One of the many dilemmas people face when building or renovating their homes is deciding whether they want their door knobs to match their hinges or not. With so many styles and finishes of door hardware to choose from, the decision to match or mix them can be daunting.
Door hinges don’t necessarily have to match the knobs. However, pairing knobs and hinges can significantly affect the appearance of your home, the cost of installation and maintenance, and even the resale value of your property. So choose carefully.
This article discusses the key factors you need to consider when pairing door handles with hinges. It also describes some exceptional circumstances where mixing different door hardware styles might be a good idea. Finally, it explores some ways you can effectively pair mismatched knobs and hinges or minimize visible contrasts in their appearance.
Contents
How Door Hardware Affects the Aesthetics of Your Home
The way you combine door hinges and knobs can have a visible impact on the appearance of your home.
While noticeably mismatched hinges and knobs can be an eyesore, even a well-matching pair only complements your style if it suits the particular door they go with. Shiny chrome hinges may not suit an antique wooden door, just as an wrought-iron door knob may not go well with a frosted glass door.
Similarly, it’s not enough to have a set of doors with a perfectly matched set of hinges and knobs. For a consistent style throughout all the rooms in your home, consistency in selecting the hardware is crucial. For example, brightly colored or overly ornate door hardware can clash with the understated minimalist finishes of the rest of a house.
Practical Considerations in Pairing Door Knobs and Hinges
If you don’t necessarily want well-matched fixtures for aesthetic reasons alone, you should still consider some practical considerations.
Selling Your House
If you plan to sell your house at some point in the future, poorly matched hinges and knobs could make your property less appealing to potential homebuyers. Alternatively, picky buyers may deduct the extra cost of updating the fixtures when making you an offer.
Installation and Maintenance Costs
Since you will need to install multiple hinges and knobs in your house, your choice of hardware can significantly affect your expenses. By making purchasing in bulk easier and using identical sets of matching hinges and knobs for each door in the house, you can reduce your installation costs.
Be careful not to choose too cheap of hardware as they may cost you more in the long run to maintain.
When to Mix Different Styles
If you prefer an eclectic decor style that mixes several themes in your home, you may want to pick knobs and hinges that match your particular aesthetic criteria. In this case, you already have a good idea of what you have in mind and are likely familiar with the associated practical considerations.
You may also choose a hinge or knob that doesn’t best match for certain functional reasons. For example, a knob on a bathroom door may need to be more resistant to moisture. Alternatively, you may select a specialty item like a spring hinge for a door that’s meant to stay closed most of the time.
Lastly, you may opt for less eye-catching or less costly hardware for frequently used surfaces in your home. Again, be sure not to choose an item of poor quality as it may cost you more in maintenance and replacement in the long run.
Ideas for Working with Different Styles of Hinges and Knobs
If for some reason you need to mix different door hinges and knobs, some simple workarounds can make your selection more manageable and visually appealing for your home.
Pick styles that complement each other
Not all components of a home’s decor need to follow a single theme. You can combine an industrial wooden door with an antique brass knob or an elegant metal handle. Different rooms or floors of your house can have their own style. If you’re unsure about selecting from different design elements yourself, you can always seek assistance from a designer or a magazine.
Use a minimal hinge style
Hinges with a minimal profile are an excellent way to minimize style differences between your door knobs and hinges. Some hinge styles completely disappear and become invisible once the door is closed.
For a great chrome-finished hinge that remains hidden behind a closed door, consider this invisible hinge model from SOSS available on Amazon.com.
Paint to match
If you have mismatched hinges and knobs due to practical constraints, you can either paint a knob to match a hinge or a hinge to match a knob, or both.
Be sure to consider the specific type of paint you need when painting knobs or hinges. Conventional acrylic or wall paints tend to chip when applied to metallic surfaces. Similarly, using a brush to apply the paint can create a visibly uneven layer on the surface. Specialized spray paints are the best choice in this case.
Also, consider both the color and finish of your paint. Do you want your knob or hinge to look glossy or matte? There are specialized paints available for a variety of surfaces.
If you’re in the market for a paint that works on multiple surfaces, I can recommend this Rust-Oleum High-Performance Enamel Spray Paint available on Amazon.com. It has a flat finish and works on both metal and wood.
Final Thoughts
Choosing fixtures for your home is a highly subjective decision based mainly on individual aesthetic preferences. However, there are many reasons why it’s a good idea to select matching hardware for your doors. It’s best to either make consistent decisions throughout your house or find a mix of styles that is well balanced. Alternatively, you can retrofit certain door hardware to make them match better.
Sources
- Cherokee Observer: Should Door Handles and Hinges Match? Why or Why Not?
- Build with Ferguson: How to Choose Interior DoorHardware
- New York Times: What the Best-Dressed Doors Are Wearing”