Get Morning Report and other email newsletters

Get Morning Report and other email newsletters

My friend, a former fashion writer, came over last week to talk about her new job. We got right down to the important stuff.

“Did you get a bunch of new clothes?” I asked.

“Of course!” she said. “But mostly I got new jewelry and a nice handbag.”

Now, I am arguably the only person in the world with whom this conversation would trip thoughts of curb appeal. But it did.

Accessories, as my fashion-forward friend knows, are what people notice first. Whether on a house or a person, the earrings and outdoor wall lamps, the necklaces and door knockers, the watches and handles, the handbags and mailboxes are what make that critical first impression.

Taken together, they either say, “Buttoned up with act together,” or “Meep, meep! Alert! We need a makeover! Stat!”

So, I was intrigued when I learned recently that, for as little as $100 — or $300, if you go all out — you could greatly bolster your home’s curb appeal with a few pieces of hardware.

Knowing this made me want to start an intervention program right on my own street.

We’ve been over the importance of the entryway. We’ve also covered the significance of details. Today, we’re kicking this dialogue up a notch to entryway details, fine points many homeowners let slide.

You know the kind of home fronts I’m talking about. Their address numbers are rusted, with one or two swinging sadly off kilter. Their door handles and knockers saw their prime during the Nixon administration. And their mail slots creak as if the house were haunted and look as if they came straight from an auto salvage yard.

You know I’m all for vintage, but the difference between original and decrepit is like the difference between aging well and aging at warp speed.

“Handles, door knockers and address numbers often reveal a home’s age, but not in the best sense,” says Jonathan Begg, product marketing manager with National Hardware, of Lake Forest.

When worn, tired and rusty, they say, “We’ve stopped caring” — which is a shame because they are easy and inexpensive to replace.

For giving the hardware on your home’s facade an affordable makeover, Begg offers these tips:

Pick a finish. Just because your builder chose polished brass back in 1978 doesn’t mean you have to stick with that finish. Satin nickel and oil-rubbed bronze, once considered alternative finishes, are mainstream today, says Begg. “They are the norm on new home builds.” However, polished brass, antique brass, antique bronze, pewter and plain black are also popular.

Make them match. Whichever finish you select, stick with it for all your outdoor hardware. Handles, door knockers, mail slots and outdoor lamps should match. Note, however, that, just to make life frustrating, one manufacturer’s interpretation of brushed nickel or antique bronze is often different from another’s. “Before installing, put the pieces next to each other to make sure finishes match,” says Begg.

New house numbers. Address numbers should be decorative and functional. They help make your home stand out when guests or delivery services are trying to find you and can add a custom touch. Consider, for instance, going bigger. Choose a style that fits your architecture and a color that will stand out against the paint.

Handles, knockers and kick plates. These traditional pieces of door hardware are usually corrosion resistant, but they still wear out with time and use. If you don’t already have a kick plate, the addition of one at the bottom of your front door protects against shoe abuse, offers weather protection and can be decorative. If you’re replacing old hardware, the holes typically do line up and the silhouettes tend to be standard, but check first. Try to buy like-size products.

Mail slots. Tired-looking mail slots also signal neglect. A new one not only adds a look of caring to your entry, but its tighter spring-action can better seal out weather and dirt, says Begg. Again, these should be standard and easy to replace with an off-the-shelf product. “But they don’t always fit like a glove. Measure first,” he says.

Allow plenty of time. Although switching out old hardware sounds simple, allow more time for the task than you think you’ll need, advises Begg, who admits such jobs take even him longer than he thinks they should. “You always run into a challenge,” he says. “The holes don’t line up, or you hit dry rot, or you need to touch up the paint.”

In the budget. Although cost depends on what you choose, here’s a rough idea of what new hardware can run: Address numbers can range from $2 to $10 each, a door handset from $40 to over to $200, a door knocker $25 to $50, a mail slot from $30 to $75 and a kick plate $30.

Check the rule book. Before you replace or add hardware outside, run your choice by your homeowners association, if you have one, to make sure you’re in compliance. The rules may not agree with what you think looks great.

Contact Marni Jameson through www.marnijameson.com.

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

Get Morning Report and other email newsletters