The Best Materials For Upgrading Your Door Handles

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Whether you’re moving into a new home or just want to enhance the one you’ve been living in for a long time, swapping out old door handles for new ones is a brilliant idea. It’s one of those subtle changes that you stand back and look at with pride. Who’d have thought that something so simple would make your home look so much better? 

There are many choices when it comes to swapping out your door hardware, but which materials are the best for this? Specifically, you want a material that will look brilliant for as long as possible – and that can handle daily use. 

#1 Solid Brass

You cannot go wrong with solid brass, and that’s why it is the best overall choice for door handle upgrades. As you shop brass door hardware, you’ll see there are so many handle designs that look great in this material, but the natural colour of brass gives it an edge over everything else. It just looks high-end and gives your home a more luxury feel. Add in the fact that brass won’t rust, resists corrosion, and isn’t going to chip or peel, and you’ve got a handle that can last for decades. 

#2 Stainless Steel

If you’re not feeling that adventurous and would rather pick a high-quality door handle that goes with everything, then proper stainless steel is a great choice. You need actual stainless steel handles here – not ones that are plated. Stainless steel is designed to be very durable, and as the name suggests, it shouldn’t tarnish or stain. Like brass, it’s resistant to rust, though it might be slightly easier for you to maintain stainless steel. The only downside is that it can look a bit plain, so if your main priority is improving the look of your home, this won’t be the best choice. It’s probably most suitable for family homes with lots of kids running around getting their grubby hands on the door handles! 

#3 Bronze

It’s the Olympic medal nobody really wants, but bronze is actually a great material to have for door handles in your home. It was popular centuries ago, specifically because it’s an extremely durable metal that resists corrosion better than almost anything. If you’re going for a true luxury feel, then nothing can beat the way bronze looks. Be warned: it’s very expensive. You also have fewer style options with this material, and it likely suits period homes more than modern ones.

Ultimately, these are the three best materials you can call upon when upgrading your door handles. If you want to go for the high-end look, then solid brass and bronze are the best two choices. The former looks great in almost any home, while the latter is better in slightly older-looking properties. For those of you who want your home to look nice without getting ruined by kids, stainless steel is likely the best choice. Of course, you should also consider your budget and how easy each material is to maintain, but any one of the three will be a big upgrade on the typical plated door handles most people have.