Behind The Scenes: What a Knob!

Week 11

So we had doors, now it was time for hardware.

Initially Mrs. M and I had conflicting ideas about the door hardware (surprised?), she thought they needed to be traditional and I knew they needed to be modern since the doors were already traditional and modern hardware would be much more interesting . Mrs. M needed some coaxing and so the search began…

For the interior doors knobs we looked at everything from ceramic eggs and cut crystal knobs to stainless steel levers. The levers we discarded immediately since those were already used in their city apartment ;the cut crystal knobs were too small in scale, and on and on went the process of elimination until we found a the perfect way to combine what we both wanted. I paired a smooth clear crystal egg shaped know with a sleek square rose back plate in a polished nickel finish.

Crystal egg knob

The front door hardware went much more smoothly since we all agreed that this need to be a traditional element. I proposed a rim lock with an egg shaped knob in a polished chrome finish which Mrs. M agreed to and we lived happily ever after.

Egg knob for front door

Rim Lock for front door

What is your take, traditional, modern, or a mix?

This entry was posted on December 3, 2010, 9:26 pm and is filed under Behind The Scenes. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

#1 by Gary Nelling on December 3, 2010 - 9:59 pm

Vicente – With a traditional exterior and contemporary interior space and finishes, I think a detail or two that have a foot in both worlds is just the right thing. The egg shape is elegant and very nice in the hand. I don’t believe that it has been overused, so you are ahead of the trends with something that will look and function great over time. The square back plate is a great contemporary foil. Good combination! – Gary

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#2 by scone on December 3, 2010 - 10:33 pm

Rim locks are prettier, but they can look strange with the modern stuff that goes on and around the door, such as the security lock and the door bell.

The egg shape is nice, but it tends to go off axis over time. (They get loose, and people don’t always fix them carefully.) Once the egg sits at an angle, it looks bad. The same thing happens when you use egg shapes or squares on a cabinet. And the back plate had better be squared up to the door, and the old framing, or all three will look bad.

That’s the trouble with old houses, if you specify things that point out the imperfections in the carpentry, plaster, etc. it can make both new and old look terrible. One thing I see all the time is modern drywall hung in an old house, without even a skim coat on top. That’s just sad, in my view. One of the reasons people like old houses is their handmade, organic character. Take that away, substitute obviously machine made elements, and you lose something overall.

There is no easy, cheap way to marry old and new. But it does illustrate why round knobs and back plates are so popular– your eye slides right off them because you aren’t measuring their angles up against some other part of the door, like you do with eggs, levers, squares, etc. To keep the organic feeling, I would look for something modern, but handmade. Or at least something that will age well and get a patina over time.

All this sounds really picky, but then I’m so crazy I can’t stand it when the screws on the door hinges don’t line up.

#3 by Gary Nelling on December 3, 2010 - 11:05 pm

Scone – You’re my kind of perfectionist. Those are very interesting points! I remember 25 years ago when some early lever handles would droop with time, but that seems to have been corrected with stronger spring-lock return mechanisms. So this is a problem with egg-shaped handles? It’s also interesting, I was going to ask whether there would be a deadbolt above the rim lock. Not necessarily bad, just something to think about. Years back I stopped using anything but round knobs on lav faucet sets for the same reason until manufacturers came up with the lock-to-lock quarter-turn mechanism that solved the lever alignment problem. If the door hardware Vicente has chosen solves these issues, I think they will look dy-no-mite. – Gary

#4 by todd haley on December 4, 2010 - 3:42 am

just an thought – since lever style hanles are ada complaint (and are def easier to operate with soapy hands when roused out of the shower to answer the phone or door) and not knowing you client’s age – wonder if you ever take that into account much like having blocking installed in a tub/shower area in anticipation of grab bars being installed – which i guess are really a good safety measure regardless of one’s age – just curious -

#5 by Aaron on December 4, 2010 - 5:39 pm

Thanks for sharing some of the thought process that goes into your design – it’s fascinating.

#6 by kathleen franza on December 4, 2010 - 6:46 pm

Love the combination. Everything is always a process but the beauty is in the details! I have started using the square back plate as it adds a contemporary look but I usually pair it with a lever for ease of use. Finishes play a big part and add to either the traditional or contemporary look.
Your the master as always, great job!

#7 by Maribel Duran on December 4, 2010 - 8:28 pm

Good compromise. For me function takes precedents. I lived in an 1895 vic with rounded door knobs and found them beautiful and OK to live with, but I longed for the comfort of levers. I replaced all the door knobs to levers in the ’80′s house I now live in and what a BIG difference! It has made my life so much easier. Mari

#8 by scone on December 4, 2010 - 8:50 pm

Gary Nelling :
Scone – You’re my kind of perfectionist. Those are very interesting points! I remember 25 years ago when some early lever handles would droop with time, but that seems to have been corrected with stronger spring-lock return mechanisms. So this is a problem with egg-shaped handles? It’s also interesting, I was going to ask whether there would be a deadbolt above the rim lock. Not necessarily bad, just something to think about. Years back I stopped using anything but round knobs on lav faucet sets for the same reason until manufacturers came up with the lock-to-lock quarter-turn mechanism that solved the lever alignment problem. If the door hardware Vicente has chosen solves these issues, I think they will look dy-no-mite. – Gary

It’s not the shape per se, it’s the screws that hold the 2 knobs together on either side of the door. The whole assembly gradually works loose with daily use, and has to be tightened up. People don’t always align the 2 sides together properly, or they lose/break the screws and substitute something else that “sort of” works. So when the 2 knobs are tightened back up they can be skewed. It’s just carelessness. Obviously on a round knob you wouldn’t see that.

#9 by Lorraine Herr on December 4, 2010 - 11:25 pm

Todd – You are practical to consider ADA compliance and the phone/door bell interruptions that may require a speedy exit from the bathroom. I have dismissed some of the practicality of lever style handles because they simply don’t integrate well in much of my design work, which veers toward Traditional. Instead, we have found the egg shaped knob a nice compromise because of its easy grabability and timeless look. I whole heartedly agree on installing blocking for bath and shower grab bars–and there are some very handsome grab bars available. – Lorraine

#10 by Christa Pirl on December 5, 2010 - 2:38 am

This is the kind of thing everyone outside the design profession needs to read…design is a long and detailed process- everything down to the doorknobs require tons of time and care in selection. And such details are vastly important to the project and add such value. I hope all potential interior design clients read this!

#11 by Catherine on December 5, 2010 - 4:23 pm

Scone – I first used egg shaped knobs back in 1989 when designing my previous residence in a former factory. The interior combined traditional and modern elements, and the knobs were an important design element. I loved how they looked and felt in the hand. But like you, I am a perfectionist about keeping all the elements lined up, (including door hinge screws…lol ), so I always kept an allen wrench handy to adjust the set screws on the knobs. Since then, whenever I use them on client projects I try point out the importance of keeping them aligned. If all else fails, I have my handy allen wrench and tweak them myself!

#12 by melissa on December 5, 2010 - 4:55 pm

I LOVE THE KNOBS AT ANTHROPOLPOGY………
I HAVE TO SAY THAT BEAUTY ALWAYS WINS ME OVER… I NEVER EVEN THINK HOW SOMETHING WILL REALLY WORK!!!!! AND THEN I JUST LIVE WITH HOW IT TURNS OUT…..
I DO THINK THE WAY YOU DESIGNERS THINK IF GREAT AND I WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN I MOVE INTO MY NEW OFFICE THAT I AM IN THE MIST OF DECORATING…

XXOO
MELISSA

#13 by Julie Koran on December 6, 2010 - 4:38 pm

I love the title of this post – What a knob! Funny!

#14 by Tawna Allred on December 6, 2010 - 4:42 pm

That has to be one of the most simple, beautiful doorknobs I’ve seen. I love glass knobs, but find they are usually too ornate and traditional. This one has the perfect combination!
Tawna

#15 by Gary Nelling on December 6, 2010 - 5:34 pm

Julie – For a change, I’m not goin’ there! – Gary

#16 by Elizabeth Carmody on December 8, 2010 - 2:25 am

I love the chrystal egg nob for it’s pure, simple and clean lines. There is no doubt in my mind you got it right. The combination of modern and traditional creates a perfect union. . .a Vicente trademark, I must say. As for the mechanics and durability, if you choose a quality product, the manufacturer should guarantee their product.