Interior Door Handles: An Inside Job

A quick way to dress up the inside of your home is by replacing your interior door handles. You can coordinate with existing hardware and fixtures, or you can use the new door handles as the start of a fresh design scheme. Here are some items to keep in mind: • Knobs and levers – Knobs are round in shape while levers are long and horizontal in shape. These door handlesets are available in locking, non-locking, and dummy functions. Interior locking sets usually lock on the inner side only and are perfect for bathrooms, bedrooms, china cabinets, or for any area where limited access and privacy are important. These sets typically combine the locking mechanism within the door knob or lever. Interior non-locking sets are just for passage between rooms while dummy sets are completely stationary. • Door Pulls - These are similar to dummy knobs in that they are stationary, and usually only on one side of a door. Door pulls are perfect for pantries, closets, and large cabinets. • Push Plates – These are long, flat pieces of finished metal, attached to the door at arm height either vertically or horizontally, and used mostly for swing doors.