Your first decision comes down to how you want to open your door. Do you want a handle or knob? There may seem little difference between the two but take into account a purely functional viewpoint - handles are easier to open so ask yourself will children or anyone with arthritis be opening the door? From a style viewpoint match your door handle to the styling of your home. If you have a colourful vibrant interior look into gold coloured handles. If you favour minimalism or neutral colours look at blacks and silvers. Look at the style of the door handles, do you want an ornate Tudor design to make your homely interior or are you looking for a sleek finish to match your minimalist theme? Some homes would suit door knobs better, one particular benefit of them is that if you are limited by narrow walkways door knobs will not snag clothes. A practical benefit but an important one. If you do choose knobs they apply the same rules of styling as those discussed for handles. Remembe! r your door handle or knob is the handshake of your home so make sure it leaves a good impression.
If your door does not have a lock then you are looking for door furniture rather than a handle. Door furniture looks pretty much the same as door handles or knobs, but they function simply to pull the door open. With no lock there means there is no barrel in the door so it swings open. Despite the lack of `function` from the door furniture they are still an integral part in the styling of your home so do not be tempted to save some extra cash by going for the budget model, they still need to match the rest of the house.
For those of you on a larger budget you may want to look into architectural ironmongery. This is the restoration, or custom build of ornate and historical door handles. Although much more expensive than buying handles straight from the shelf it offers the benefit of something truly unique to your home.
Installing any door hardware is straight forward and often you will need little more than a screw driver. Simply take the old handle off and replace it with the new one.
When choosing you hardware give yourself a budget and then think about your style. Door hardware may seem a minor part of furnishing your home but it is one part of the house you will use more than any other so find Sliding door hardware that does your home proud.
