Choosing Front Door Furniture: Where To Start

You’ve chosen the door, the paint colour, and now for the fun part: choosing the door furniture. But initial excitement can easily turn into confusion as you browse endless front door inspiration pictures on the internet and keep asking yourself: where do I start?!
If you’re brimming with excitement at the thought of adorning your new front door but aren’t sure what you actually need and what will work for your door, we’ve compiled a complete guide to all things front door furniture.
We recommend considering function first (which pieces will make the door work: open, close and lock), and then ‘extras’ (which pieces will make your door look gorgeous).

The first choice to make is whether you need a door pull or a pair of lever handles or door knobs.
You can read our full guide to door pulls vs. door knobs here, but essentially door knobs (or lever handles) will turn to engage a latch, whereas a door pull is fixed in place and will just push and pull the door.
If you have a Yale lock or similar, this will act as your door ‘latch’ so you can fit a door pull and won’t need a turning door handle. Although it isn’t necessary for function, some doors incorporate both a turning door handle (to engage a latch and open the door) and a decorative door pull.
A large door pull (like this Octagonal design) is a great choice for traditional properties and grand entrances, or a subtly elegant design like the Round 3 inch Door Pull is perfectly suited to more modern homes.
Choosing a pair of handles rather than a door pull? You’ll be choosing between door knobs (more traditional) or lever handles (more contemporary).

We’re often asked if there is a ‘standard size’ for letterplates – unfortunately not! Letterplates come in a variety of sizes, so it’s important to measure first if you’re replacing an existing letterplate. Think about any paneling in your door that may restrict size and whether you’d like to fit A4 post through.
Other considerations are with or without a clapper and upright or horizontal?
A letter tidy can be fitted on the inside of the door – these are not essential but are a lovely way to neaten up the appearance by covering the hole and fittings from your letterplate, and help to reduce drafts.

The wonderful door knocker will not only alert you to guests and posties arriving, but with so many different styles available it’s a lovely way to add some flair to your door – choose a traditional Urn or Lion for your period property, or add character with a quirky animal design.
If your door has a narrow central panel, consider a slim silhouette like the Doctors or Plain.
Remember that you don’t need a door knocker if your letterplate has a clapper, and vice versa.

An escutcheon serves to neaten up and protect the wood around the keyhole and reduce drafts.
These are sold individually, and a popular choice is to fit a covered escutcheon on the outside of the door, and an uncovered escutcheon on the inside. Our most popular style is the Plain Round Escutcheon.

If you have a Yale lock or similar, fitting a latch pull around the key cylinder will allow you to pull the door closed from the outside. As Yale locks and Euro key cylinders are only available in a limited selection of finishes, a latch pull in a matching finish to your other door furniture will help to tie everything together.

House numbers and letters in a matching finish to the rest of your door furniture will provide the perfect finishing touch.

Choosing a bell push is another opportunity to enhance the aesthetic of your home’s entrance – adorn a traditional Edwardian red-brick with a classic Foley Bell Press, or add subtle style with a simple Rectangular shape. There are plenty of shapes and sizes available but be sure to choose a finish that matches the rest of your door furniture.

If you’re replacing existing door furniture, you may not want to go to the trouble of re-hanging your door with new hinges, but if you’re having a new door made or you have a particular eye for detail, we offer a range of hinges in our most popular finishes. If you can’t find the right finish in our standard range, please contact us to enquire about bespoke options.

You can browse our full range of beautifully crafted front door furniture here, and if you need any further guidance our friendly sales team will be happy to help.