Cottage Door Handles: Black Iron, Bronze, Pewter and Brass

Supplied by Trade Door Handles, trusted UK supplier of architectural ironmongery since 1976, with quick nationwide delivery.

The right cottage door handles do more than open a door. In a cottage, barn conversion or farmhouse, the handles, latches and hinges are part of the character of the building, and the wrong finish can make a period door look new for all the wrong reasons. This guide explains the rustic ranges made by M.Marcus, the company behind Heritage Brass, and how to choose cottage door handles that suit your doors.

Our Kendal showroom sits on the edge of the Lake District, so cottage door handles, Suffolk latches and black iron hinges are some of the things we are asked about most often.

Quick answer: for a black look, choose Black Iron Rustic for a smoother finish or the Tudor collection for a beaten, antique black. For a warmer or softer look, choose Rustic Dark Bronze or Rustic Pewter. For brass, antique brass suits most cottages.

Before choosing cottage door handles, look at the door itself. Traditional plank doors, often called ledged and braced doors, were hung on tee or strap hinges and opened with a Suffolk latch or thumb latch. Panel doors and newer cottage doors usually have a mortice latch fitted inside the door, so they take lever handles or mortice knobs. Check which you have, as the two types of door need different hardware.

• Black iron suits oak, painted and limewashed doors, and is the classic choice for cottage door handles.
• Dark bronze gives a warmer, softer look than black and changes with use.
• Pewter gives a cooler, silvery look that suits grey, green and soft painted schemes.
• Antique brass suits cottages where the rest of the house already has brass fittings.

The M.Marcus Black Iron Rustic collection is malleable iron made using traditional casting methods, with a matt black finish. It is smoother than a beaten black iron but keeps a hand-made, rustic look. The black iron door handles include lever handles on plate in seven designs, levers on rose, mortice knobs and cranked pull handles, and there are tee hinges, gate latches, window furniture and kitchen handles to match.

The Tudor collection is also malleable iron, with a black powder coated finish in an antique black, beaten look. The traditional designs make it ideal for restoration projects. There are Tudor lever handles on backplate in the Shropshire, Colonial, Fleur de Lys, Wellington, Windsor and Wroxeter designs, plus mortice knobs on rose.

The Rustic Dark Bronze range is solid bronze with a dark bronze patina hand applied to the metal. It is a living finish, so it lightens where it is touched most, such as the grip of a lever. The bronze door handles include lever handles on backplate in 10 designs, levers on square rose, mortice knobs and door pull handles.

The Rustic Pewter range is made from an alloy known as white bronze, with a rustic pewter finish, in the same designs as the bronze. Pewter is also a living finish and may darken over time, particularly outdoors. See the pewter door handles.

If you prefer brass cottage door handles, Heritage Brass antique brass is polished brass with a bronze patina partly removed by hand, so every piece has its own mix of shades. See the antique brass door handles, or compare every brass finish in our solid brass door handles guide.

For plank doors, gates and outbuildings, the latch and hinges matter as much as the cottage door handles themselves. The Tudor collection includes Suffolk latches, thumb latches and ring gate latches, and black tee and strap hinges in tee, strap, dummy strap, butterfly and coronet designs. Black Iron Rustic adds tee and dummy hinges, gate latches and flat bolts, and the bronze range includes strap hinges, gate latches and slide bolts.

• A Suffolk latch has a handle on a backplate and a thumb lever that lifts a bar on the inside of the door.
• A thumb latch works the same way and is common on gates and cottage doors.
• Tee hinges and strap hinges spread the weight of a heavy plank door across the boards.
• Dummy strap hinges add the look of a strap hinge where a working hinge is not needed.

Cottage door knobs are a good alternative to cottage door handles and a good choice for panel doors with a mortice latch. Mortice knobs are made in Black Iron Rustic, Tudor (on rose), Rustic Dark Bronze and Rustic Pewter, and Heritage Brass makes antique brass mortice knobs and other brass finishes. Our mortice knobs and rim knobs guide explains which latch to use.

• Front doors: door knockers, letter plates, house numbers and escutcheons are made in each rustic finish.
• Windows: casement fasteners and stays are made in black iron, Tudor, bronze and pewter.
• Kitchens: cupboard handles and knobs are made in every rustic range, from pull handles in black iron, bronze and pewter to Tudor knobs and drop pulls.
• Locks and latches: pair black handles with York Security matt black locks and latches so the latch face matches.
• Halls and boot rooms: coat hooks and cabin hooks are made in the black, bronze and pewter ranges.

1. Wipe black iron, bronze and pewter with a soft, dry or lightly damp cloth.
2. Dry iron straight away, as moisture is what iron dislikes most.
3. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh chemical cleaners on every rustic finish.
4. Let bronze and pewter age. The change in colour is part of the character of a living finish.

• Use one finish for the cottage door handles, hinges and latches on each door. Mixing black iron with bronze on the same door rarely looks right.
• If you want black but prefer a cleaner look, compare Black Iron Rustic with the beaten Tudor finish side by side.
• On a front door exposed to the weather, expect pewter to darken and bronze to lighten where it is handled.
• Send us a photo of your doors and we will help you choose cottage door handles, latches and hinges that suit them.