Backplate

Backplates are an elegant addition to any knob or drawer pull. From simple straight lines to very ornate designs behind handsome doorknobs or pulls, the styles are numerous. Pick them to complement the style of your doors and drawers and add some splash to your decor. There are some for every budget and taste. You can shop by style or finish, or if you already have the knobs, you can purchase them by drill centers so your knobs can fit properly. Great for recycling beautiful old knobs or pulls, just purchase some nice backplates to match.

Complete the look of a beautiful doorknob, whether on a dresser or on your front door with backplates. You can either buy sets, or just the backplate, making sure you have the right size for the doorknob to be installed with it. They are offered in many colors of finish and varieties of shapes, from rectangular metal to ornate antique to match vintage doorknobs. They really complete the look of a nice doorknob or put some elegance in your hallway. Not very expensive, you are sure to find a style that suits your needs. Look out for them in hardware stores.

Backplates are flat accented or carved pieces of metal that can create an impression right from your front door to your back door. A backplate on a front door can be used mostly for aesthetic appeal. A backplate can also serve as a knocker. Moving into your living room, your bathroom and your kitchen, they can add a uniform design to your interiors. While shopping, see to it that the ones for your living room, bedroom and kitchen are of the same design and color. The ones for your bathroom cabinets can differ a bit. Apart from looking good, they help to fix the knobs and handles firmly to wooden cabinets. Buy backplates that have their own set of screws and do not entirely depend on knob screws.

Knob back plates make a great addition to new cabinet or drawer knobs.  There are so many styles available, though, that you may want to narrow your choices a bit before you start browsing.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help define your options.  First, think about the style of hardware that you will be combining with your knob back plates.  There is a huge variety of cabinet and drawer knobs, so make sure that you are making appropriate style combinations.  Is your style simple, elaborate, sleek, rustic, dark, light, old or new?  Knob back plates should match completely with your knobs.  They are one item in home decoration that does not look good in contrast, unless it is a contrast of color.  Another consideration to make when purchasing knob back plates is location.  Where do you plan on putting your knob back plates?  You’ll want to carefully measure any space the knob back plates will be in order to avoid making the frustrating mistake of buying the wrong size.  Once you have your measurements, you can focus on color and other design aspects.  Knob back plates are a great detail to add to your set of drawers or cabinets, so look around and find the ones that best complement your home design.

Although backplates can add to the look of door knobs and thereby enhance the effect of the hardware, they are also functional items. Backplates not only cover the holes made for fitting the knobs, they also prevent hands from rubbing against the wood and protect the finish from being damaged over time by dirt and oils from the hands. Additionally backplates provide an additional element of support to the door knobs and lessen the chances of their becoming loose with constant pushing and pulling. They also protect the wood from scratches caused by rings rubbing against the woods as a handle is turned and from marks made by keys around the keyholes.

While the super rich may use gold backplates, for the rest of us who cannot afford that extravagance, there are enough options available. Besides a variety of designs from the modern to the antique and materials that range from steel to cooper, bronze and aluminum, backplates are also available in a range of finishes. The effect that backplates have on the final look of a room is often overlooked. It is always advisable to incorporate the design of the backplate into the overall design of the room. For those who want to redecorate or change the feel of a room, changing the plates can make a great difference for a small amount of money and effort.

Backplate styles have long been used on door knobs, especially on the front door of a home, but more and more, people are adding them to the cabinetry in their homes. Backplates are simple to install and can greatly enhance the appearance of cabinets in bathrooms and kitchen alike. While their utilitarian value is minimal, they can give a striking look the place. On the front door of your home, backplates actually do serve a purpose in protecting the door from the striking blows of a missed key entry. Elsewhere in the house, however they serve only to beautify the place. They do a wonderful job of that, though, by drawing attention to the hardware you’ve chosen to install in your home. This simple little addition says a lot about your attention to detail and reflects on your overall design decisions as well. Door knobs generally include backplates out of the box in order to simplify the process of covering the hole that’s cut into the door to install them. They can be very elaborate or quite simple, depending on your own tastes and budget. Using solid brass will make them more striking, if more expensive, but the stamped metal that comes with the kits are usually adequate.