Keeping busy during the pandemic has been no problem. I am finding ways to stay sane and pass the time for sure! For example, I decided that all the upstairs doors needed new paint because the old paint was splotchy, chipped (darn dog!) and I didn't like the old door handles. Builder grade brushed nickel just wasn't my thing. I wanted the doors to look old and vintage.
AFTER
BEFORE
I decided on this cool paint by
Behr called Ultra Scrub Defense in a Matte finish because apparently it looks like Chalk Paint with a flat finish but you can still clean it (unlike regular flat paints.) I thought it might be bit risky but so far so good. It seems really durable because I have tried to personally scratch it off and I can't. I chose this color called Silver Celadon because that was one of the Chalk paint colors that looked really nice. I had the guy at Home Depot color match it.
I painted every single door inside and out (except the kids interior doors) All in all, 17 doors! They all got new door handles, all by Nostalgic Warehouse. For most of the doors I chose a Classic Rosette Waldorf knob in the Timeless Bronze Finish. Some are passage knobs and others are privacy knobs.
In the bathroom for the closet doors, I used two Classic Rosette knobs with a white porcelain finish.
This is the view of the toilet room and the door leading out into the Master Bedroom.
This is the linen closet and my clothing closet in the bathroom.
There are 5 total doors in the master bath! Because all these doors have bits of molding at the floor I decided to paint this trim as well to make the transition between doors look more smooth.
This is a close up of the Waldorf knob. It is so pretty in real life.
Just FYI, I used the 2-3/8″ backset which is standard size. There is a large size if your door have bigger holes. Here is our hallway which looks so much better with this door color and white walls.
Looking at this photo makes me really want to change those DIY light fixtures I did 5 years ago. I took the old "boob" lights and spray painted them and added crystals where the glass was.
My children all got specialty colored doorknobs for their closets. I thought it was a fun touch of whimsy to their rooms. They also lock because this gives them a tiny private space of their own to dress and not worry about their siblings coming in. Luckily their closets are big enough and act like a little "kid cave." Here is a link to the blue
Waldorf knob.
Pink knob for the girl. I just realized the pink and green door knobs are slightly different than the blue and clear. They have a unique cut for the glass.
Now that's you've seen the upstairs, here are some of the downstairs knobs. I have replaced all of them with
Nostalgic Warehouses Classic Rosette but in an antique bronze finish. I'm debating painting these doors in the same color as upstairs. They have also become scratched and there are some touch ups that I've done that don't look so great.
The downstairs bath has an old vintage door with the original crystal knob. Probably my inspiration for the rest of the house!
The panty door is heavy and solid wood with glass so this doorknob looks especially nice.
The downstairs linen closet. You can kind of see some splotches here.
One last photo of knobs that aren't Nostalgic Warehouse. These I picked up a long time ago at Home Goods. They are double dummy knobs which just need to be held to push the door open and don't turn. I may change them at some point but not sure yet.
Well I can say that it was quite fun learning to dismantle door knobs and become a pro at installing door knobs. One thing that did become a little tricky was not having the door latch that attaches to the frame line up exactly. Joe came to my rescue and chiseled away at the hole and then filled the old areas with wood chips and glue. Thank goodness. I would have given up or hired a professional at that point. I must say door knobs can become a little investment, but it's like adding jewelry to your house that you can admire everyday and you don't need to change them if you invest in nice ones.
Happy Almost Spring!!
xo
Cathleen