Installing New Doorknobs: How We Finally Closed the Upstairs Doors

After sharing a round-up of doorknob options last week and ordering the ones we liked, we were eager to finish the upstairs doors. For weeks every door upstairs had a big hole where a knob should be, so when the box arrived we jumped right into the project.

As with many DIY jobs, this one was a little trickier than we expected. The new latch assemblies were larger than the existing cutouts, so I had to widen the holes. The instructions recommended a file, which I tried, but it was slow and labor-intensive. A drill with a sanding bit made the job faster and cleaner, so I switched to that method for all the doors.

There were eleven doors in total, and widening each hole added to the project time and the mess. On five of those doors I also had to chisel the mortise a little deeper so the latch would seat properly and line up with the knob. That small detail kept the latches from sitting flush and prevented smooth operation until it was corrected.

What I thought would be a one-hour job turned into a four-hour session of drilling and chiseling. It was more work than planned, but the result made the effort worthwhile.

Seeing the hallway with all the new knobs in place made the space feel much more finished. The naked doors had been a constant reminder that the house needed some small but important touches. I’m sure Clara will miss making faces through the open holes, but the finished look is a huge improvement.

Getting all of the doors into one photo was a challenge (the master bedroom is behind me), but capturing them closed was oddly satisfying. For rooms like Clara’s, being able to shut the door without propping it open with a pillow makes naps and privacy much easier. And the bathroom being able to close properly is, well, self-explanatory.

We chose knobs with a large back plate, and we’re happy with that decision. The plates give a traditional, understated look—Sherry describes them as little exclamation points on each door. They add visual interest without being ornate or competing with other details.

To save some money we used the plate-less version on closets and the attic door. We did decide to put a plated knob on the hall bathroom so it wouldn’t stand out among the other doors at the top of the stairs. The linen closet, which has two adjacent doors, also got the simpler knobs to avoid visual clutter. Because all of the knobs share the same finish, everything feels cohesive: plated knobs indicate rooms, while plain knobs mark closets and storage.

Someone asked last week how these knobs lock, so we took close-up photos. On the inside there’s a small push button behind the knob that engages the lock; turning the knob from the inside releases it. From the outside there’s a tiny emergency hole that can be opened with the flat key that comes with the set. We’ve kept the keys in our junk drawer for easy access. For now Clara has been respectful of our instructions not to touch the locks; we hope having locks visible helps her learn about them responsibly.

We don’t want any secret shenanigans behind closed doors—though we did catch Burger investigating Clara’s old play mat. Sneaky dog behavior aside, having doors that actually close makes the house function better immediately.

There’s still plenty to do with furniture placement, window treatments, closet organization, and paint choices. We’ve only been in the house a couple of weeks, so rooms still have boxes, bare walls, and a few misplaced chairs. Planning those changes is the fun part—we’ve been brainstorming late into the night until one of us falls asleep mid-conversation.

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