The big question in my house recently was about door knobs- specifically, what are the best door knobs for shaker doors?
My husband and I are in the middle of our hallway renovation, and we are transforming our hollow wood doors into crisp, white shaker style doors. To try to keep our cost low, we are reusing as much of the original doors as we can, but we weren’t able to salvage the door knobs, as none of them worked, and one was a pocket door, so no door knob there at all!
We are using similar steps as Stonybrook House blog’s “Easy Flat Panel Door Makeover“. However, I will post all about the process from hollow door to shaker door once we’re all done. But we spent the entirety of last week researching and selecting the best door knobs for shaker style doors. Here are privacy knob (doors that lock) options we found.
The Best Door Knobs for Shaker Doors have Classic Glass Knobs
I adore the look of a dark back plate, commonly known as a “New York” style with a dainty, geometrical faux glass knob. The juxtaposition of the colors, textures and finishes are classic and will never go out of style. The glass knob is just right for a house with plenty of architectural detail, but it would still look great in a more modern home that has touches of vintage decor here and there.
And let’s be honest, there’s nothing like a glass knob and a shiny brass back plate to scream poshness, class and refinement. I think the option below would look great on a powder room door!
If large back plates aren’t your thing, I also found this discreet but beautiful piece below. The round back plate and round knob complement each other so well for one cohesive look. This one is a bit more traditionally feminine.
The Best Door Knobs for Shaker Doors Have a Dark Matte Finish
I have to admit that my go-to choice for a door knob on a shaker style door is New York style in matte black. There is a timelessness to the look that isn’t pushing things too far into preciousness-vintage. There is a masculinity with the color, hard edges, and the simplicity. To me, this is a clear choice if you are on the fence about which option to choose.
The first of these styles above is from Wayfair, and it is very affordable. We actually purchased this style. Sadly, it didn’t work for us, because the door is much too thick after the paneling we added to make it look shaker style, so we hunted for a store online that specializes in door knobs for thicker doors. Direct Door Hardware has an entire filter just for doors that are over 2 inches in thickness! We were so grateful to find this store, and we ended up choosing one that I will share in the reveal post, but HERE is a hint!
But honestly, if we could have afforded it, my husband and I both agreed that the option below was it for us! The design is so classic and straightforward. We also love how neutral it is against the crisp white shaker door, and how a colorful artwork or runner would have complemented it so well in the hallway.
The Best Door Knobs for Shaker Doors Have Fine Details
The truth is that traditional shaker style doors are simple and well made. There are no frills, fuss, intricate details or finery; the real luxury is in the craftsmanship and durability. However, intricate details on the door knob can add the perfect contrast to the beautiful simplicity of a shaker door’s square face. In fact, the fine details, like embellished carving on the door knob, can add a beautiful visual against a the piece of art that is a shaker style door.
The options I found that I absolutely adore here have detailing on the outside of the knob and interesting patterns that add an elegance and playfulness. Again, this will make the seriousness of the door have a perfect counterpart. And, the decorative keyhole on the option below is so classic, traditional and mysterious.
Suffice it to say, choosing a door knob can be a lot of fun but also a lot of choices can feel overwhelming. There is something unique and special about all of the options I loved, and it was hard to make a clear choice. There could have been any number of door knobs that would have been the “best” door knob for our shaker style doors; however, it really came down to price and logistics for us. We needed a door knob that could handle the extra thickness we added with the panels we glued on to give it a shaker look.
I hope we can have the doors finished up soon, but the doorknobs are taking extra time to get here. So for now, we live with no door knobs on our any of our bedrooms or bathroom door. Fun!