Midcentury modern front entry doors tend to have a simple, minimal design. To make them pop, and to give visitors a lasting first impression, consider adding a decorative escutcheon. Just like jewelry finishes off a nice outfit, a stylish escutcheon can dress up your front door.
Update July 2019: I’ve resurveyed what’s available and updated this story and found two more places for mid century modern door escutcheons — five places in all, plus a DIY idea from a handy reader.
1. Rejuvenation offers 5 mid century front door backplate designs
Rejuvenation beautiful reproduction midcentury door escutcheons, and as of this 2019 update, I count 5 different designs. Each design comes in a variety of finishes — lacquered brass or brush or polished chrome.
Above: Rejuvenation offers two starburst escutcheon designs.
Above: And the company offers two designs of square escutcheons and one, round.
Where to buy these:
2. Liz’s Antique Hardware entry door escutcheons
Liz’s Antique Hardware offers two styles of reproduction midcentury modern door escutcheons, and they certainly look beautiful. Each style is cast in brass and available in three metal finishes: chrome, polished chrome and satin bronze. The Sputnik (on the left) — methinks this design was influenced by the popularity of breeze blocks.
Where to buy these:
3. Vintage Revival Art Co. offers one design, in cast aluminum
Vintage Revival Art Co., on etsy, makes one cast aluminum front door escutcheon design. He offers trim paint colors to go with.
Where to buy these:
4. Atomic Martini door backplates, in resin
Atomic Martini on etsy makes two designs of backplates. The material used is resin.
Where to buy these:
5. Retrofit vintage door backplates
Vintage escutcheons can be found on ebay, etsy and even sourced from estate sales, antique malls and salvage yards if you are lucky.
Vintage backplates came in a mind-blowing array of styles — some of the designs are just amazing.
Note: Some readers have reported that it can be tricky to get old escutcheons to work on a new door set — research this issue accordingly. If you have the time, tools and know how however, taking the vintage route can be very rewarding.
See our coverage on vintage escutcheons:
- The golden ticket: Vintage Howard Pierce door escutcheons
- Door escutcheons original to readers’ houses
- Vintage door escutcheons: a new MIB stash uncovered
Vintage door back plate escutcheon manufacturers to search for:
If you are searching for vintage online, here are names of 13 mid century manufacturers that I know of:
- Schlage
- Weiser Locks; also check just Weiser
- Trimline
- Kwikset
- Weslock
- Trimco
- Quality Hardware
- Triangle Co.
- Lockwood
- Amerock
- Yale
- Dexter
- Sargent Locks
- Howard Pierce
Some nouns to try in your search:
- Escutcheon
- Rosette
- Back Plate
- Plates
- Backplate
And other adjectives:
- Mid century
- Midcentury
- Vintage
6. Make your own front door decorative hardware
Shortly after creative reader Sarah purchased her Gilbert Spindel Geodesica, she completed an exterior makeover that included making her own midcentury style door complete with DIY escutcheons.
From the story:
The round escutcheon is just flat cut steel that a local metals shop cut for us then cut in half. The diameter is 22 in and we spray painted it bronze. The handles are appliance pulls that mimicked the design of the tiles. The door is either open and may swing open with the wind or is shut and locked. Not the most practical, but we must suffer for beauty, and we have learned to live with it.
With a little ingenuity and some creative use of materials, making your own decorative door escutcheon like Sarah did, is a great option for those with a limited budget.
Read about Sarah’s front porch makeover:
Jacki says
I have scanned Pinterest and some of Hiawatha Estes homes are fairly easy to find since he designed a lot Storybook Ranches. What I have found, from the few that I have seen is a standard door knob. What I am looking to find is one that is a little more fun or elaborate since the house has a Storybook ranch look, but it must be period and style appropriate otherwise it won’t look right.
Fayegeorge says
Looking for a cheaper version..145.00 US is steep ! Anyone know of any…
Elizabeth from Texas says
I am so lucky I ordered the Samba (brutalist from Rejuvenation) as soon as I decided on it, which ended up being two years before our house was ready to have it installed! Very sad that they discontinued it, but feeling very blessed that I got one before they did!!
Pam Kueber says
Again shows: Get these things while the gettin’ is good!
valvashon says
That top one from Rejuvenation Hardware inspired me to design a period correct door for my 1961 ranch house as the existing door from the 1980’s was starting to fail. But here’s a cautionary tale- make sure you specify ALL the dimensions of your new door if that’s what you are doing. That star, in Satin Chrome, paired with a matching Schlage “Tulip” style knob to match the interior knobs, was going to look great. It requires a 5″ backset so I had to step up to the commercial grade knob and deadbolt as I wasn’t going to be able to stand having the knob and deadbolt offset- things like that have to line up for my brain! I specified a 5″ backset for both the deadbolt and doorknob and my door was delivered that way. However, the star will not fit around the doorknob as I neglected to specify that the clearance between the knob and the deadbolt needed to be greater than the standard clearance of 5 1/2″. My new door is installed, it looks and works great, but my beautiful Satin Chrome star, where it all started, is still in a box. I’m exploring options to machine it down to a size that fits. If that happens I will see if Pam is interested in a story. Until then, escutcheons are tricky things- make sure what you are buying will fit!
Diana says
Still mad at the former owners of this house for taking out cool things like escutcheons and the neat panel in the living room. Grrrr! Their ideas of modernization were ruination. Trying to find escutcheons today.
David says
Love it
DIY April says
Door bling! Oh heck yes.