Choosing Door Handles for Internal Doors

One of the misconceptions with buying a new door is that it comes pre-installed with its own hardware. This may include hinges, locks, and specifically handles. Internal door handles can, however, wholly complement your new door substantially.

This is largely due to the fact that most door manufacturers know just how important interior door handles and door furniture is to a home’s interior. Door furniture is designed to accommodate specific styles of home design and complement rooms differently. If you were to be confined to a specific style with each internal door, you’d be absolutely strapped for choice.

Door Handle Designs

Whether you’re redecorating your home, updating your home’s interior or just upgrading old door furniture, it’s important to consider the style you are trying to achieve.

Door handles come in a variety of styles and sizes and can complement a variety of different designs and finishes. Ensuring that these are consistent with the rest of your home decor can add plenty of value to your home, and add the last finishing touches to a redecorating project.

It can be quite the challenge if you are unsure where to start but should be no different than considering any other furniture for your home.

Door Furniture

The handle, hinges and latches are not always supplied together. You can buy them collectively in latch packs, however, which should contain all the furniture in one purchase. As such, you might not only need to make sure the handles match your doors and existing décor, but that they match the latches and hinges you’ll be using.

If you are replacing a handle on an old door, you might even be able to use the existing furniture, so it then becomes a case of matching the handle to the latches and hinges.

Remember that you won’t actually see much of the furniture besides the handles, so whilst you don’t want the furniture to clash, your priority should be choosing the door handle.

Door furniture materials

Not only should style be considered, but materials and finishes also. As modern home interior trends develop, the materials in which door furniture is produced also changes.

These can range from different styles of metal, from chrome door handles to brass handles. Not only should these be considered to match the material of the door you are decorating, but these should also match your interior style.

An external door handle should be made from sturdier, longer-lasting materials, such as aluminium or brass. This will increase your door’s overall lifespan and will help increase your home’s security.

For more specific doors, such as sliding patio doors and internal french doors, you may need to find a material that specifically matches. For uPVC doors in particular, there are only a select few styles that will work style-wise.

What’s Better? Door Knobs vs Door Handles

Whilst door handles are generally more popular due to the greater level of grip they provide, doorknobs are still used in homes throughout the world. What you choose between handles and knobs will always come down to individual taste.

Door knobs

• Doorknobs are often considered more ‘decorative’ and generally suit older period properties.
• There are countless designs to choose from, ranging from statement door knobs to the more subtle and sophisticated.
• The classic ball shape (which many find to be hard to grip) isn’t the only option. There are many egg-shaped or oval doorknobs available that offer a better grip.
• A door knob can also be offered in a variety of materials and finishes, such as glass and metal.
• Even so, a doorknob will never be able to offer the same level of grip as a door handle.

Door handles

• Handles (or levers) are simply more convenient than doorknobs and are far easier to open, particularly if you don’t have your hands free. If you’ve ever tried to operate a doorknob with your elbow whilst carrying two cups of tea, you’ll know exactly what we mean.
• Whilst door knobs are generally set further from the door than they used to be, it’s still easy to graze your knuckles on the door when using them. This is less likely with a door handle.
• There are generally more design options available with door handles, not to mention various backplates.
• Door handles can, however, get caught on loose items of clothing and will require more maintenance as there are more moving parts to consider.

Ultimately, the decision to go with door handles or doorknobs will depend on your personal preferences and the style you’re going for. Mixing and matching handles and knobs in homes is not unheard of either, but as a general rule, we’d always recommend going with one or the other.

What Are Dummy Door Handles and Privacy Set Locks?

Some door knobs are designed to sit static on a door to be pulled without interacting with a latch at all. There are also handles designed this way, however, and these are known colloquially as ‘dummy handles’.

These are decorative solutions for doors where only a pull is required and no latch is installed. They are most often seen on wardrobe or pantry doors.

Privacy door handles are typically seen on bathroom door styles and home office doors.

They look like any other handle but they also feature a locking mechanism that allows the door to be locked from the inside. Unlike a security lock, however, a privacy lock can be opened from the outside.

What Are the Best Door Handle Designs?

When considering the design you want for your door handles, contemplate the room and the home as a whole.

Conventional door handles and knobs are offered in various materials and shapes.

If you’re fitting a new home from scratch you’ll probably want to make sure all of the handles in the home matchup. This means sticking to either one shape (subtle curves, straight or more severe bent handles for example) or material (such as brass, chrome, glass or steel).

Conversely, you might choose to contrast styles, materials, colours and shapes against each other to match not the overall home, but the individual rooms. It will depend very much on your individual style and personality. If you have different styles of door already installed throughout your home then you might be more willing to experiment. The choice really is up to you, but we would always recommend at least an element of consistency.

Below we’ve included a list of the most common door handle (and doorknob) building materials for you to consider:

• Chrome door handles – chrome is a classic and elegant solution; ideal for both modern and traditional homes.
• Stainless steel door handles – similar to chrome but not quite as shiny (meaning its better at hiding fingerprints).
• Glass door handles – ideal if you want to make a statement.
• Brass door handles – a bold choice for period properties.
• Porcelain door handles –commonplace in older properties. Ideal if you want to maintain the traditional appearance of your home.

For more information on interior door handles, or advice on your new internal doors, don’t hesitate to contact us.