Adding Character with Vintage-Inspired Split-Finish Door Knobs from Nostalgic Warehouse

_{This post is sponsored by Nostalgic Warehouse, however all opinions are explicitly my own. This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, you can read my full disclaimer here.}

Today on the blog, I want to show you how we added a ton of “old house character” to our newly built cottage with vintage-inspired door knobs from Nostalgic Warehouse!

We went with “split-finish” door knobs for the cottage, and I was initially nervous about this “outside the box” design choice.

Spoiler alert: we LOVE them! They turned out perfect. Better than I could have imagined! And I can’t wait for you to see them!

When we first set out to build the cottage, our goal was for it to look and feel like a much older home. One that was full of character and charm!

Throughout the last year, we’ve watched that new-old cottage vision come to life. If you scroll through the photos below, you can see the progress over time.

We’ve incorporated lots of antique finds into the design, especially inside the cottage.

And we’ve also incorporated a few new, but vintage-inspired finds, that really fit the style and the “old house vibe” we were going for.

One of my favorite vintage-inspired finds was our exterior door knobs from Nostalgic Warehouse!

Vintage-Inspired Door Knobs from Nostalgic Warehouse

They’re the most beautiful door knobs I’ve ever seen. And I can’t wait to show them to you!

If you were here in person, and I was walking you around, giving you the grand tour… the exterior doors and these pretty door knobs are one of the first things you’d notice.

Soon I’ll be sharing a virtual tour of the cottage here on the blog. I’m currently working my way through all the photos for that so stay tuned for that coming soon…

But I did get a few photos off my camera roll for today’s post! I thought the photos of the exterior doors and door hardware would be a fun way to give you a little sneak peek of the cottage while I work on the rest of the tour behind the scenes.

So let’s just dive in and chat all about these vintage-inspired knobs!

The Exterior Side

First we’ll take a look at the exterior side of the doors.

We chose this Egg & Dart Entry Set with Egg & Dart Knob in Timeless Bronze from Nostalgic Warehouse for the exterior doors at the cottage, and I LOVE them so much!

I am so pleased with how these knobs look on the blue painted doors.

The color is perfect, and I think it contrasts really nicely with the blue. The intricate linework and detailing on the faceplate and handle is stunning! It adds so much character to these pretty doors.

I originally considered the Oil Rubbed Bronze finish, which appears to be more of a solid, uniform color in the product photos.

And it’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong! But I was worried some of the details that I loved would get lost with that finish.

So we ultimately chose the Timeless Bronze finish, and I couldn’t be happier with our decision!

Timeless Bronze is similar to Oil Rubbed Bronze. It has that same dark base color. But with a soft, bronzey sheen that looks like it’s been gently rubbed or worn to reveal a hint of warmth underneath.

The subtle bronze highlights give these door knobs a touch of dimension. And they make all those intricate details shine and stand out just enough to feel special!

The detail work on these knobs is absolutely breathtaking in person.

Gosh it’s pretty!

But let me open up the door and show you another thing I am OBSESSED with about these door knobs.

If you thought they were pretty on the exterior side of the doors, wait till you see what the interior side looks like!

The Interior Side

Ta-da!

I bet you didn’t expect to see a crystal door knob did ya?!

When we were designing the cottage, I couldn’t settle on one single style that I truly loved for both the interior and the exterior sides of the entry doors.

So I asked my mom what she thought about combining 2 different styles – with 1 unique look on either side.

I honestly wasn’t sure how this would look, or whether we’d like having two different door knob styles on the doors.

The idea’s a little outside the box. It’s not something you see everyday, but I think it ended up being the perfect fit for our new-old cottage!

I’ll get into why we went this route, but first let me tell you a little about the style we chose for the interior side of the doors.

We chose this Egg & Dart Entry Set with Crystal Knob in Antique Brass from Nostalgic Warehouse for the interior side of the entry doors.

In some ways, this side of the door knob is very similar to the style on the exterior side of the doors.

You’ll notice the intricate linework and details on the faceplate are the same. That’s because both sides of the door knobs are from the Egg & Dart collection.

But we opted for the Antique Brass finish with a crystal knob for the interior side of the doors, and it gave us a whole new look on the inside!

Have you ever heard the saying “Lighting is like the jewelry of the home”?

I’d argue that door knobs should be included in the saying too! In fact, I like to think of lighting as the earrings, and the door knobs as the ring(s) you’d wear on your finger.

And these doorknobs just so happen to be the engagement ring. Look at that rock, haha!

Why We Chose a Split-Finish Door Knob

So what made me want to choose 2 different styles on either side of the door knobs? I’ll walk you through my thought process.

My dilemma was that the vibe on the porch is just different than the vibe inside the cottage. Not a completely different style. But the porch just feels more laid back, and a little less fancy.

And while I LOVE the warmth of the Antique Brass finish, it just didn’t work out here on the porch.

Color Palettes and Mixing Metals

The color palette out on the porch is full of cooler tones. From the silvery tones in the galvanized porch lights and our galvanized metal roof, to the blue hues seen on the porch ceilings and the blue front doors.

I’m all for mixing metals, but I felt like the warmth of the Antique Brass might clash with all these cooler tones. Especially the galvanized metal finishes.

However, inside the cottage is a whole different story! The walls inside are a warm white, and the interior doors and trimwork are a warm taupey tan.

Which I thought would work well with the warmth of the Antique Brass finish!

Inspired by the Original Antique Door Knobs

But also, the Antique Brass finish with the Crystal knob made the perfect complement to the original brass and crystal knobs on the salvaged 1920’s doors we incorporated into the design.

I’ll share a couple photos below so you can see those original door knobs inside the guest bathroom and guest bedroom.

Honestly these original door knobs are what made me want to go with the Antique Brass in the first place!

I think the Antique Brass and Crystal door knobs were a little too fancy for the cottage porch, but they were a perfect fit for the interior side of the doors!

So that’s the thought process behind the split-finish door knobs!

Even though I was nervous about it, I think we made the right decision for the cottage. I love the split-finish!

It’s just one of those unique, quirky things about the cottage. It adds a little unexpected character and charm.

Old houses have their quirks. They have these unique qualities, these things that make them different and that tell a story.

It’s part of what makes them endearing. So mismatched door knobs, with a different style on each side, just made sense for our new-old cottage!

New-Old Cottage Door Knob FAQ’s

how did you find two different styles in one door knob?

A door knob with two different styles on either side is called a split-finish door knob.

And we custom ordered our split-finish door knobs from Nostalgic Warehouse. They offer this option on all their door knobs at no extra charge!

I pulled the info below from Nostalgic Warehouse’s website. They do a great job explaining how it works and how to go about ordering a split finish door knob if you love the idea for your home too!

“There are a broad range of designs in our catalog, and you can mix/match any knob style with any of our other knob styles… We can facilitate this customization at no additional cost. However, as it involves a custom build, we kindly ask that you contact our customer service team via the form on our CONTACT US page using “Other” as the topic. Please be aware that due to the customized nature of this product, it is non-returnable.” – Nostalgic Warehouse

were the knobs hard to install?

Honestly, no, not really. They weren’t any harder to install than other door knobs would be. Though it’s a project that requires a little time and attention to detail.

We asked my grandfather to install our Nostalgic Warehouse door knobs over at the cottage. He’s always been our go-to handy man because he doesn’t mind taking his time to do things the right way.

He said the hardest part was making sure the knobs were level and lined up just right on the double doors. Since it would be obvious if one was positioned a little higher / lower / not lined up just so.

the door knobs are beautiful, but are they worth the investment?

I think the photos speak for themselves in terms of appearance alone!

But what you don’t see in the photos is how well Nostalgic Warehouse’s door knobs are made.

The quality is unlike anything you’ll find at the big box stores!

And here’s why: “Some lock manufacturers use cheaper cast or stamped brass, Nostalgic Warehouse prides itself on craftsmanship and uses only hot-forged brass. This process yields a denser, stronger brass that can accurately display the intricacies of our beautiful vintage designs.” – Nostalgic Warehouse

I can’t necessarily show that to you in photos. But I can tell you I was very impressed with the quality of these door knobs.

They’re heavy. They have a good weight to them, and they remind me of some of the antique doorknobs I’ve found out at architectural salvage shops and antique stores.

They truly look like antique door hardware – only they’re new and they’re made to last!

So yes, I would argue that they are definitely worth the investment!

There are lots of ways to save money when you’re building or renovating a home.

You can DIY parts of the project. I taught myself how to lay tile for example!

You can thrift and shop Facebook Marketplace to source materials for the build / furnishings for when it’s time to move in.

But in the case of door knobs, I think it’s worth investing in quality pieces that will stand the test of time.

If you have other questions about the door knobs, the cottage, etc., feel free to leave a comment, or send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll be sure to add your question to the post!

I hope you enjoyed getting to see a little sneak peek at the cottage today. I’ll be sharing a full house tour soon!

October 2025 Update – we finished construction! Let me take you on the tour!

So if you’re not already, go ahead and sign up below to join my email list. And I’ll send you a link to the cottage tour as soon as it’s live!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

Until next time…

Love, Brittany