Why are handles personal?

Our clients sometimes really struggle to decide on choosing a handle and even more so when they are a couple.  Handles are pretty personal and not because of how they are going to be used. It’s all about where the handle is going and how it looks and feels.

Most clients like to really grab on to a handle and get a good feeling of the grip. There definitely seems to be a divide of those that love the square feel and those that love the more rounded feel.  This is where it gets personal – everyone has a different opinion – at the end of the day some are happy to give up on the feel for the design and some aren’t.  This relates to the pleasure you get out of looking at a square edged handle and how much that effects how it feels when you grab it. See? Tricky.

Discussions after that always commence about length and whether or not a longer handle will make the door look more commercial. Consideration of the height of the door really needs to be taken into account, too. Shorter handles can work really well even if a door is tall and this again is all about your personal outlook. Does it matter? It can matter because it affects the overall effect the door gives.

The final point of contention is usually where the handle goes on the door. This may be straightforward but depending on the type of door and if it has a steel core there may be issues with where it is placed because of what’s inside the door– including whether or not a handle should be horizontal or vertical. Some door designs dictate where a handle can go like on a door with a vertical vision panel, there is only really one place to put it, but on a door that has no glass inserts, the handle could go horizontally. Horizontal handles then look a lot more contemporary and this can put off a client who prefers a more modern traditional feel.

Design and personal opinion can sometimes clash and once you’ve drilled those holes to fit that handle, it isn’t an easy job to change it back! But if you take all these points into consideration, it’s rare that you could get it very wrong. Someone may have to compromise however!!

We’ve chosen some images that we hope illustrate the points mentioned in this blog, but if you’d like any other advice, please do get in touch.