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The vintage door handle helps to boost the retro style of your interior. The vintage atmosphere is created by combining various objects (rustic furniture, cast iron stove, porcelain ornaments and various decorative accessories) with an antique look. The handle or knob adds the essential finishing touch.
Go for the total vintage look by fitting the same knob handle on the entrance door of your kitchen and on the drawers of your kitchen unit. Opt for subtle vintage touches by choosing an antique iron or bronze-finish espagnolette bolt. You can also fit a porcelain knob with a star pattern on the kitchen door and on the drawer of your formica unit!
What is vintage?
"Vintage" is an English word derived from the French "vendange" (grape harvest), a synonym for a specific year's yield, referring to the finest harvests intended to age and produce the best wines.
The vintage style consists of showcasing objects dating from the 1930s to the 1970s. We bring back into fashion clothes taken out of our grandparents' wardrobes, rotary dial telephones, an old wooden coat rack, antique furniture such as a marble-topped bedside table or a chest of drawers with a 1950s spirit with nickel-finish locks.
In a broader sense, the term vintage refers to second-hand pieces that one takes pleasure in bringing to the fore.
In terms of decoration, the vintage style is making a strong comeback. What a pleasure it is to unearth a beautiful piece of furniture at a flea market and breathe new life into an object from the past! Take care of every detail by completing this retro décor with vintage door handles!
What shape for the retro interior door handle?
Most retro door handles are designed on round backplates. The shape of the door handle with an antique or rustic look is rather curved, domed or contoured. Rounded shapes pair well with a retro atmosphere.
However, the retro handle can also be on a rectangular rose or be a round door knob. The retro character can take different forms, and it is the combination with classic furnishings (antique wardrobe, vintage chest of drawers) that will restore its retro feel!
The vintage interior handle: a powerful decorative accessory
Creating a vintage atmosphere requires attention to every detail. It is important to choose door hardware in keeping with the other components of your furnishings: matching the handles on doors to those on your rustic furniture, the knobs on cupboard doors, on drawers… The vintage door knob is very on-trend.
Also choose your handles according to the rooms in question. A handle with a finger plate will be useful for the kitchen. A vintage handle with a key-locking rose will be chosen for a study. A knob in iron or aged brass will be fitted on the kitchen door. Nickel handles will be mounted on the chest of drawers' drawers. In short, the door handle no longer has the sole function of opening and closing doors!
Thanks to the talent of designers, the vintage door handle has become an essential piece of hardware for boosting a retro atmosphere in a home.
How to choose the right vintage/retro door handle?
Whatever the type of handle — espagnolette bolt for a window, knob for a furniture door, front door handle or any other interior door — the vintage door handle is the perfect product to reinforce the retro style of your interior décor. Easy to fit with a simple screwdriver and a little wrist strength to tighten the fixing screws in their respective holes, you will be enjoying your decorative accessory within minutes!
Also choose your handles according to the rooms in question. A handle with a finger plate will be useful for the kitchen. A retro handle with a key-locking rose will be chosen for a study. A knob in iron or aged brass will be fitted on the kitchen door. Nickel handles will be mounted on the chest of drawers' drawers.
The shape of vintage interior door handles
The majority of vintage door handles are designed on a round backplate. The shape of the vintage door handle is rather curved and domed.
Very often, square door handles and rectangular ones are associated with a modern style. Handles on a concealed backplate or with no backplate are clearly futuristic. Rounded shapes pair far better with a vintage atmosphere.
Materials for vintage handles
Designers who create vintage door handles have a few favourite materials. Brass is the preferred material for crafting quality handles. Brass is ideal because its golden patina colour responds perfectly to the codes of the antique. Iron and bronze are equally perfect. The glass handle (or crystal) as well as the marble handle add a chic classic note! Of course, antique door knobs are always offered in white porcelain or painted ceramic.
The zamak door handle is also often used to design vintage interior handles. Stainless steel, nylon and aluminium are more commonly reserved for modern handles.
The finish of vintage-style retro interior door handles
The appearance of the handle plays an undeniable role in the style it evokes. When we think of the vintage style, we think of colours tending towards brown or copper tones. For handles, matt gold, bronze, matt black, leather or even a rusted effect finish immediately give the feeling of something aged. The rust-coloured handle or the copper handle are excellent ambassadors of the retro style!
Let us not forget that vintage is the combination of furniture, objects and also eclectic colours: it is therefore perfectly possible to pair antique furnishings with a handle in matt black steel, rustic nickel, or even brushed stainless steel or chrome steel. It's all about contrasts!
Some handles are vintage thanks to their surface finish: whether chiselled, sculpted with voluptuous arabesques or fleurs-de-lys, these handles embody all the codes of retro style.
How to fit a retro handle? Milla Handles' advice
Anyone can fit a retro door handle. Simply assemble the few basic spare parts that make up the door handle (plate, fixing screws, rose, square spindle, latch bolt…). For a handle on a long backplate, you will need to measure the centre distance or the length of the square spindle. Installing handles on backplates, even with a locking rose, takes only a few minutes.
You can call on the services of a DIY professional if you need to install a more complex door fitting, such as a locking system to add to the wooden leaf of your front door — for example a cylinder lock, a bathroom turn-and-release model, or a multi-point lock as found on security doors… To fit a new mortice lock, you will need to drill a hole in the wooden door. For a surface-mounted lock, be sure to follow the instructions supplied in the fitting guide delivered with the product.
No need to be a DIY expert — browse our entire collection of interior door handles for an easy installation. All that remains is to order your favourite handle and wait just a few days for delivery… A few turns of a screw and you'll be enjoying their decorative effect!
Beyond vintage, all styles are possible: there is a door handle for every atmosphere! Original door handles for a contemporary feel, modern knobs for sliding doors or futuristic recessed handles.
Whatever the type of handle — espagnolette bolts for windows, brass furniture handles and knobs, front door handles or any other interior door — vintage door handles are the perfect product to enhance the retro style of interiors. Easy to assemble with a simple screwdriver, with a simple turn of the wrist the fixing screws can be tightened in their respective holes and you will be enjoying your decorative accessories within minutes!
Enjoy the vast range of Milla handles, door knobs or furniture handles from MILLA HANDLES, the design handle specialist!