Easy Interior Door Makeover with Schlage

Today I’m thrilled to bring you a fun interior door makeover, sponsored by Schlage®. Check out how easy it is to make a big impact on your house, just by changing a small detail that you use every day.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

A Brief History of our Handles

We’ve been in our house for several months now, and have finished most of the remodeling projects on our high priority list. You know, the list of things that have to be done immediately so they’re not bugging you every day? Well, our version of immediately turned into about 9 months, but that’s the story of our life.

There’s one thing that’s been annoying me this whole time, though. It’s our ugly, dated doorknobs.

Early on, I painted the doors white, which was a refreshing update from their dark, dated oak. But the dinky and dingy aged brass doorknobs continued to haunt me with their bad seventies vibe.

Doorknobs may not seem like a big deal, but they’re something you use every day and they play an important role in defining the style of your home. And mine have been begging for an update.

How to Update Interior Door Handles

There’s no reason to be stuck with old boring door hardware, when a door handle is so easy to change out and there are so many good options to choose from.

When Schlage® asked if I would like to use their hardware to make over my doors, I jumped at the chance. Then came the harder decision of picking which handles I wanted to use!

I didn’t want to just pick any hardware; I wanted to pick something that really complemented my home’s style. Schlage® has a great selector tool on their website to help you figure out which handles you should choose, based on a few easy questions.

Choosing a Door Handle Style

I’d never given much thought to it before, but I quickly found three factors to consider when choosing new door hardware.

Style & Shape

Choose whether you prefer a knob or lever style door handle. I like levers because they are so easy to use. If your house is more traditional, you may prefer a knob style.

Then choose a shape that fits the style of your home, whether that’s traditional, modern, contemporary, transitional, industrial, or somewhere in between.

Finish & Color

This includes color and sheen, such as brass, bronze, or nickel which usually come in polished (shiny), satin (medium), or matte (not shiny at all).

There’s no right or wrong answer here, but keep in mind the other fixtures in your home (light fixtures, sink faucets, even hinges which may need to be changed if you change your door handles). They don’t all have to match perfectly, but you don’t want too many different, competing finishes throughout your house.

Construction & Quality

You may not have ever given much thought to the construction of your door handles, but it’s worth considering. In my last house, we were trying to save a few dollars and bought cheap handles. They looked OK, but didn’t feel good.

A door handle with solid construction will feel heavier and smoother when operating. Also, make sure to buy handles that are well made so the finish will last and stand up to sticky fingers and regular cleaning, especially if you have kids!

With those three considerations in mind, I chose the Sacramento Lever by Schlage®, and let me tell you, these are the most beautiful door handles I’ve ever owned.

(If you think it’s silly to put so much thought into doorknobs, let me assure you I am not alone. I once had a client whose doorknob decision was one of the toughest of her whole house makeover!)

These handles are smooth, heavy duty, and the finish is a gorgeous polished nickel which is a warm silver color.

My new door handles pull together a few different styles. (I have trouble sticking to just one in my house!) I tend to have a mix of traditional and modern, with some industrial touches thrown in for good measure.

Luckily, Schlage® was able to help me sort out these design trends and pick hardware that played nicely with all of them. Here’s a thought to keep in mind, if you’re leaning toward modern industrial style:

“The Industrial trend has transitioned from a theme that would encompass an entire space to manifesting itself in accessories that can be mixed with other themes. The Industrial color palette is also becoming lighter while some key elements—such as pulleys and Edison bulbs—are perpetuating in other styles.”

Once you get your style sorted out, the hard part’s over and it’s on to the easy part: installing your new handles!

Replacing Interior Door Handles

Let me show you how easy it is to change a doorknob on an existing door. All you’ll need is your new door handle, along with the parts that come in its package, and a phillips screw driver.

1. Remove the strike plate by unscrewing the two small screws and replace it with the new one, included in the package.

2. Unscrew the two screws on the back of the existing door handle. Pull the two sides of the handle apart and set aside.

3. Remove the bolt by unscrewing the two small screws in the side plate and simply sliding it out of the hole in the edge of the door.

4. Insert the new bolt into the edge of the door, lining up the flat side of the catch with the direction the door swings open. Replace the two small screws with new matching ones from the package.

5. Line up the two sides of the door handle to the front and back of the door, threading the square turning mechanism into the square hole in the center of the bolt. The side with the screw holes should go on the inside, or back, of the door.

6. Use the long screws to attach the front and back of the handle together.

Note: If you are installing a lever handle and it’s facing the wrong way, you can easily switch it out by following the instructions in your package.

Done! Now you have a beautiful new door handle that won’t make you roll your eyes every time you walk in or out of a room.

I want to say a big thank you to Schlage® for helping me check this task off my to-do list, and helping me rescue my house from it’s seventies-style funk.

Schlage® products are also available online at Amazon.com and Build.com, as well as Home Depot. Here are a couple of links to the exact products I've used:

Privacy Handles (for bedrooms and bath)

Entrance Handles (for exterior doors)

Dummy Handles (non-locking for closets and passageways)

What about you, have your doorknobs been bugging you? Now that you know how easy it is to do something about it, you don’t have to wait any longer. Take a look at the Schlage® website and find your perfect handles. Then dig up your screwdriver and get to work!