Preserving the 1920s Elegance: Reviving Original Hardware

The house had a wealth of original 1920s hardware, including hinges, keyholes, door handles, Mortise locks, and a single skeleton key. While knowing that we would now be replacing the doors replacements, preserving the charm of this vintage hardware became a priority.

Despite the weathered appearance, I was determined to shine and polish each piece. Beginning with an overnight soak in Bar Keepers Friend, the varnish on the brass pieces turned into purplish light tarnish. Then using Grandma Sophie’s Metal and Tarnish Cream, a currently out-of-stock but highly effective product (don't know what I would have done without it), and polishing cloths, I was able to polish each piece perfectly. After a few weeks of polishing a couple of pieces a night, I caved in and bought a benchtop buffer from Harbor Freight since I still had so many left. There was a total of 12 interior doors in the house so that's 3 hinges a door and 2 door knobs per door!

Since we were adding rooms to the house, that meant we were adding doors, so I needed to purchase new matching hardware, which I sourced from the House of Antique Hardware. With an original skeleton key in hand, finding matching skeleton keys for each door provided the finishing touch. The outcome was nothing short of beautiful – the meticulously restored original and new hardware now adorns the home.

Basement Laundry Room Door and Utility Door