Hardware & Metalwork

Hardware & Metalwork

HARDWARE Basics for Owners of Old Houses

Here’s our curated selection of information about traditional hardware—everything from early American rat-tail hinges to hammered copper bail pulls and mid-century chrome. Find information on salvage and repair, too!

Hardware & Metalwork

Hand Forged & Foundry Cast

The forms of reproduction hardware may look familiar, but the techniques used to make these pieces have changed dramatically.

Hardware & Metalwork

Unlocking Victorian Door Hardware

If you need to replace the doorknobs in your Victorian-era house, some background on decorative trends of the time can help you sort through antiques and reproductions.

Hardware & Metalwork

How to Hang Window Drapery

Window dressings complete a room. Here’s a tutorial on drapery hardware ca. 1860 to 1910—a period that saw lavish treatments but also a return to simple rod-and-ring drapery.

Hardware & Metalwork

Transom Hardware

This arcane contraption is a transom operator, and it’s used to open and close the ventilation window above a door or larger window without the need of a pole and hook (or a stepladder).

Hardware & Metalwork

Switchplates with Style

Make an electrical outlet or switch disappear by painting or wallpapering it to match the wall. (Wallpaper gets dirty fast, so make two and store one for later.) Alternately, these decorative covers turn the switch plate into an architectural detail.

Hardware & Metalwork

Stair Rods & Dust Corners

They still make stair rods & dust corners.

Hardware & Metalwork

Pushbutton Switches

They still make pushbutton switches.

Hardware & Metalwork

Step Up with a Cast Iron Newel

Used with a wood or wrought-iron balustrade, a salvaged cast-iron newel post adds history.

Hardware & Metalwork

Cabinet Hardware by House Style

Serious or whimsical, cabinet hardware sets a period mood. It’s jewelry for the kitchen.

Hardware & Metalwork

4 Sources for Hard-to-Find Hardware

Convinced they don’t make that swinging kitchen door hinge anymore? Here’s help locating some hard-to-find hardware for old houses.

Hardware & Metalwork

Guide to Vintage-Style Cabinet Hinges

Today’s hinges come in a variety of traditional shapes, sizes, and styles. Here’s how to find the best fit for your old-house cabinets.

Hardware & Metalwork

6 Classic Doorknobs for Old Houses

Need doorknobs for your old house? Start your search with these time-tested basics.

Hardware & Metalwork

Picture Rails for Period Houses

Bang a nail into the drywall? Maybe not, if yours is a period house. Here’s a rundown of the ways the picture rail was used from 1840–1940.

Hardware & Metalwork

Antique Window Hardware Guide

Tips on how to maintain the look of your old home with replacement antique window hardware.

Hardware & Metalwork

Hardware in Context

Before the invention of the cylinder lock, household security was a matter of trusting one’s neighbors—or pulling in the latch string.