Are you ready for the final steps in your home transformation?
When your renovations are complete, you can start looking to add the finer details to your beautiful new home — and door hardware finishes are the perfect place to start.
In this blog post, we'll guide you through the process of choosing the perfect finishing touches:
Door Hardware Finishes | Complementing Your Overall Style
When it comes to choosing the finer details in your home, it’s important to consider the overall theme of your interior. You may have opted for quiet luxury, an antique look, a country farmhouse style, or a modern, minimalist aesthetic.
Your hardware should then complement this existing theme, allowing it to make a statement while still blending in with the surroundings.
For example, if you’ve gone for a minimalistic vibe, you may find a large Victorian style knob doesn’t quite fit. On the other hand, you may like the contrast; it’s entirely personal, and we have plenty of options for you to choose from!
Door Hardware Finishes | Henry Blake Hardware
From brass and bronze to polished chrome, we have an array of beautiful handles to elevate your design.
To help you get started with the final touches, we’ve curated a list of the most popular door hardware finishes:
Living Finishes
A living finish refers to a finish that will change and develop over time, making it ideal for someone who is looking for a more vintage, antique, or natural aesthetic.
Examples of popular living finished materials include:
- Polished Brass Unlacquered (PBUL);
- Satin Brass Waxed (SB);
- Antique Brass Waxed (AB);
- Dark Bronze Waxed (DB);
- Coppered Bronze Waxed (CB);
- Antique Nickel (AN).
Without a protective coating, these materials can age gracefully over time, adding a sense of character and uniqueness to your hardware.
Each product will accumulate dust and dirt on a daily basis, influenced by the number of occupants in your household. We recommend cleaning door handles with a clean soft dry cloth, avoiding abrasives which may damage the product.
Clean accordingly, ensuring you do so gently, to avoid tarnishing the materials. The occasional application of beeswax will help to enhance the appearance, resulting in a pristine finish.
Lacquered Finishes
If you wish to protect your hardware from ageing, opting for a lacquered finish will provide the metal with a protective barrier between the metal surface and its environment.
This helps to maintain the original aesthetic appearance of the hardware over time, ensuring the metal finish remains unchanged.
Examples of lacquered finish materials include:
- Polished Brass Lacquered (PB);
- Medium Bronze Lacquered (MBL);
- Dark Bronze Lacquered (DBL);
- Graphite Lacquered (GL).
With lacquer, we often apply a clear seal to our products, which forms a protective layer, but does not detract from the inherent beauty of our door hardware finishes.
To elevate the shine of your door hardware finishes, we recommend cleaning with a damp cloth and mild soapy water, followed by a gentle application of a good wax polish.
Similarly to our living finishes, avoid harsh abrasives, as this material can scratch away the hardware’s protective coating leaving permanent damage.
When choosing your finish, bear in mind that the life of the lacquer can be affected by many conditions, including sea air and industrial pollution. It’s recommended to only use our lacquered products indoors.
Plated Finishes
Plated finishes offer the most durability, and can help to achieve a minimalist and sleek appeal throughout your interior.
If you envision a sharp, silver aesthetic, or the popular matte black door hardware finish, explore our plated options:
- Polished Nickel (PN)
- Satin Nickel (SN)
- Polished Chrome (PC)
- Matte Black (MB)
The polished chrome decorates your room with a sleek look through its highly reflective features, while our signature matte black finish is renowned for its minimalist and modern aesthetic, offering a striking contrast against neutral cabinets and doors.
To maintain their polished appearance, clean with either a damp cloth or soapy water to enhance the gleam of your hardware.
Choosing the Right Door Hardware Finishes
When it comes to choosing your door hardware finishes, consider the room’s overall look and aim to complement the style.
Are you looking to create a warm or cool atmosphere? For instance, chrome often accompanies cooler tones, while nickel complements warmer shades.
Experiment with textures and colours, varying between traditional and modern, or shiny and matte — you could even mix and match finishes for a unique and personalised aesthetic.
Explore our range of finishes for inspiration in order to find your signature look.
If you're unsure about which door hardware finishes to choose, please don’t hesitate to get in touch; at Henry Blake, we’d be delighted to help you navigate the various options available, and select finishes that perfectly match your interiors.
Alternatively, why not read our previous blog to discover our best handles for shaker cabinets?