You down with ORB? Yeah you know me.
Finally — after nearly two years of planning — we upgraded every brass doorknob in our house to an oil-rubbed bronze (ORB) finish. It felt great to get it done. We replaced 19 knobs in total and couldn’t be happier with the transformation.
Before tackling all the interior knobs, we tested the approach on a few exterior knobs, a handle, and a doorknocker to see how the finish would hold up outdoors. Those pieces have weathered well for over a year, so we felt confident moving forward with the interior hardware.
The results are worth the effort. The darker ORB finish instantly updates the look of every room and removes that dated, shiny brass vibe.
Here’s the process we followed:
- Removed all 18 interior knobs with a screwdriver, keeping each pair together so reinstallation would be straightforward.
- Sanded each knob with 400-grit sandpaper to create a surface the paint could adhere to. Use high-grit paper to avoid deep scratches; small surface marks won’t matter because the paint covers them.
- Wiped every knob with a liquid deglosser and laid them out on cardboard to dry, propping pieces upright when needed so the finish could reach all exposed surfaces.
- We used a universal all-surface spray paint in oil-rubbed bronze. This type of spray has a built-in primer that adheres well to metal; if you choose a different brand without primer, apply a separate metal primer first.
- Sprayed in light, even coats from multiple angles to avoid drips. We applied thin layers, waited about ten minutes between coats, and repeated until coverage was consistent. It took about five light coats for full coverage. Keep the can moving and spray from all sides so every exposed part of the knob is coated.
- Allowed the knobs to cure for 48 hours before reinstalling to avoid marking the finish. After an initial 12 hours outdoors when the weather was warm, we moved the pieces indoors to a sunny room to continue curing, since cooler nights could interfere with drying.
Time breakdown: about 30 minutes to remove all knobs, roughly two hours to sand and degloss, about one hour of active spray time (spread across several coats), and half an hour to reinstall after drying. Total hands-on time was approximately 3.5 hours plus two days of curing.
We only used one can of spray paint — less, actually, since we started with a partially used can — which made this update far cheaper than buying new ORB knobs. The cost savings were significant compared with purchasing new hardware in the same finish.
An installation tip: use painter’s tape on the door surface while reinstalling to protect the fresh finish from scratches. Remove the tape when you’re finished.
About hinges and strike plates: many of our hinges were already darkened or painted and didn’t clash with the new knobs. If your hinges are bright brass, swapping them for darker ones is inexpensive and will create a cohesive look. We avoided spray-painting hinges because they see a lot of friction and the finish might wear off over time.
A few of our latch strike plates were still bright brass, so we replaced four of them with darker ones purchased locally for a few dollars. Because strike plates get frequent contact from the latch, replacing them is a more durable solution than painting.
This project was smaller than it felt in my head. Remove a few screws, sand and degloss, spray several light coats, let things cure, and reinstall. It’s an easy upgrade that gives the whole house a cleaner, more modern look.
Update – If you want to know where we bought anything in our house or what paint colors we used, check our project resources image below.
*This post contains affiliate links to items we have purchased and love*