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When I bought my 1923-vintage house, the two exterior doors were original, as were the doorknobs, Unfortunately, the previous owners had installed shiny new brass dead bolts and an escutcheon plate—a bad mismatch. Instead of souring local antiques stores to find replacements, I have decided to try painting the brass. After removing the hardware, I scuffed the brass finish with fine sandpaper. Then I sprayed on a coat of primer and a few coats of Rust-Oleum's hammered finish spray paint. The hammered finish provided the aged bronze look I was after. I was amazed at how well the repainted hardware matched the old
doorknobs, and the paint job has held up, inside and
out, for more than 10 years. So here's my advice: Don't replace ugly metal hardware. Save money by refinishing it with a metallic spray paint.
