Choosing the right door handle

Door handles used to be purely about opening and closing a door - but not anymore.

Door handles and associated furniture are now one of the most important functioning decorations that you can fit when choosing an interior/exterior theme to your property. There was a time when you would only see door handles made from Bakelite –but now the material and design options are endless. Owing to the computer age, we can now design and market practically any kind of handle in any kind of material; although we are limited to making sure prospective customers will want to buy them. And if you are feeling flush, you can even have your own design commissioned and manufactured – nothing is impossible.

So what should we consider when choosing our door furniture? Firstly, the colour and material of the actual door needs to be taken into account. Some finishes just don’t look right on certain coloured doors. If you have white doors however, most handles can be accommodated and look good.  So if using a timber-grained finished door, try and obtain a swatch so you can offer up samples of different door handles against them – this way you will avoid a clash. Another good way of checking is to thumb through home improvement magazines to find the desired look.

You also need to consider the age and style of your property. Is it a Victorian house, or maybe a farm/barn conversion? Make sure you get the right handle for the right era. Maybe it has an Art Deco theme?  There are now lots of Art Deco handles on the market which will suit a property from the era. 

Take into account who may be using the property – for instance, if there are elderly or very young children around, then it is best to avoid knob furniture – these can be tricky to open and we would suggest lever handles is best. 

The size of the handle set is also important, so if you have taller than average doors, it’s probably best to find quite a lengthy backplate handle, which will look in proportion to the height and will not look ‘lost’.

And finally, if you are looking for the modern look, look no further than a lever handle on a rose, of which there are thousands to choose from. Ranging from  around  £6.00 per set up to £200 per set, you can have buy them in some great finishes, including leather, crystals, and crocodile skin to name but a few !