Period Front Door Furniture - What do I need?
Even though we love to look at period front door furniture, it obviously needs to serve a purpose. Essentially you need something for letters & post, something to pull it closed (assuming it opens inwards), something for visitors to knock or push & something to lock it.
Pulling - Traditionally either a separate front door pull (left) or a letter box with a integral pull bar. Sometimes just the clapper on the letterbox is used or the door knocker, we wouldn't recommend doing either long term, neither are really designed for the weight of a front
door.
Letters & Post - Obviously letterbox is the obvious solution, when buying original letterboxes, double check all your measurements, a lot of original ones are on the small side. Your letterbox can double up, you can opt for one with a clapper (right), instead of a knocker or bell, or one with an integral pull bar (left).
Bell Push, Pulls, Clappers & Knockers
Visitors require something to make a noise, pre postal days most houses would have had a door knocker, larger semi's & detached properties may have had a manual bell pull. At the end of the 1800s letterboxes with clappers were more common with larger properties having electric bells.
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