melty cookies. Pretty much sealed the deal that we love them all.
xo
s
Erika K says
Lovely!
Good idea teaching Clara about the locks. When we moved into our current home, we never found the keys for the bedroom/bathroom doors (and they also had locking handles on random doors like the pantry and hall closet versus the upstairs guest bathroom). Well, my biggest fear that we would lock the doors on accident and have no way to open them. Cue my 5 year old nephew, who did it to the pantry door (in which we had to take the door off the hinges to unlock) and the half bath. Luckily, we discovered the secret to unlocking them without a key!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! So glad you discovered the secret! I can pop a door with a credit card (as long as there’s no deadbolt of course) so that’s my party trick… haha!
xo
s
Tanya says
So, what do you think of ORB with wood doors? I am painting all my trim white, but unfortunately have solid doors with no panels or anything to break it up. I painted one of them last weekend and it just looks stupid (#diyfail), so all the doors are staying wood for now. Am wondering if ORB will be good, or if there is something out there that you might know about that I don’t?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it would look really pretty with wood doors! It would make for a rich tone on tone look I think.
xo
s
Nichole K says
Love the new knobs. Funny how little touches like this sometimes make the biggest difference!
Wanted to let you know that the Amazon link for the sunburst mirror is giving a 404 error. It’s a super cute mirror!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Looks like it’s gone already. I’ll try to hunt down something similar.
xo
s
Rachel @ Personality Crafts says
Looks knobs look great!
I don’t think it looks like you’ve only lived there two weeks– I remember the “before” photo… the progress you have made in such a short time upstairs is almost miraculous! And those knobs just make everything look more polished. Great job, as usual.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes there are definitely parts like the hallway that look awesome! But if you open any of our closets and a few of our rooms in general… your first question would be “so you just moved in, right?!” – haha!
xo
s
Megan L says
Love these knobs! I copied your paint the brass knobs oil rubbed bronze suggestion on my apartment knobs and whoa what a difference. Thank you for continuing to plant ideas that I can use in my own home. Someday. Maybe?