Whether you’re in the construction trade, interior design industry or perhaps you’re just working on your own home or property project, you might have come across the phrase door furniture.
But as we don’t typically associate furniture with doors (more wardrobes, drawers, desks, sofas, etc.), this can sometimes feel like a bit of a confusing term.
In reality, the term ‘door furniture’ is usually referring to any items that are attached to a door, whether these are there for aesthetics or for functional purposes, it doesn’t matter. Door hinges, latches and door handles are just a few examples.
The term is most commonly used in British English but also sometimes in Australian too. In other areas, these items may just be referred to as door hardware or door fixtures.
So if you’ve heard the term door furniture recently and you’ve found yourself wondering what this actually means, we’re now going to take a look at the different components that fall under this bracket.
So essentially, door furniture includes:
Door hinges
Door hinges are arguably the most important aspect of door furniture because they allow the door to open and shut. Without these, the door would not swing open or close. It would basically just hover in the gap, either that or fall over.
These are typically made up of two metal plates with offset rings that mesh into each other. One of these plates is attached to the door, and the other is attached to the frame. A metal rod, known as a hinge pin, then slides into these rings to hold the plates together. This is what makes up a functioning door hinge.
Door latches and strike plates
Latches (sometimes referred to as a latch bolt) are a small but important pieces of door furniture that help to keep the door shut. You’ve probably seen these before but never really taken any notice of them, but these are the bits of metal that fit into a hole in a metal plate mounted on the door jamb.
This metal plate is usually referred to as a strike plate and when a handle or knob is operated, the latch bolt slides into the door, and away from the strike plate. This then frees the door from the jamb so it can be opened and pops back in place when it’s closed. We have lots of choices when it comes to latches, from tubular latches to deadbolts.
Door handles
Of course, all doors will need a handle if you hope to disengage the aforementioned latch bolt from the strike plate. For example, doorknobs are quite popular for this, though there are also door handles that pull downwards to create the same function.
Often, door handles and knobs can be one of the more decorative aspects of door furniture, with so many beautiful options available. People also like to inject a bit of style into their homes by carefully selecting these finishing touches. We have a huge range of door handles from modern matte black and round rose to antique period knobs.
Door locks and bolts
Locks are another aspect of door furniture, though these are optional depending on how secure you want your door to be - and what’s behind it. But for the most part, people like to add locks to their external doors for security and peace of mind.
Some locks, such as key locks, are used to prevent door handles from being able to open, while others might be separate fixtures attached elsewhere on the door, such as a sliding lock or perhaps a bolt lock that fits into a deeper hole in the jamb. However, these can only be opened from one side and work by bolting the door shut.
Peepholes
Finally, perhaps one aspect of a door that you might not have thought about as door furniture is a peephole. These are most often reserved for front doors or entrances and can be used for added security.
A modern peephole is typically made with a metal cylinder with glass mounted to each side. These are designed so that those behind the door can see out, but no one else can see inside the property from the other side of the door - otherwise, this wouldn’t be very secure!
For obvious reasons, these are usually mounted at eye level to make it much easier for the user to see out and see who is at their door.