a tiny update with a big impact

When I was asked to help re-imagine and design a guest bedroom that hadn’t been touched in over 25 years, I knew there was a lot that needed to be done. The big ticket items were new carpet, a fresh coat of paint, all new furniture, and window treatments. But one of the smaller things I immediately knew I wanted to update was the outdated door handles on the door to the room and on the two closet doors. Replacing the hardware on doors (or cabinets) is a simple, cost-effective way to have a big impact that instantly updates the entire look of a room and requires no additional labor costs - you can do it yourself!

First, identify what kind of door handles you need. Do you want a lock? Do you need a handle on both sides of the door? Or is it a dummy door?

For this room, I needed one entry door lever and two passage door levers for the closet. The current handles were old round brass knobs and my clients wanted something linear, but not too pointed, in brushed nickel. We went with these from www.build.com:

Once you have your new hardware, you’re ready to remove the old.

Start with the strike plate (#1) aka the piece of metal on the door frame that holds the latch to keep the door closed. Unscrew both top and bottom screws and the plate should come right off. Mine was a little stuck to the old paint so I used a metal putty knife to wedge it out.

Next, remove the knob. Some doors have two visible mounting screws you can unscrew and the knob will come right off. Other knobs, like the ones I was working with, don’t have any visible screws, so you’ll need to locate a small slot (#2). Use a flathead screwdriver to insert into the slot, push the button, and you’ll hear a clicking sound letting you know it has released and you can now pull the knob out.

The last piece is the mounting plate, which you can remove by unscrewing the top and bottom screws (#3).

Finally, you should be left with a hold in the door for the new knob (#4).

To install the new knobs or passage levers, there should be detailed instructions on the packaging (and it’s a lot easier than the removal process, especially for old hardware). You’ll need to install both the strike plate and the knobs, which for me simply required screwing in 6 screws.

And that’s it! Instant upgrade to any room.