The humble doorknob – jewellery for the home

It is with a tinge of sadness that I read about my town, the city of Vancouver, legislating the humble doorknob out of existence.

This beautiful piece of decorative jewellery for the home has been ubiquitous since the time that doors were first made.  As a child, I was fascinated by the jewel-like cut glass doorknobs that adorned the doors in my great aunt’s home. They sparkled in the light and gave an elegance that is hard to see these days with the increasing use of utilitarian levers made of sleek metals without personality.

I lament the demise of the doorknob, this was always one of the most fun parts of finishing the design of a door whether it be for a lowly kitchen pantry or a grand entrance. I believe that a door handle is jewellery that gives polish and finishes a home.

In the words of the Finnish architect Juhanni Palassmaa, the door handle is “the handshake of a building”.