How about a post on hunting for door knockers? Not the other kind of knockers — this is the promised follow-up about updating our front door’s knocker and doorbell.
When we moved in, the door had a perfectly serviceable but weathered knocker. Its main flaw was an etched last name from the previous owner (I’ve blurred it slightly in the photo to be polite), which made it feel too personalized to keep as-is.
Rather than try to salvage that engraving, we decided this was a good excuse to look for something unique and eye-catching. Our first stop was our favorite local hardware store, Pleasant’s Hardware, where they had several animal-inspired designs that Clara adored. They were beautiful, but the price tags—$188 and up—made us think twice.
Next we checked an architectural salvage shop, Caravati’s, which is always full of interesting pieces. They had some great options (we loved a chunky ring-style knocker), but again the prices were steeper than we wanted—one was $185. I’d never realized door knockers could be so costly.
We also looked at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Those knockers hit the right price point, but they were essentially the same urn-shaped style we already had—just smaller and with a more generic look. Choosing one of those would likely mean drilling new holes in the door for little visual gain.
Online shopping turned up a few more affordable choices from stores like Restoration Hardware and Anthropologie. They were reasonably priced at around $50, but most were noticeably smaller than our original knocker and would probably look undersized on our two-story facade.
After all that searching, we decided to take another look at the knocker we already had. A gentleman at Caravati’s had suggested having the engraving professionally buffed out, but we figured we’d try an at-home approach first. My Dremel had sanding pads that seemed up to the task.
We removed the knocker and I started with the coarsest sanding pad to take out the etched letters. I worried at first that I might be damaging the piece, so I paused to check the progress. Sherry suggested that a fresh coat of paint would mask any surface imperfections, so I continued carefully.
Once the engraving was mostly gone, I switched to a higher-grit pad to smooth the surface and reduce visible scratch marks. The refinished metal revealed a subtle gold undertone—probably close to the knocker’s original finish—but we ultimately wanted a darker, oil-rubbed-bronze look to match the rest of the porch hardware.
Instead of painstakingly buffing every tiny crevice to chase that gold finish, we moved on to painting. Sherry used her preferred self-priming spray paint—Rust-Oleum Universal All-Surface—in an oil-rubbed-bronze color and applied three light, mist-like coats. The thin layers built up evenly without runs or drips.
When the paint dried, the depersonalized knocker looked right at home on our new blue door. The refreshed finish is smooth and reflective; you can even see a faint reflection of the yard and Sherry taking the photo. The area I sanded down blends seamlessly with the rest of the knocker, which was a satisfying small victory.
Here’s a detail shot with the door open so you can get a better view of the smooth finish without as much porch reflection.
We also freshened the doorbell. We liked its shape but it had been poorly painted over, which hid the details. A coat of the same oil-rubbed-bronze spray paint brought it back to life and tied the hardware together.
To keep the button paint-free, Sherry pressed a small piece of sticky tack (poster putty) over it before spraying. It was far simpler and more precise than trying to cut a tiny circle of painter’s tape. After the paint dried she pulled the tack off and the button was clean beneath.
All told, one $7 can of spray paint let us restore and update both pieces on the porch. The darker finish helps the knocker and doorbell stand out against the blue door while coordinating with the door handle, black planters, and the black trim on our doormat.
Now if we can only address that crooked, bug-infested light fixture…
Update: Our house didn’t have a wired doorbell, so we installed a wireless Ring video doorbell instead. The setup was straightforward and quick.
Psst—Clara’s at it again, being all funny and cute over here.