From DIYinfo.org

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Solid brass fitting knobs, knockers, letter-plates and bell pushes.

For traditional interior doors there is a choice of fittings in glass, china and detailed brass.

Old fashioned buildings and country cottages often look best with traditional black iron furniture.

Brightly coloured plastic door handles and escutcheon plates for use on flush internal doors.

Whether you are fitting a new door or want to brighten up an existing one, you'll need to choose handles, hinges, locks and other fittings in a style that suits the door concerned.

Whatever the style of your doors, it's now a simple matter to find door furni­ture that suits them perfectly. The range of fittings stocked by hardware stores and specialist outlets has never been wider, so there is no longer any excuse for having an under dressed door.

The term 'door furniture' includes everything that's attached to a door, including locks and hinges, but since these are dealt with in detail elsewhere in DIYinfo.org, this Fact sheet will concentrate on the more decorative items; handles, knockers, letter plates, bell pushes, escutcheon and finger plates and so on.

Handles may be fitted as part of the door lock or latch as levers or knobs, or may be separate and fitted as an aid to pulling the door closed. In the latter case you obviously have complete free­dom of choice as far as the style of the handle is concerned, while some locks may restrict the type of handle available.

Every front door needs a letter plate to cover the letter opening. Most have a spring-loaded flap to keep draughts out; check that it is not so strong that it could trap unwary fingers. Make sure too that it is large enough to admit large envelopes and bulky newspapers.To help callers alert you to their presence, you can select a door knocker or install a door bell complete with exterior bell push. Knockers usually consist of a movable striker and a separ­ate striking plate, but they are sometimes combined with a letter plate instead—a useful compromise on glazed doors.

Bell pushes are small decorative push-button units which are usually mounted on the door frame. The last fitting that you may like to match to the rest of your door furniture is your house number, especially if it is mounted on the door itself. There is a wide range of brass, black iron, enamelled and plastic numerals around which can be combined to make up any number you require.

Some handles incorporate their own key opening, but if you have separate mortise locks on your door you will need an escutcheon plate both outside and inside to cover the keyhole. Period types usually have a small cover plate that swings aside, while modern ones are generally unadorned.

Finger plates are rectangular brass, china, glass or plastic panels which are screwed to the stiles of internal doors to prevent the finish being marked by dirty fingerprints. They can be fitted on the inner face of exterior doors too.

Most door furniture is attached to the door in one of two ways: by screws driven into the door face, or by nuts and bolts passing right through the door. If you're replacing existing items, try to match the fixing method or check that the new fitting will cover the old fixing holes.