Guide to Accessories for your Door

Hardware Options for Architectural Doors

By Jenny Schweyer

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Installing an architectural door in your home is like hanging a work of fine art in your living room. Great time and care has gone into the decision to purchase your "work of art." You've spent hours deciding on the right decorative theme. You've selected your favorite colors. You've compared the work of several "artists" before finding the product that perfectly suits your taste, home and lifestyle. An architectural door, like fine art, is not a mere afterthought. It's a carefully-planned and sought out part of your home that is meant to stand out and be appreciated. And like enjoying every color and tiny brush stroke of your work of art, no detail on your architectural door has gone unnoticed. That includes the type of hardware you choose.

When speaking of "hardware," this refers to those smaller parts of the architectural door that "accessorize" it: doorknobs/handles, hinges, lock mechanisms and virtually any other piece that is added to the door itself after fabricating. All of these hardware options for architectural doors are functional and necessary parts of any door. However, they should not be afterthoughts. A carefully chosen piece of hardware can be both highly functional and as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of your architectural door. Choosing hardware options for your architectural door should be an integral part of the design process. Anything you choose should complement the design of the door but not detract from the overall aesthetic quality of the "picture" as a whole.
Fortunately, the abundance of hardware options for architectural doors will allow you the chance to be creative and to express yourself with a home that speaks of sophisticated class, right down to the very last detail.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Door Pulls

There are various styles of door pulls to choose from. Traditional knobs are rounded or spherical. Lever-style handles are grasped and turned in a clockwise motion to release the inner latch. Handles, which are common on commercial doors, are grasped with the hand while the thumb presses a very small lever-style button to release the catch. All of these hardware options come in an array of colors, materials and designs.

I recommend: Choose a door pull with a finish that has the same base color as your architectural door (i.e. silver or chrome finish for blue-based doors.)

Hinges

. The most common type of hinge is the butt hinge. It consists of two plates which are attached to abutting surfaces on the door and door jamb and are joined by a pin. Other types include pivot hinges, Baldwin hinges, spring hinges and pivot hinges.

I recommend: Hinges should have the same finish as door pulls, even if the hinges are hidden.

Locks (lock plates).

Door locks may be part of the door handle/pull itself or may be a separate piece. Locks may be purchased as a set with the door pull. They may also be purchased separately.

I recommend: As with hinges, make sure the lock/lock plate finish matches the door pull.

Door closers.

This is a hardware option that is almost always found on commercial doors. They are not typically installed on residential doors. However, door closers can be an added security feature in a residential home, especially where there are children who may not always remember to close the door behind them.

I recommend: Have your door closer custom-designed to complement your architectural door.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Even if you aren't an artist or designer, draw your own sketches of what you want your custom-designed architectural door to look like. Then take your rough drawings to a professional for polishing and finalizing.

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