How to Dress Up Your Door With a Classic Door Knocker
This was one of those projects that escalated quickly. As we’ve been working on our outdoor kitchen build, I thought it would be fun to dress up one of our exterior doors- purely for aesthetic purposes. The door that leads into our garage from the patio had seen better days. It was pretty busted up, but we decided to give it a fresh coat of paint and the next thing I know, I’m scrolling door knockers on Etsy. So it goes, ha! Click through for my best tips on how to dress up your door with a classic door knocker- along with 20 of my current favorites that are unique, timeless, and beautiful!
When we replaced the front door in our current home, we opted for double doors with windows to allow as much natural light in as possible. While I love the glass for the sake of a well-lit entry, I do miss having a place to mount a fun door knocker on our entry door. At our previous home, one of my favorite parts of replacing the front door was searching for the perfect vintage knocker. It made our home feel special and was an interesting first impression! While staring at our ugly garage entry door one day… I thought why not?! Bridging the gap between our outdoor cabinets felt like the perfect place to have a little fun. Check out this post if you missed the design plan for our outdoor kitchen build!
Classic & Unique Door Knockers
Click directly on each door knocker within the collage to be redirected…
Obviously I landed on the terrier door knocker from the above collage. How could I not? It’s a fun tribute to our own cute terrier, Cash. I stumbled across this Etsy shop, and the name alone (Dogknockers) was an easy sell. Fellow dog lover and artist, Kerry, makes beautifully cast bronze door knockers with hand forged steel. They’re stunning! She does a number of dog breeds, so definitely check out her shop. The knocker also added a lot of weight to our door, which makes it feel higher-end (quick designer hack- splurge for heavy hardware).
Why Install a Door Knocker?
Though most of us have doorbells or doorbell cameras at this point, door knockers are obviously meant to be functional- you can use them to knock on the door. However, they’re primarily installed for decor and aesthetics. It’s the perfect way to add character, personality, and make a first impression.
Updating Our Patio Garage Door
Why install a door knocker on a garage entry door? Again, it’s purely cosmetic… I just think they’re fun! Obviously nobody is knocking to enter our side garage door, but I do love the way it looks. Door knockers can be used to visually balance a door, add personality, tie in a color palette, and of course- if they’re on your main or front door, they’re great for their intended purpose of knocking. This is what our garage door looked like before…
We decided to save money and keep the door, but we gave it a fresh coat of paint and a quick hardware swap. Check out this post for a detailed tutorial on how to paint a door. Emmett ended up spraying this one, but I’m partial to rolling & brushing (I’m still not cleared by my doctor for activity). We replaced the lock and added the door knocker, sticking with bronze to complement our newly installed outdoor kitchen cabinets & countertop… which I can’t wait to show you next week (if the weather cooperates). I got rained out last week before leaving.
FAQ
Perhaps! I’d love to install this Grandeur hardware with a backplate (also in bronze), but we’d need to drill new holes and maybe even replace the entire door. We think someone busted this door before we moved here (it seems as though it was kicked in), Emmett had to do some serious repairs, which limited us to a simple lock and deadbolt.
It was also an Etsy find! I actually found an identical match and included it in the collage (this mid century looking one). One of my biggest moving regrets was not bringing that door knocker with us. I should have thought to swap it before we moved… it was a special one to me.
Related
I’m going to link some really good related posts that may also prove helpful! If you’re looking to make home updates, switch doors or hardware, or simply need some inspiration- check out the following…
- Replacing the Front Door & Decorating the Porch for Fall
- Grandeur vs Emtek Exterior Door Hardware
- How to Easily Tile Over an Existing Concrete Patio
- 10 Ideas for Enhancing Curb Appeal
- 10 Pins : Front Door Edition
- How to Order & Replace An Interior Door (with Designer Recommendations)
- Roundup : Brass Door Hardware
- Exterior Outdoor Living Tour
- How to Measure, Select, and Install Interior Door Hardware
- Best of Etsy : Door Knocker Edition
- How to Choose the Best Garage Door Style & Color for Your Home
I hope you enjoyed this one! I’m hoping to photograph the outdoor kitchen as soon as we’re back home. The weather just didn’t cooperate for me last week with all the rain. Isn’t the door fun though? I’m glad we took the time to give it a mini makeover. Leave any questions for me in the comment section below! Do you have a knocker on your door?