How you like them handles?
(Handles, apples. It’s all the same. Right Matt Damon? What? You don’t think Matt Damon reads this blog? Of course he doesn’t.)
Anyway, I’m back to share the hardware makeover play-by-play and a ton of pics that we couldn’t squeeze into our door-painting post on Wednesday. So fasten your seat belts. Oh yeah, it’s gonna get crazy. First I have a secret. The hardware on our sliding doors in the living room looked like this:
Le yikes, right? It’s all sorts of bad with the swoopy handle. If you look a little closer it’s not even shiny and new looking gold, it’s all rusted and neglected…
So as you can probably tell from the photo above (duh) down they came. We stripped the hardware off of both of the sliding doors in about five minutes (I took one side while John got the other one) by just unscrewing things on the front, back, and side to free them with a regular old philips head screwdriver…
… and then we removed the doorknob and the rusty old door knocker on the front door (also with a screwdriver – there were exposed screws that we just removed from the back).
You can check out our door-painting post for more details on that stuff (like how we sanded the paint around the hardware that we removed so it was nice and smooth before painting).
But back to our pile o’ removed hardware. Here we have the sliding door hardware along with the doorknob, deadbolt, and the door knocker from the front door:
It was like a Gold Hardware “Where Are They Now?” Special on VH1. Some folks weren’t as crusty as others, but they were all well past their prime.
So after some decent amount of online research and chatting up the paint pros at Lowe’s (there’s a woman at the one near us who is phenomenally knowledgeable) we learned that the most recommended method for refinishing hardware (to gain the most durability and long-lasting finish) was:
- Sand as much of the hardware as you can with high grit (200+) sandpaper to rough it up
- Use a liquid deglosser (like this one) to degloss everything to get oils and sanded particles off of the hardware before spraying
- Apply one thin and even coat of high quality spray primer meant for metal (we grabbed Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Coverage Primer in gray since we figured it would blend more than white)
- Apply two to three thin and even coats of high quality spray paint meant for metal in your color of choice (of course, our poison was: Rustoleum Universal Metallic All-Surface Spray Paint in Oil-Rubbed Bronze)
So I grabbed my high grit sandpaper and started on the first step: sanding.
Ahhhhhhhhh. Baaaad idea. The sandpaper left tons of obvious scratches in the gold finish that I knew wouldn’t completely be covered by thin coats of primer and spray paint. I should have taken a picture of the one side of the doorknob that I thought I ruined with the dumb sanding step but I was too busy freaking out. So naturally I made some sort of sound that resembled a walrus screaming and chucked the sandpaper as far away as possible while cradling/apologizing to my doorknob and promising him that I’d never hurt him like that again. Luckily I realized the knob would be installed with that part underneath, so only Clara-height children may be able to see the slightly roughed up texture on the underside. Whew.
Update: A few smarter-than-me commenters recommended trying steel wool or super high grit automotive sandpaper to rough up the surface, so I plan to try that next time. Just tossing that out there for anyone who might be doing this (who may want extra “insurance” that the spray will hold).
So it was out the window with step one, and on to step two: deglossing. I just used some rubber gloves and a rag to apply the deglosser and then let everything dry a little so it wasn’t soaking wet before moving onto step three: applying one thin coat of spray primer. But when I went to grab the primer I noticed something intriguing on the ORB can next to it. It said “paint & primer in one” right on the label. Duh. No need to beat a dead horse.
So I trusted my beloved ORB spray primer + paint to lead the way and just applied three thin and even coats to all of my hardware (that I strategically placed on cardboard so I could access all of the exposed parts by piercing the long metal interior hardware rods through the cardboard so they stood up). I will now repeat that thin and even is the key when it comes to spray paint. If you apply thin & even coats they won’t be globby and thick, and they’ll bond/cure very strongly, which will greatly reduce any issues with things flaking, scratching, or peeling down the line.
Oh and see that key? That’s a secret.
I decided I didn’t want to muck up the inside of my lock with spray paint, so I used a spare house key to block the spray from getting into the lock (while allowing me to access the rest of the knob). I didn’t push the key all the way in for fear that the top of the key would block some of the outside of the doorknob, so I just stuck it halfway in so it would block the interior part without inhibiting access to the metal facade around it. Then I just removed it and used it on the deadbolt’s keyhole when I sprayed that.
Oh and another spraying tip would be to put all of your screws into the hardware and pierce them through the cardboard so the ends of them get sprayed to match (like the two that you see below). Also, be sure to move things like latches back and forth between coats to make sure you can access all areas of the hardware with spray paint. Like this…
… and this:
About an hour later (I probably waited 20 minutes between each of my three thin and even coats, just to be sure it was nice and cured before piling more on) I was left with these beauties:
Who sees a winking face? Just me?
I probably waited six full hours after my last coat of spray paint before reinstalling anything. Just to give them a lot of time to fully cure and ensure that I wouldn’t scratch or ding something while putting them back on the doors. I can’t speak to the long-term durability of this process since it has only been… oh, about 48 hours. But I can tell you that reinstalling them went really smoothly and everything works just as well as it used to and nothing was even remotely marred or dinged during installation or in the past two days since.
So I guess we’ll check back in with an update about how they hold up over the long haul (these doors are used every single day thanks to a dog who loves going in and out). But so far, so good. And it definitely beats buying all new hardware (we figured we didn’t have anything to lose in trying to make the old stuff work before resorting to trashing it and splurging for all new hardware).
Oh and it bares noting that things look pretty black in some of these pics, but it’s just because ORB is a mystical creature. So it’s hard to capture the true color that you see in real life (which is a rich metallic-y chocolate). Actually, the exterior sprayed shots above show the true color really well. It still looks like that inside, it’s just seemingly impossible to get it on film.
Perhaps the most exciting thing is that in taking this style quiz, the thing that I loved most about the room they said was “my style” was the white door with the dark hardware. And now it’s mine. All mine. Mwahahaha. (<– yup, I broke out my maniacal laugh)
I think it looks delish with the oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods and the dark beams. And John digs it too (delish just isn’t an adjective he’s apt to use).
Me-ow old sliding door friend. My how you’ve matured. Well, as much as a twisty twirly old 80’s knob can really mature.
And you’ve already seen our freshly sprayed front door hardware, but let’s just revisit it for a moment:
So yeah. We’re happy with our little almost-foiled-by-the-sandpaper process. Although I must admit that after I sprayed the underside of the knob, the scratches were hardly noticeable. So maybe if you’re a staunch rule follower (and not a freaked out walrus impersonator like me) you could get away with the sanding step. Either way, I have high hopes that the deglosser and included-primer will do their job when it comes to adhesion (especially since our old scratched and rusted fixtures weren’t too glossy or shiny to begin with).
As for the ORB finish: Hi my name is Sherry, and I’m addicted to oil-rubbed bronze. They say you can’t help who you love. But it could be worse. I could be addicted to sanding things, which would have been a cruel joke since sandpaper was the kryptonite of this project. I wonder why. Has anyone else successfully sanded their metal hardware before spraying it? Was it not all scratched up? Maybe it just looked “brushed” in the end? I just didn’t trust myself to do it all in one consistent direction (aka: not make a hot mess that was oh so obvious after the spray-job). So in summary, my method was just to: use a liquid deglosser (although I’ll also try steel wool or extra high grit sandpaper next time), lay everything out on cardboard standing up so it could be sprayed evenly from all angles, use a half-inserted key to block any keyholes, spray everything thinly and evenly in 3 coats applied every 20 mins or so, be sure to move toggles and locks so all parts of the hardware were sprayed, and let it cure for about 6 hours before rehanging it.
Oh and the total cost of this project was $6 for the spray paint (I was able to return the unopened can of primer and I already had the deglosser and that dastardly sandpaper on hand). But for someone who needs to purchase deglosser, you might want to budget four more dollars for that. Considering a new knob, deadbolt, knocker, and two locks and four handles for our sliding doors would probably come to about $200, I think we got one heckova deal. So I’ll let you know how they hold up. If they’re anything like our ORBed sofa legs (which we sprayed five months ago, and they still look mint) we’ll have bona fide jazz hands going on. So it’s probably only a matter of time before I really go nuts and remove every last interior brass door and hinge and go to town. Like I said, my name is Sherry, and I’m addicted to oil-rubbed bronze. Holla.
Update: Our handles are still holding steady. Check out the update post here.
Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint colors we used? Just click on this button:
*This post contains affiliate links to items we have purchased and loved*
Lara says
Any tips on how you deal with the “smell-factor” of spray painting? I do it out in the open, but still feel the need to hold my breath while spraying, & then run away…
Do you use a special mask?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I’m the crazy lady in the gloves, sunglasses, tall socks, and mask. I actually don’t use the paper masks because we invested in a real gas mask (for around $30) a few years back, which is a lot more reliable for blocking all the nasty stuff (as long as you change the filter from time to time)! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Lauren says
I have to believe that Matt Damon reads your blog. Otherwise there’s not a chance that Justin Timberlake reads mine.
Also, I think you should change your “Posted By” names to $herdog and Delish John.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’ll ask John if he’ll go for that.
xo,
s
Barb says
I love “THEM HANDLES!” I knew you ORB’d them.
Bravo….nice job Sherry!!!
B.
katy says
this is perfect timing as I was *just* about to ORB spray paint an awful 80’s glossy as-all-get-out, silver metal large picture frame we have. I was going to chuck it, but I had a moment of WWYHLD, thus, saving it to paint.
I would guess that a metal picture frame would require the same steps as door hardware??
YoungHouseLove says
I would definitely use deglosser/steel wool and then primer/spray paint. Always thin and even of course! Good luck!
xo,
s
Krystle @ ColorTransformedFamily says
After seeing your transformation of the sliding glass door hardware I might have to try something similar on mine. Thankfully, I am not working with brass… mine is white but I think it would help if if matched the hardware to my curtain rods.
justy says
100% better! I missed that elephant dream first time around…OMG thanks for a great laugh to start the day, that was so hilarious!
mercedes says
You should’ve named this post “Can you handle it?” Get it, HANDLE it? hahhahaha!!! ok I’m done
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I did. Then John pointed out that he named this post that already (so I renamed it).
xo,
s
Rachel says
Love how it turned out! I didn’t get through all the comments, but I have a question for you…how do they FEEL?
I’m in the process of redoing all of our brassy goodness knobs and handles in our new house, and my husband doesn’t like the feel of them! (they are not smooth) I’ve tried sanding with really fine paper in between, tried applying various coats of poly or other protectants….
Help!!!
YoungHouseLove says
They feel like metal knobs and pulls and knockers. Maybe the best way to describe them is not glossy, but not fake or anything. Very smooth, just not super shiny.
xo,
s
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
LOVE the refinished hardware!!! Looks fantastic! Those are also cool handles on your slider. Never seen ones like that.
deena says
Love the front door color. But especially loved the door knocker!! any ideas where I could find a door knocker at a reasonable price? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe try a local salvage yard? Or a local hardware store? There’s one here in Richmond called Pleasant’s which is where we got the ring knocker for our first house’s front door. Also, maybe try ebay?
xo,
s
Edna says
You guys make me feel like a weirdo, because I want to just copy everything in your house. I thought I was a satin nickel type of girl, but you’re really turning me on to the ORB. I actually spray painted an old green(!) porch swing ORB and I luuurve it know. Love the blog and I love your stlye of writing, you write like you talk I assume, which i enjoy reading because I feel like we’re friends….once again, i feel like a weirdo haha
Jess says
I love the swoopy 80s handles, and they look awesome in ORB. :) Great job!
Erika says
I am so excited to try this! All of my door hardware is brass and it doesn’t go with our transitional home. I have put it off for over a year because I didn’t want to shell out the money for new handles, but I never considered refinishing them myself! Thanks for the inspiration!
Elise says
So I am totally addicted to ORB spray paint, and just spray paint in general. Pretty sure my husband is sick of me dragging him to that aisle every time we go to Home Depot! I just spray painted the hardware on our pantry cabinets ORB and I love the way it looks! I did sand down the hardware before priming and painting, and after a few coats of the spray paint you can’t even tell there were scratches from the sanding (thank goodness)!
The best part was, when I took off the hinges, each hinge had a tiny heart etched into the metal. I thought you guys would appreciate that (rather appropriate with the name of your blog). Glad I can still see the hearts are there under the coats of spray paint!
YoungHouseLove says
CUTE!! Now I’m hoping we discover some hidden hearts when we tackle the other interior doors/hinges.
xo,
s
Colie says
Did You paint the inside of the door yellow as well? You didn’t post any pics with the door shut from inside
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, we left that white for now (like the rest of the interior doors) but when the rest of the room fills in we might go yellow with it (not sure if it’ll be too much once everything else is in there).
xo,
s
Meagan says
During our home renovation, my husband called me the “spray-paint queen” as I could spray paint anything- kitchen knobs, door knobs, light switch plates and even appliances. I have to admit, it is very addicting. I totally understand your obsession; I used to hunt for more things to spray paint.
Felicity says
What a difference! I hope it holds up, the ORB looks great… it looks much more expensive than $6.
Rachel from Birch + Bird says
You have just saved me a bundle of money! I’ve been neglecting a front door make-over for some time now because I thought I’d have to replace all the hardware…never thought of re-painting it! And if it all wears off in the end, I’ll just re-paint or buy new hardware that I was expecting to do anyways. Thank you for the inspiration.
Jacqueline R says
What perfect timing! We have been debating on painting or buying new hardware for our doors. I am definately going to give painting a shot!
What do you guys plan to do throughout the rest of your house? Are you going to paint all the knobs or leave them brass? We have ALOT of doors…so I am intimidated by the thought of doing all of them.
YoungHouseLove says
My plan is to wait to see how these hold up for a little while and then do the rest of the interior hinges, knobs, and even the window locks! Can’t. Stop. Haha.
xo,
s
Leah says
I’ve been dealing with an ORB fetish for about a year. I’ve even spray painted baskets in ORB. I get all giddy when I see transformations like this.
I am in love, LOVE, with the knocker and the slider handles. Who knew hardware could be so sexy?
Have you considered ORBing the auxiliary foot lock on your sliding door? It seems to be glowing down there in all it’s gold glory. ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh you’re right! I’ll have to do those in the next round o’ spraying!
xo,
s
michele says
thank you so much for this!!!! I have been staring at my gold hardware for so long now and was dreading having to pay for all new.
Sandy says
I have that EXACT same handle, and it has the EXACT same pitting/fugliness. (Did I just say “fugliness?” Yes I did.)
Will.Do.This.Weekend.
katy says
Thin and Even is going be the next High and Wide of yhl decorating tips..
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think you’re onto something…
xo,
s
Mary says
Your swoopy handle is part of ‘universal design’ – accessible for people who would have difficulty turning a door knob. Your ORB update really emphasizes the architectural style of it to good effect!
YoungHouseLove says
So interesting!
xo,
s
Jamie says
“we’ll have bona fide jazz hands going on.”
Sounds like you’re more in Double Dream Hands mode…
http://youtu.be/dm7yAWpX1Mc
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow- hilarious.
xo
s
Cheryl says
You’re starting to grow on me, Sherry. Very cute and fun writing style, and (choke, gag) your love affair with oil-rubbed bronze isn’t freaking me out as much as it has been. The door hardware looks fantastic, and you’ve given new life to that curly-weird handle. It now looks like a work of art and very intentional. I love it. And the buttery yellow on your door … very unexpected but the perfect shade of yellow. So fresh and lovely. Now go bring some of that sunshine into your daughter’s drab 80s-rose room, okay!
Lauren says
Do you know if this could work on all door knobs? I’m wondering if I could do this to all the fixtures in my house before we go to resell…
YoungHouseLove says
It’s only been two days but so far so good. We definitely have plans to do the rest of ours over time.
xo,
s
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
Wait…I think I just got the Matt Damon/apples reference. The Sarah Silverman video, right? Love it!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s originally from Good Will Hunting, but now I have to go find the Sarah Silverman video…
xo,
s
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
Oh…. Brace yourself, it’s DIRTY. But HILARIOUS.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I’m about to be scandalized.
xo,
s
Melanie says
Sherry, the handles look incredible. I believe that you’ve inspired me to finally do something about all my shiny brass handles and hinges. One question though, the hinge on front door that is painted white…..does it squeak when you open the door?
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, oddly enough it moves really easily even though it looks like it shouldn’t!
xo,
s
Jill Campbell says
Hi, I’m a fairly new YoungHouseLove-r. You guys are too funny! Love this post! I laughed at loud a few times (I told my boss I saw something funny out my window). Would love to have you guys over for dinner in the far West End, if you’re ever up for it. Clara could play with our 2-year-old daughter Teagan. :) I’d invite you to bring your dog too, but she’d probably slip through the cracks of the backyard fence for our border-collie mix.
I love your blog, but my husband may not be so thrilled as I start adding mucho projectos to our “to do” list. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jill, you’re sweet! I bet we’ll bump into you around town any day now! Clara sends her love to Teagan!
xo,
s
nic says
Hi Y’All –
These look amamzing and I can’t wait to hear hwo well they will wear over time.
Another suggestion for those econcerned about wear and tear over time, if you have a reasonable batch of things to refinish, you can take them to a commercial plating company adn ahve them done My friend did her whole house and her kitchen cabinet handles (all were real brass from the 80s and she got a newsatin nickel finish) for $80 and it is guaranteed to be very durable and professional looking.
YoungHouseLove says
So smart! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Cindy says
These look great and I love oil-rubbed bronze! A few months ago I used it on steel hairpin legs on a table I made. I’m glad ORB’s been getting a ton of love and shout-outs from your blog!
http://cindyhsu.net/work/table4.jpg
http://cindyhsu.net/work/table.jpg
Diane says
I’m going to have to try this. Our house has old, icky, bad looking brass doorknobs, combined with brand new, icky brass doorknobs.
I don’t see how they could look any worse, even if I manage to mess up your process for turning them into ORB.
: )
Stacie Miller says
I thought the black on white was my favorite until I saw the yellow. I love your blog, you’re beyond creative!
Amanda @ RE:DO says
I did the same thing with my front door hardware (even the trick with the key in the lock), and it’s held up pretty well so far. The only area that has a few scratches is right around the key hole, but maybe I didn’t degloss enough before spraying. Might have to try that again on that part! Yours looks fabulous!
Jay says
Hi Sherry,
I was looking at your Office pictures and I’m sure you guys thought about it already or even mentioned it, but you should ORB your chandelier… It might just spruce it up a bit and it’s actually pretty. It would be a shame to get rid of it. And i’m sure you would just need to fallow the same steps as your hardware to prep it. Just a thought, since you’re on a ORB rampage! haha!
:)
YoungHouseLove says
Always a possibility! Haha.
xo,
s
Katie says
Greetings from your honeymoon state! Just wondering when you are going to ORB the chandelier in the office? Or maybe you should paint it a fun color – turquoise?!
Keep up the good work, your house looks great.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re still on the fence about that thing. We’ll keep you posted!
xo,
s
[email protected] says
Nice job!!!!!!!!
Your house is beautiful!
By the way, I usually sand metal things with a kitchen sponge (green though side).
xoxo,
YoungHouseLove says
That’s really smart! Love it.
xo,
s
Emily says
I ORB’ed up some shiny brass fixtures in the bathroom that cannot be replaced and are permanently part of my bathtub: the drain and the knob on the front wall of the tub that raises and lowers the stopper. I sprayed those guys about 6 months ago and they take a daily beating of water and soap, and they still look the same as on day 1. There is a tiny chip on the twisty knob thingy from when I originally put the hardware back in the tub, but not even that has chipped any further. I am happy with the results, and I did not do any sanding beforehand. Frankly, the shiny brass was so horrible that I would be willing to touch up the ORB goodness weekly to avoid having to stare at it’s original finish!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so great to hear Emily!
xo,
s
Alix says
I’m kind of confused. Did you guys not lock your doors during the 24 hour drying period?
YoungHouseLove says
We let them cure for 6 hours after spraying them over the course of an hour, then we put them back on and locked up (se started at 8am so we were locked up around 3pm). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
lisa says
love it, love it, love it.
Maggie says
I have found that even 0000 steel wool can scratch soft metal, so try it on an inside place first. Or really fine sandpaper meant for metal, not wood. I’ve used denatured alcohol and an old toothbrush to clean finishes off brass, with reasonable success. Baking soda made into a thick paste with water, plus an old toothbrush also is a good mild abrasive. You have to have a good surface to repaint, or the paint will flake off for sure.
I recently had to remove about 5 layers of old paint off a heat vent cover that looked awful after the baseboards were repainted — I couldn’t find a new vent cover the same kind and size of the old one, so I had to rehab the old one. I used Goof-Off and a nylon bristle scrub brush to get paint off, down to bare metal and not scratch old zinc/tin/steel whatever it was. I had to work outside because Goof-Off is a petroleum-based solvent, and it took a lot of scrubbing, but re-spray painting the cover, it looks great.
However, I’m glad to hear about deglosser, as for your door, saves a lot of time from sanding off the shine!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the tips Maggie!
xo,
s
becky says
Um… the best thing about this post was the picture of Burger with the blurred area near his back legs… hehehehe.. Made me laugh out loud. I love it.
Sarah@StyleandCentsability says
That looks so much better. I have the ugliest handles (not love handles- those are great) but I don’t even think they are worth saving- I just need new ones…winter project #1!
Abby says
I can’t believe you just posted about this!! We live in a 70’s tri-level and how they loved the “gold” look. So I also bought a ORB spray (thanks to you raving about it in the outdoor furniture re-do)….and the knobs and other “fixtures” are on my list of ORB’ing!! Along with the having a baby, revamping the den, living room, dining room, guest room…get the drift?
Ellie says
What a great idea! We have so much gold hardware in our house which I am sure was the height of fashion in 1985. I would really like to do this with the window hardware on our second floor. Have you ever messed with your windows before or am I going into dangerous territory?
YoungHouseLove says
I actually want to do it to the locks on our windows too! I’ve seen others strip or spray theirs so I think it should work if it works for knobs! Will keep ya posted!
xo,
s
Molly says
I like how the ORB looks a little gray (at least in the pictures) to mesh with the grayish pattern on the curtains… you may be converting me to your ORB worship. (O.R.B. not to be confused with orb, like a floating ball of light)…
Also. Matt Damon. You always reference Matt Damon. He’s so yummy. My brain is now turned to permanent Matt Damon screensaver.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, he’s one of my favorites. Right behind Eric from True Blood. Mmm.
xo,
s
Reva says
Have you ever thought of doing a how to video for spay painting stuff? I get the thin and even concept, but I feel like I need a demo to really understand. I say this as someone with a checkered spray painting past…
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh, I should do that! It’s officially on the list.
xo,
s
Becca says
Where did you guys get those curtains again? Where those the discontinued Ikea print? Hardware looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we got those from Ikea a while back when they still sold them. Maybe try ebay though? Some folks say they’re still at Ikea in the as-is section sometimes.
xo,
s
Melody says
I never thought ORB would be such a good idea! I don’t blame you for using it on all of those fixtures. It really makes them look nice and clean.