| Surprisingly, there was a time when homeowners | | | | knobs, there's no sense in having a modern striker on |
| couldn't wait to trade in their ornate knobs for | | | | the door jam. Thankfully, designers have already |
| faceless ones with smooth finishes of nickel, copper | | | | thought this through and most antique door knobs |
| and brass. The engraved faces and glistening glass of | | | | have matching strikers that will work for nearly any |
| the old style of door knobs was suddenly | | | | door, even those that have a lock and thumbturns. |
| passé and thousands of door knobs ended | | | | Before you buy a striker separately, make sure your |
| up in the garbage dumps of cities throughout the | | | | antique door knobs don't already have them in the |
| world. | | | | kit. Many new manufactures include the strike plate |
| If only we had known then what we know now. | | | | as well as the face plate, so you don't have to |
| Today, antique door knobs are all the rage in | | | | purchase the strike plate on the side. |
| designer homes. The more ornate finishes of homes, | | | | However, actual antique door knobs usually don't |
| complete with crown molding, wainscoting and six | | | | include the original strike plate, so you'll probably have |
| paneled doors beg for the homier look of antique | | | | to buy one if you're installing originals. |
| door knobs. | | | | While you can certainly pick up antique door knobs in |
| While original antique door knobs can now command | | | | brass, copper, silver or other more modern finishes, |
| hundreds of dollars on the open market, many | | | | you may want to change the look entirely and go |
| manufacturers have jumped into the marketplace | | | | with something less common. One popular finish is |
| with replicas of antique door knobs as well as new | | | | hammered copper that has an oil-rubbed bronze finish |
| designs that capture the age-old look many | | | | to it. This look has a lot of texture and depth to it, |
| homeowners demand. | | | | giving it a turn of the century appearance. |
| These new manufactures have helped make antique | | | | The same is true with some patterned mortise locks. |
| door knobs, at least replicas of them, much more | | | | These use lost wax castings to create very intricate |
| affordable for those wanting to match their | | | | patterns with lots of visual interest. These work well |
| hardware with their décor. Not only can you | | | | with antique door knobs that have ornate designs on |
| find terrific looking replicas and new manufactures, | | | | the knob, such as the face of a lion, a train or other |
| but also you can find a wide assortment of other | | | | artful finish. |
| hardware, ranging from keyhole covers and | | | | Finally, you can always go with glass antique door |
| thumbturns to skeleton keys and strikers. | | | | knobs. Multifaceted glass knobs come in a number of |
| Strikers, you say? Why replace those? Nothing | | | | colors and styles, something to match any modern |
| destroys the illusion of the old school when | | | | home, looking for old-world charm in the little things |
| something glaringly modern lies just beyond the edge. | | | | that are so important when turning a house into a |
| If you're going to redo a door by adding antique door | | | | home. |