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When you start a redecoration project, picking out door handles probably won’t cross your mind. As you pore over paint chips and carpet samples, the colour or style of your door handle will be buried under a hundred other decisions.
By the time it comes to a finishing touch like a handle, you might just pick out something familiar, something standard. A polished chrome lever or a tarnished bronze door knob. Even in modern interior design schemes. it can be easy to fall back on something traditional.
But what about black handles? A little more unique, a little more unusual, using a black door handle and door hinges can even change the feel of an entire space. It can even add the dramatic flashpoint that stops a neutral colour scheme from becoming a drab interior.
Even if you haven’t gone for a neutral tone, black door hardware can be an interesting alternative to the more standard satin chrome and brushed nickel finishes. Choosing black door hardware is a simple but surefire way to add a modern edge to your interior doors.
In this post, we’ll look at the impressive impact that black door hardware can have.
Are Black Door Handles Modern or Timeless?
One of the things we love most about black door furniture is that it manages to fit in perfectly with both traditional and modern interiors.
At the moment, black door hardware sits bang on trend as part of the massively popular ‘industrial’ interior style. Matte black door furniture in particular – heavyset hinges and stark door handles – look right at home with the exposed brick, distressed metal and reclaimed wood that dominates this decor.
In fact, matt black handles brilliantly echo the thin grid frames of the Heritage style windows and doors that have become synonymous with the industrial style.
And beyond industrial, monochrome palettes are a great choice for any minimalist, modern interior design. Though the gleam of polished chrome will always hold its own appeal, when you want to keep things understated, matte black door hardware makes a perfect counterpoint to a plain flush door.
Is black door hardware timeless?
Knowing that black door hardware is so trendy right now, might make you wonder if it is actually a fad – a fickle design feature that will go out of style pretty quickly.
But actually, though black interior door knobs might be in style now, they’ve also been popular for decades. Nearly a century in fact.
During the Victorian period, a lot of interior doors featured black tulip, mushroom and beehive handles. The originals were carved out of wood rather than cast in metal, but these period black handles are still being made today. Faithfully reproduced in more modern materials like metal and plastic, they prove that a black door handle has always been a stylish choice.
Door Hardware: Why Choose Black?
You may be wondering are black door handles are a good idea for your home.
It’s impossible to give a blanket answer. But we think that in most cases, black handles are a great idea for any home. We have a whole range of reasons to think this.
The first is obviously their versatility. As we mentioned above, black door hardware will seamlessly fit into an ultra-modern or authentic period design scheme.
Of course, the choices about your door hardware is about more than whether black door handles look good. There are practical elements to consider too.
Whether you’ve chosen natural timber or gloss white doors, installing door hardware in striking black can be a relatively bold look. This can be great if you want your internal doors to be a defining design element that draws the eye. But it does mean you have to make sure they are always looking great.
Black handles do require some maintenance. Even if that just means wiping them with a damp cloth regularly, you will need to put in a little care to stop your door handles from having a relatively limited lifespan.
That said, when it comes to matte or powder-coated door hardware, they won’t show fingerprint marks in the same way a reflective polished finish would on a chrome or brass handle.
Black powder coating is also a little more robust than satin chrome or brushed nickel finishes. As well as a lack of fingerprints you will rarely discern subtle scratches or scuff marks on the surface. And, unlike most metallic finishes, you won’t need to worry about tarnishing or discolouration.
Can you put black hardware on a black door?
If we’re honest, we believe this is a question that only an individual can answer.
Finishing a matte black panel door with matte black door hardware and even a matching frame, creates a dramatic statement door that is a beautiful contrast against block colour walls.
And when it comes to glazed internal doors, an equally impressive contrast can form between a black lever handle and clear or frosted panes of glass. Particularly on a door with a thinner frame to pane ratio.
But some people might find that a black handle on a black door is swallowed into darkness. As well as leaving it hard to spot when you’re trying to use the door, this unbroken colour motif can draw attention to every speck of dust and dirt.
In the right room, a black handle on a black will look incredible. But there is no denying that the clean contrast of polished door knobs on black doors is also eye-catchingly effective, so this one is up to you.
Keeping Black Door Handles Looking Great
As black door handles are likely to draw attention to any interior door, it’s important you’re able to keep them looking sleek, shiny and new for the longest time possible.
As we’ve already discussed, you don’t need to worry do black door handles scratch easily. They are impressively robust. Unlike brass, brushed nickel or chrome door furniture, black door hardware won’t highlight even the most minor scratch for all to see.
But keeping black hardware at its best will take some work. All door handles are high traffic areas. They pick up moisture, dust and oil easily. Worse, bacteria can survive and even multiply on neglected handles.
As well as a blossoming health hazard, leaving dirt on your door handles can even accelerate the fading process of your door handle’s colour. With all this potential unpleasantness, it’s definitely a good idea to care for your handles.
How to clean matte black door handles
Luckily, it’s not hard to keep a door handle looking its best. These are the things you need to bear in mind when tackling the task:
Clean them regularly
The more often you clean them, the easier the job will be. Once a week, spend a little time wiping your door hinges, handles and lock kits down with a warm, soft cloth. This will grab any dust or grime before it has time to bed in and risk damaging the door handle.
Once a month, wash the handles properly, making sure to get into any decoration or indentations.
Use gentle cleaning solutions
For a monthly deep clean, you don’t need to use anything more than mild soapy water.
Avoid abrasive cleaners as they could compromise the surface of the handle and weaken it. They could also affect its appearance. You stay away from harsh chemical-based cleaning substances, which could break down and scratch even robust handle coatings.
Stay away from waxed based cleaning substances
You can get specialist products for door handle cleaning, but it’s a bad idea to use these on black door handles. These products usually have waxed based cleaning properties as they are meant for use on metal handles, like nickel and brass, to help keep tarnish at bay.
All you need is a gentle detergent, such as washing up liquid.
Don’t over clean hinges or other door hardware
Many parts of a door rely on oil or lubrication to work properly, and over cleaning will damage them just as much as ignoring them. Particularly on locks like bathroom thumb turns, which you won’t want sticking during regular loose.
When it comes to hinges, latches and door locks, it is a good idea to give them a quick wipe over with a soft dry cloth but nothing else should be needed.
Find your style with matt black door handles
When it comes to interior design the concept of being in style is fluid. Often the most important thing is to get a cohesive theme that draws together all the elements in the room. When you’re following a theme, an overall aesthetic, then any questions around fashion or trends apply to more that theme.
And as black door handles will fit into so many design schemes, themes and styles, it’s impossible to deny that they will always be in style. Their versatility is timeless.
