Vintage Doorbell Hardware
There was one part of our new front door that you probably never paid any attention to. Can you spot it?
See that knob on top? That is a vintage doorbell. It makes the most lovely sound so we wanted to keep it when we replaced the door. The problem is that it is so non-descript that nobody recognizes its a doorbell! It's a cheap plastic knob and plate painted to look like metal and we've been wanting to replace it for a while. We hadn't found any suitable replacements though until our recent trip to Artefacts in St. Jacobs.
I wish I had taken a Before photo to show the new hardware covered in layers and layers of old peeling white paint like the old mailbox slot we found. HandyMan has a polishing wheel (seriously, it is the most useful tool!) which he used to strip off all that paint. Beneath it all we found this...
Isn't it pretty? It looks to be cast out of bronze as it has a slight brownish tint. I love how it says "Turn" - there'll be no mistaking that this is a doorbell now! 
We debated whether to spraypaint the bronze to match the brushed metal of the other door hardware, but its really hard to get the exact same metal finish. Plus the metal is so darn gorgeous we didn't want to cover it up; its kinda nice having it in its authentic original finish.
And here are my trusty assistants showing you just how nice the doorbell sounds:
12 comments:
I love that doorbell, it reminds me of my Grandparents, they had the same doorbell, only it sounded different...and Assistants you can never get them to do what you need them to do when exactly you need it.
Love the doorbell! It really is an intricate part of the character of the door. Little Handy Guy and Handy man did a great job!! Susan :)
That's the cutest and coolest doorbell I have ever seen!
Wow, I can't believe all the cute little details on the doorbell. What a great find! And this has proved the point even further that I need to get to Artefacts!!
Love those mechanical doorbells. I wanted to put one in our house but it didn't work out with our setup.
Love the sound of that doorbell....and of course I always love "seeing" Chloe. So cute!
Oh wow! That is beautiful! I'm at work, so i can't listen to your beautiful doorbell, but I can only imagine how it sounds!
The video clip is so cute and love the doorbell in its original finish. Please stop by as I have a book giveaway!
Hello there,
we bought a house in midtown TO and moving in less than a month. I love your work, style, taste and our house looks very much like yours. Can we meet sometime? We have a happy 2.5 years old son who is the reason for the move! I'm an architect/ Urban Planner. Let me know.
Shadi
Ding dong! Loved this post.
jbhat
Yes, that little assistant needs to work on her forearm strength ;)
Shadi - nice to hear from you! We're always up for meeting other Toronto folks. You can reach us at ramblingrenovators@gmail.com and we'll see what works.
Love love love the doorbell! It's incredibly pretty both in looks and sounds. And aren't you lucky to have such a cute little assistant like Chloe! Adorable!
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