Matching Hardware throughout House

**sewhappy** · 09-02-2008, 11:20 AM

We've just moved into a new house and are updating the old shiny brass fixtures throughout. We decided on brushed nickel for the kitchen hardware, so that seems to be the metal and finish of choice for the house...except in the bedroom, we already have very nice Pottery Barn wall sconces in "rubbed bronze" or whatever they called it - basically they're a dark, dark brown color.

Here is a link to a PB wall sconce with a similar finish - note, these are not our particular sconces, as ours were purchased on sale several years ago.

So, here's my question - if I commit to having the rubbed bronze hardware in the bedroom - overhead light, dresser handles/knobs, how do I handle the master bath? (And honestly, I think I have to - both my husband and I like the wall sconces, and he'd think I was crazy if I wanted to replace perfectly working lights.) Would you do bronze there as well? How about the door knobs on the master bath as well as the bedroom (leading into the hallway)? Note: before I thought things through - I went out and bought a curved shower rod (yeah, they didn't leave one) in brushed nickel.

Thanks. Oh, to give you an idea of how the bedroom is shaping up -
* Wall color is - Glidden's Soft Copper

* Bed Linens are - Liz Claiborne "Renee" quilt and shams

Thanks for any suggestions!

**PinkMartini** · 09-02-2008, 11:25 AM

We're having a house built right now and we're doing matching oil rubbed bronze fixtures throughout the whole house - master bathroom/door knobs included

**sewhappy** · 09-02-2008, 11:34 AM

PM - How exciting! I bet that will look lovely. Since I'm not starting from scratch, I need to figure out how to blend new fixtures (brushed nickel) with a few pieces from the old house (notably the rubbed bronze wall sconces). The current door knobs are all shiny brass, so they're going to have to be changed, one way of the other - but the bedroom is stymying me.

**jajacobsen** · 09-02-2008, 12:08 PM

SH - Similar to you, we bought and updated a house which had a hodge podge of finishes - all of which were ugly! Primarily, all of our fixtures were that cheap shimy brass from the 80s!

We handled our masterbath/bedroom as follows: The hardware finish in the master bath was brushed nickel. In the bedroom it is an antique gold. BUT we did all the doorknobs on the scond floor brushed nickel. This gives a more consistent look.

Now, one can argue that we should have done the master bedroom in brushed nickel. But the genuine alabaster fixture we found for the master bedroom is stunning, and really highlights our tray ceiling and goes with our fabric and furniture choices. I did ask a decorator friend and she said that transitioning between room would be fine as long as the choices are cohesive in style (traditional). You don't want each room to have a completely different hardware style (modern, rustic, traditional) etc. It would just seem like you went wild at the hardware store.

If all of the other doorknobs in the house are brushed nickel - then use brushed nickel in teh master bed & bath.

We used brushed nickel through out with only two exceptions: The front door had a very nice solid brass doorknob which matched the exterior brass numbers. So we kept it. Also, we may replace our front door so we didn't see any point in laying out $ for hardware now which would not be used on a new door. AND, the french doors go from the family room (antique gold) to the sunroom (brushed nickel). This really bothered DH. He actually two doorknob sets exactly alike, one in antique gols and one in brushed nickel and took them apart and used half of one and half of the other so the hardware matches each room. But he is anal.

So in your case I would pick a style and finish of interior doorknobs and just use that throughout. I would use rubbed brionze in your master bedroom for curtain rods, lights and any metal finish bedside lamps and picture frames, and just use brushed nickel in the bathroom.

HTH!

**sewhappy** · 09-02-2008, 12:39 PM

Thanks, Jajacobson! That sounds like an excellent plan. I love knowing the "rules" to whatever situation (sewing, gardening, interior design) because then you can always break them - but in an effective and deliberate way. I will have more confidence in my hardware choices going forward - and it makes it easier to pare down the list of choices, too, if it doesn't come in the right finish.

Love the story about your dh and the doorknobs - I was wondering if I should do the same for the bedroom, but I think I'll follow your advice and stick with brushed nickel throughout for a more consistent look and feel, while committing to the rubbed bronze finish for all other master bedroom hardware. The nice thing about the particular finish for the bedroom is that it does "read" as a dark brown, so it's more complimentary to a brushed nickel finish (doorknob) than say, mixing brushed nickel with shiny brass, or a more obvious metallic finish.

Thanks, again!

**Sadie** · 09-02-2008, 06:48 PM

sewhappy, I'm glad you asked this question, b/c I was wondering about the same sort of thing recently. Can I semi-hijack your thread witha question of my own? All of the doorknobs in our house are that shiny brass color, but the light fixtures, faucets, etc. are brushed nickel. I would love to change out all the doorknobs, BUT the hinges are also that shiny gold color. At this point in time, I am not about to take all the doors off the hinges to replace them. Would it look totally stupid to replace only the doorknobs and leave the hinges a different finish?

**jajacobsen** · 09-02-2008, 07:19 PM

You probbly don't want to hear this answer, but I really think you need to do both doorknobs and hinges. I always hate it when I see knobs replaced but not hinges. Why don't you just do like 5 doors at a time - completely. Then another 5, etc. FWIW, I believe hinges are cheaper than doorknobs.

**Sadie** · 09-03-2008, 05:37 AM

jajacobsen, I kind of figured that's what I would hear. I think it would bother me even if no one else really noticed. Thanks!

**sewhappy** · 09-03-2008, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by jajacobsen

Why don't you just do like 5 doors at a time - completely. Then another 5, etc.

That's my plan - I can't face doing all the doors at once (well, paying for them all at once) - but I don't want them all half done, either. I like the idea of doing little sections of the house and having them completely done (as far as that updating is concerned anyway). The master bedroom area as it is has four doorknobs to replace - walk-in closet, door to hallway, door to bathroom, bathroom linen closet. So I will probably start there or the down stairs family room area - where there are 5 doors to replace.

Good luck, Sadie - I think you will find the upgraded look to be very rewarding.

**alienhost** · 09-03-2008, 02:41 PM

I have a question regarding the sink fixtures (bathroom mainly). We are planning on brushed nickel on the vanity. But does a brushed nickel faucet look dirty all the time (I'm thinking it will get "fingerprinty" and look smudged).

I'm having a similar dilema, we want a brushed nickel for the kitchen cabinet knobs/pulls but all the door knobs throughout the house are brass (and the hinges) and are worn so we'd like to replace them. The brushed nickel door knobs are about 50% more than the price of brass. and there are a lot of knobs to replace Is it horrid to not replace the door knobs with the brushed nickel? Plus the front door is brass and in perfect working/good looking condition, would it look stupid to have that brass and the two closets next to it with brushed nickel?

Also does anyone think brushed nickel is a fad? When I try to sell this house 20 years from now will people wonder why we have BN knobs and not brass?????

Honest opinions please