Choosing Antique crystal door knobs - What to Look For

Jul 18
08:17

2011

Mark Vinnie

Mark Vinnie

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If you’re in the mood to make a dramatic statement in your home decor, think crystal door knobs. Simple and easy to install, these elegant, classy knobs can make a huge visual impact in your home. In our fast paced, mass produced society, we’ve become accustomed to seeing simple steel and brass orbs in our doors – which makes retro handcrafted door hardware really stand out.

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If you’re in the mood to make a dramatic statement in your home decor,  think crystal door knobs. Simple and easy to install,Choosing Antique crystal door knobs - What to Look For  Articles these elegant, classy knobs can make a huge visual impact in your home. In our fast paced, mass produced society, we’ve become accustomed to seeing simple steel and brass orbs in our doors – which makes retro handcrafted door hardware really stand out.

True antique crystal door knobs are become increasingly difficult to find. Antique stores, flea markets, and salvage sales can still be a resource for finding these treasures, and there are more and more specialty websites popping up as well. Keep in mind you may need to spend time and money refurbishing an antique knob, so factor that into your budget.

Whether you are an interior designer, architect, or just a fashion-forward homeowner who wants to add a splash of elegance to a room, you might consider crystal glass door knobs.

Another recent trend is mixing and matching door knobs in your home. They key is to find knobs that are similar enough to be considered complimentary – if you vary designs too much, the overall effect can be distracting.  While you should find a wide variety of antique-looking knobs in you local “big box” home improvement center, keep in mind most of what you will find are cheaply made reproductions.

Crystal door hardware are usually constructed from leaded glass – which offers exceptional clarity while being quite affordable. They come in a wide variety of different colors – including the rare pink crystal door knobs – and you will be able to find them online quite easily.

One thing to watch out for is the design – in general, the more intricate and detailed, the fewer available. So if you are looking to change out all of the door hardware in your house, look for designs that are simple and widely available.

When shopping for the perfect design, you can generally save money by looking online for vintage knobs. Antique door hardware is always in style, and they were built to last a very long time.

And after all, these throwback vintage door knobs are simply enchanting. Consider enhancing the look further with gold or silver mounting hardware. And remember – the difference between crystal and glass is simply the mount of lead in the mixture. Crystal is the standard in terms of brilliance and clarity, but simple glass is becoming an increasingly popular, less expensive alternative.

From a design perspective, the shape and depth of the door knob is always noticed first. Still, equally important is how the knob is framed – does it simply disappear into the door? Look for matching doorplates, called roses. Most commonly these are dart and egg shaped, but you can often find more elaborate designs if you look.