Bathroom door handle finish in relation to other door handles.

16 years ago

Hi,

I have a question for all the bathroom remodelers out there. We are redoing our bathroom. The basic elements are:

Ivory travertine all the way up the walls. Minimalist and spa-like. No patterns, but wall tile will be offset.

Espresso vanity and mirror. Clean lines, chunky. Transitional, bordering on contemporary. Ivory travertine top. Stark white sink.

Polished chrome fixtures. Kohler Purist Line.

We need to switch out the old brass door handle. I fell in love with Omnia handlesets, and they are spot on perfect, but we have to switch out numerous handlesets in the immediate vicinity of the bathroom, so they all work together. The Omnia is about 90.00, but we decided to get Shlage Manhattan sets instead as they are 30.00 each, and look pricier.

Here's the dilemma:

The polished chrome set would look great inside our new bathroom, matching with everything else in the bathroom. However, I'm afraid that the polished chrome would be 'too much' on the outside of the door, and the other doors in the vicinity. Shlage also makes a brushed chrome, which would not match as well inside the bathroom, but works nicely on the outside of the door and the other doors.

What would you do? Thanks for any input!

Featured Answer

palimpsest

16 years ago

There was originally a functional reason as to why this was done. The oldest intact bathroom I have seen is around the corner from me in an 1840s house. The bathroom is later, obviously but it is not the nickel and white tile and porcelain that we associate with original Victorian and Edwardian baths, it predates those.

The entire room is sheated in brown varnished beadboard, the tub is zinc, and the toilet is a box toilet. The sink is undermount in a marble counter.

All the hardware is brass. The faucets are closer in appearance to outdoor spigots more than to modern hardware, and it is all almost black.

Nickel (and then later chrome) were used in bathrooms pre-ventilation, because it does not have to be polished like brass to keep a shine and it does not oxidize. Nickel could be wiped off with ammonia if necessary and chrome is even less maintenance. Brass without the lacquer would tarnish and then the tarnish would rub off on towels and such.

None of this matters now with coated finishes, but there was a purpose behind it, and the reason split finishes disappeared somewhat is because it is cheaper and takes less thought for builders to put in all matching knobs (especially when they are R or L handed).

As for hardware matching throughout the house, that was not done historically either, that is the result of mass produced housing. It was not unusual to have brass on the "good" rooms, porcelain knobs on the service rooms and kitchen, and bedrooms, --alternately the bedrooms and baths could be crystal knobs, but particularly until the 1950s and on building boom, the bath hardware was 'split' with the exterior coordinating with the house, and the bath being nickel or chrome.

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Comments (7)

palimpsest
16 years ago
You should be able to get split finish for the bathrooms.
Chrome on the inside and brass or ORB on the outside, for example.
annie63
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks! I thought about that, but I've never seen a polished chrome/brushed chrome combo.
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MongoCT
16 years ago
Some manufacturers let you order split finish. Other you have to buy one of each.

Once when I had to buy one of each I swapped knobs and used the "odd knob" on the inside of a coat closet.
brutuses
16 years ago
Personally, if I saw a door handle one finish on one side and another on the other side, I'd find that strange. Door handles should match each other in the house (or so I thought), not the finish in each room. It will be much more noticeable that you have a two toned door knob than the fact that the door handle doesn't match the other metals in the bathroom. People do not normally notice what door handles match the interior of the room they are in. At least I never have. Unless you think the people who visit you would actually think a two toned handle is appropriate, I wouldn't try that trick. What do the interior door knobs in the rest of your house look like?

Also, remember, too much matchy matchy is boring and not noticed but instead blends all together.

If you change to a two tone knob then which one should the hinges match? See my point? One thing can lead to another and before you know it you're stressed to a frazzle and for what, a door knob? I'll show you my grays hairs to prove my point. LOL

My guest bath hardware is in an antique bronze, almost black finish, yet the door knobs that are in that room and throughout the house are crystal with brushed nickle back plates. Do you think anyone is going to look at my crystal door knobs and think, oh she should have put in antique bronze? Of course not. As long as your selections are stylish, the metal color is not the breaking deal on a bathroom door. Forgot to mention the handles on the antique dresser in my guest bath are antique brass, a third finish in that tiny room. Yet, it all is very beautiful.

You have to trust your heart and your eyes sometime and not just think everything has to match exactly, because it does not.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.
brutuses
16 years ago
I'm glad they figured out it was cheaper because to me split knobs in today's homes would look odd. I wouldn't think twice about it if I saw it in an older home because it would lend to the character of the house. I love antiques, but some of the old things back then would not be practical in today's newer homes.
sjblick
16 years ago
I had a split knob on my master bathroom door - and it always bugged me, but hardly anyone else ever noticed. I'd say do what you like or whichever choice will bug you less!