We are still in the homeowner’s honeymoon phase- where we constantly redecorate and buy new things for the house! So, with that being said, I am always looking for ways to save a buck or two. I am sharing one of the easiest things you can do to spruce up your new house: DOORKNOBS! Not paying for new, but working with what you have and a few cans of spray paint!
Here is what the doorknobs looked like before:
And here is the simple process:
1. Remove the doorknobs (make sure to keep the screws together with them).
2. Prep the doorknobs. Ours are metal and just need some steel wool action. This is the part of the process that takes the most time. Rough them up good, and don’t worry about making them perfect. You can always go back and touch them up later with paint.
3. I put all the door knobs and handles on a styrofoam piece so they would be raised up some. This way you can spray paint them around all the edges. Do the same with the screws.
4. Spray paint. I used Rustoleum Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze. There are other colors I would recommend too depending on what look you want. I also really like the Copper look. I found these at Home Depot or Lowes for right around $3-4/can. And for about 15-20 knobs, I think I used about 3-4 cans. So right around $20-30 all said and done with steel wool! That won’t even buy you one new knob!
5. When spraying, make sure to take the advice of the can! Make sweeping motions with the spray so you don’t have many drips.
Here are some more photos of the process and before/after!
Here are a few tips I learned the hard way:
– Make sure to spray the back of the knobs/handles first. Then do the fronts after those dry.
– Instead of taking ALL your doorknobs off at once, do them in sections of about 5-10 at a time.
– Buy some touch up paint in the same color. Once you screw the knobs back in, some of the paint may wear off around the screws.
– Make sure to take safety precautions: wear gloves, respiratory mask, and work in well-ventilated area.
– You may need to buy extra screws. If you don’t know which go to each door, the sizing may be off.
– Don’t spray your screws too much. This will gunk up (is that a word?) the screw and it may not go back in.
Wala!! Updates the house with very little money and after a year, they are still holding up nicely! What other tips do you have for this project? Leave a comment below.
Kim
Savannah & Co. 