You asked… I answered. One of the most popular pins on Pinterest is spray painting ugly brass door knobs to an oil rubbed bronze or brushed nickel finish. How did I like it and how did it hold up over two years, all the details below!
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We used to do quite a few pin tests but as time has gone by, it seems like they have become fewer and more far between. Do you like seeing the pin tests here on The Pinning Mama? Let me know in the comments so I know if I should be doing more! Today I am back with a pin test, and it is one I really like! About two and a half years ago we moved into our current home. To say it needed updating was an understatement. There was so much to do and we of course as always were on a budget, so we had to sort through our list of projects and see what our priorities were and which ones we could find a way to do more affordably.
One of the first things on our list were getting rid of the ugly brass door knobs. They were quite the eye sore in EVERY room and really dated the home back to 1998 when it was built. Over 15 years later we aren’t really feeling the brass, so when I came across this pin on spray painting your door knobs to make them over from ugly to pretty I was intrigued. Now back then there was no pin testers! Heck Pinterest had really just started! So not knowing how the knobs would hold up over time, I figured we would give it a try. It meant changing out our door knobs for pennies each rather than $15-20 each!
So we got to work. We removed all of the door knobs and hardware. We set up shop in the garage. We found the best way to paint them was to use a big piece of cardboard because then you can stick the backs of the knobs through the cardboard and they stay nice and sturdy rather than rolling around and messing up the paint on the edges. We used Rust-Oleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint with Primer.
It was pretty quick and after a couple of coats to make sure we got all of the angles, they were ready to be reinstalled.
So here is the good, the bad, and the ugly. Was I happy with this project? For the most part yes. Like I said, this was a hack that allowed me to save hundreds of dollars over replacing all of the knobs with new ones. However, it does take some upkeep. The first thing to go was the hardware where the door knob lever slides in the other side of the door (pardon my terminology… I am not really a door knob expert!) You can see what pretty much every door knob accessory looks like in the picture below. This happened fast and to all of the door knobs.
The door knobs themselves held up much better, but at varying levels depending on how much that knob gets used. You can see in the next photo my bedroom door handle. This door stays open pretty much all the time so it doesn’t get used or touched much. So as you can probably guess, it still looks pretty darn good!
The next knob I am going to show you is on the opposite end of the spectrum! It is the knob of our guest bath. It was one of the first knobs to get scratched and it is used by pretty much anyone and everyone that spends time in our home. I think that it takes it especially hard from women’s rings. It is my guess that many of the scratches come from there. You will also see some scratching on the base of the knob that screws into the door. I think that this happens from fingernails scratching as they grab the knob. So in this case the best candidate to open knobs is kids with no rings and short fingernails.
The last knob I photographed for you is our laundry room door. This is one that is used often but mostly just by our family. I think this one shows normal wear pretty well because it is wearing mostly in the places where you make contact when you grab the knob. Even though this knob does show quite a bit of wear it looks more naturally distressed to me and I actually kind of like it! If they all looked like this I might just keep them like they are!
So was it a winner or a loser? I think that is up to you to decide! I would say PIN WIN for me because I still think this was a worthwhile fix and would do it again in a heart beat! We don’t mind taking a knob down and repainting it as needed though. If you are looking for something to fix it and forget it forever more, than you might just be better off buying new knobs. Also, they might also last a bit longer if you clear coated them after finishing with the oil rubbed bronze spray. I haven’t tried this, but I think it is a pretty valid idea! Have you tried updating your door knobs? What was your experience?
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Jessica Chen says
I’m really grateful that bloggers like you will post in detail about the long term outcome of projects. I am not overly crafty. So if I get my lazy butt together enough to do a DIY project, I really appreciate knowing whether or not it’s going to last long enough to be worth my frustration. 😉 Thank you very much!
Scott says
Just wanted to share our experiences with this. I found that a light sanding with 400 grit sandpaper, followed with a degreaser before painting, and THEN heating each piece in a toaster oven in the garage at 200 degrees for 30 minutes makes the finish virtually indestructible. You do NOT want to use the oven in your home, as it will stink up the entire house, plus I wouldn’t eat anything from an oven used in that fashion. According to my engineering student son, the heat crystalized the paint, making it much harder.
Kimber says
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for tips. Did you heat after painting then?
Kim says
“The heat crystalized the paint” – so, yes, does that mean you painted then heated? It’s a little unclear. Thanks!
Sarah says
This is a fantastic post, thank you so much for the Pin Test! The pics and information are super valuable as I debate the DIY vs $$ routes for this project. Thank you!!
Rita D says
I am just in the midst of trying this out. I love the style of my knobs and to replace all 40 odd doors knobs at atleast $50 a pop was out of the question.
I did sand them with 400 grit sand paper, then wiped them down with a deglosser. I am letting then sit for 48 hours and then spraying them with a couple of light coats of top coat. All rustoleum products used.
They look fabulous so far….so lets hope with all the extra steps they last. But so much better than spending @ $1000, Too many doors and closet doors in my house arggghhh.
Wish me luck! I will keep you posted.