How to Add “Old House” Character & Charm to Your Newer Home {Step 4}
Welcome to Day 4 of this series!!
If you missed one of the first 3 days, here’s a re-cap. Just click on the title to view them!
Step 1: Add wood ceilings.
Step 2: Replace your builder’s grade doors with paneled doors.
Step 3: Replace your builder’s grade light fixtures with ones that possess more
Let’s keep going!! Here’s the next step:
Step 4:
Add Character to your
Home with new “old”
Hardware.
Yesterday, we talked about how much changing out your light fixtures can improve the look and feel of your room. Well, hardware has the same effect as well.
While searching the internet for inspiration pictures, I realized two things about changing the hardware in your home.
1. You can replace your hardware with actual antique pieces of hardware.
2. Or you can purchase new hardware that is reminiscent of an older period in time.
There are so many different types of hardware, that I would never be able to talk about them all in one post, but I will focus a just a few.
Of course, you know my love for farmhouses, so I am drawn to hardware that represents that feel.
I was wanting to put latches like the ones below in our new kitchen, but my cabinet fronts were not flat enough to accommodate them.
These latches are definitely representative of an older home.
Look how amazing they look on the cabinets in the picture below! This picture makes me melt! It is soooo “pin-worthy!”
Some more hardware that gives a great “older home” feel are these Classic Cup pulls.
They are one of the most popular type of hardware out right now. The most popular finishes are brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze, but chrome is gaining some ground.
You can see in the picture below how they used cup pulls and latches on their cabinets. Gorge!
The next kitchen used the cup pulls in old rubbed bronze. Oil rubbed bronze looks amazing on white cabinets! Btw, check out that wood ceiling, would ya?!
It’s also very acceptable to mix hardware finishes. Talk about character! Look how oil rubbed bronze and chrome hardware were used in this kitchen from For the Love of a House. If you have never been to this blog, and you want to seen “old house” character at it’s best, you need to click on over there and check it out. (And then be sure to come back and see me!) 
These cup pulls are not just for a kitchen. They look great on a piece of furniture too!
I had a cherry piece of furniture that Mom gave me many years ago that just didn’t look like me at all. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of it because it was before my blogging days. It looked a little like this one, but was less “Queen Anne-ish.”
Mom told me to paint it black so it would match my décor more, so I did. I also added cup pulls.
But when I decided to use it on my back patio, I painted it white, distressed it, and added different pulls to create a totally different look. I loved it!
It definitely gave it more of a farmhouse look.
See the difference changing the
hardware can make?
The last type of hardware I love is glass knobs and handles. They are so beautiful no matter where you put them!
Glass knobs can add lots of charm in a bathroom.
Or a kitchen…
I also found this link at Shelterific on How to Refinish Door Hardware in Six Steps.
I also wanted to share how my blog friend, Jen, from Tatertots and Jello shared in a post how she changed her brass handle to a glass handle on her pantry door in her kitchen. Click on the picture to read about it.
IMPORTANT: You do not have to have a lot of money to change the hardware in your home.
Have you ever looked at the hardware aisle at Hobby Lobby! They have knobs for days!
And if you purchase knobs when they are half off, you can get some beautiful knobs for very little money!
Hobby Lobby – source
ALSO…You can always spray paint the hardware you already have to give it a completely different look!
I’m sure you’ve seen many posts about how bloggers have spray painted their door handles oil rubbed bronze. It takes some time, but very little money to update the look of your home!
Here is a tutorial from Carrie at Dittle Dattle where she shows you how to change your brass door knobs to oil-rubbed bronze ones.
You can also easily spray paint outdated knobs on your cabinets.
So don’t feel like you have to spend a ton of money to get a new look.
Remember that you might find some pretty hardware at thrift stores or yard sales that can be cleaned up or painted to look like new!
Do you have hardware in your home that needs updating? Or could you replace it with hardware that adds more character and charm?
Click the links below to see steps 5 and 6.
Step 5: Add Character and Charm to your home with Finish Trim Work
Step 6: Add Wood Flooring!
Great post! I’ve pinned it and put it on my “want” list!
I am loving this series. I’m definitley going to use these tips for my own home. Thank you so much for sharing! :)
http://www.glamorsham.blogspot.com
Thanks for linking to my oil rubbed bronze hardware! It was such an easy update. My jewelry organizer has gotten lots of use in the last few months, and I’m happy to say the spray-painted finish has held up perfectly!
The hinges are my favorite. I’ve been thinking about putting some on our doors. Great inspiration pics! Just what I need…..more ideas! ha
Pleasepleaseplease tell me there are eleventy million steps in this series!!!!! I squeal with delight each time! Love this series, love your blog!
Oh, how I adore my glass handled five panel doors and original hinges! They look so much better than what the other handles and doors in the newer part of the house look like. We’re switching those once we rearrange a few rooms! Also, to go with the “replace the doors” should be the chunkier mouldings around said doors! I don’t think I can ever go back to plain builder boring door frames after having perfect bungalow chunky ones.
Thanks so much for this series! I have been following your blog for a while now and thought that it was about time that I say hello! Keep up the great work…I look forward to your posts!
-Jenny
I love this series! I too have a not so old house that I like to add old touches to…. Great ideas!
Thanks!
Susan
Love this Idea! We built our house six years ago. I couldn’t wait to change out the builder grade hardware. My husband on the other hand thought the gold door knobs and hinges were just fine. When he was deployed to Bosnia I found hinges and knobs really cheap on overstock.com. I changed every last one out before he returned home. The first thing he noticed was the new hardware and was happy I didn’t listen to him.
Excellent! Can you use this same method for exterior brass door hardware? I have have a brass entry pull as well as kick plate and there are ” greatly ugly” to menow. Can this be done?
I love these posts, so interesting. I will continue to read if you will continue to post.
Great ideas!
EEkk, one little tiny comment on the glass knobs…
Please be very careful with them, and try not to use them everywhere. Make sure that any door you put them on is level, planed, and oiled to swing freely.
My parents had an old Victorian house, and they kept the original glass knobs because my mom loved them. But they also had a door that stuck frequently. And one day, my mom pulled on it to get it open and the knob shattered in her hand, cutting her deeply.
This is not a scare post!! Glass knobs are a thing of beauty and can totally be a joy forever if you take care of the doors they are on. =) Just be mindful.
Incredible post and so many pin worthy photos but it wouldn’t let me pin! Thanks for the info on the knobs
Hi there,
I heard you speak at Haven. Enjoyed it very much!! (Even inspired me to create http://www.theblogsisters.com!). Anyway, I finally made it over. Sorry it took me so long!
All the best,
Barbara
Wow some inspire and beautiful picture idea are there. We would definitely try these awesome idea in my home.We love this post and idea too.
Hi there! I can’t seem to find the next steps past #4 in the series on how to add old character to newer homes posted last January. Can you direct me? Thanks so much! We are building a new “old” house in a year or so and these are such great tips.
Does anyone know what the paint color is on the kitchen cabinets? The greenish color? I’ve brought home many paint chips, but cant seem to find one similar.