A Fall Refresh Starts at the Front Door

As the days get shorter and the holidays get closer, a lot of homeowners start looking at their house the way guests will see it. And there’s no better place to start than the front door — literally the first thing anyone touches when they visit your home.

The hardware handshake

A front entry set is the handshake of your house. A solid brass handleset with a satisfying thumb-latch action makes a completely different first impression than a loose, hollow-feeling knob — and guests notice, even if they can’t articulate why.

If your current entry hardware is worn, dated, or just plain builder-grade, replacing it is one of the highest-impact, lowest-disruption upgrades you can make. Most entry sets swap out in an afternoon.

More ways to dress up the entry

An entry refresh doesn’t have to mean a full handleset replacement:

• Door knocker — classic New England character, and practical too.
• House numbers — easy to overlook, hard to miss when they’re done well.
• Mail slot — period-appropriate detail that older homes especially deserve.
• Kick plates and hinges — the details that finish the look.
• Deadbolt upgrade — a good moment to improve both security and style in one move.

Getting the details right

Entry hardware has a few technical details worth getting right the first time — door thickness, backset, handing, and whether you need a single- or double-cylinder deadbolt. Bring a few photos of your current setup (inside and out) and your door measurements, and we’ll spec hardware that fits your existing prep or help you plan the modifications.

If you’d rather not install it yourself, we can arrange installation — or make sure your order includes everything your contractor or locksmith will need.

Coordinating inside and out

Once you’ve picked an entry finish, it’s natural to carry it through the house — interior door levers, cabinet hardware, and bath accessories in coordinated finishes pull a home together. That’s the kind of project our team genuinely enjoys: bring us your door photos and the style you’re after, and we’ll help you build the whole look.

And a timely reminder: most special orders take 6–8 weeks, so if you want the entry done before the holidays, this is the week to start.

Visit us: 175 Bedford Street, Burlington — Monday–Friday 8:30 am–5:30 pm, Saturday 9 am–2 pm. No appointment needed.

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