Source: BUILDING PRODUCTS Magazine
Publication date: January 21, 2006
By Monica Soladay
In the race to keep up with the Joneses, homeowners are treating entry doors as an artistic way to express their personal tastes, and manufacturers are fueling the trend with dozens of new hardware designs in a variety of finishes. After all, a handleset is "the first piece of art that the Joneses see," says Minu Youngkin, residential marketing manager for Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, of which Schlage is a brand. "Now it's more important to become innovative, to have different finishes and different looks," she adds.
In many regions of the country, this emphasis on individuality means many homeowners are saying good-bye to brass. A new array of finishes is driving the evolution of front-door hardware from functional to decorative.
The trend away from brass has been so dramatic that John Kufner, general manager for entry products with Therma-Tru Doors, estimates demand for the metal has declined by more than 50 percent in the past five years at his company. Instead, brushed nickel finishes now account for half of his customers' purchases, with oil-rubbed bronze coming in a close second, he says.
Even modestly priced houses are sporting locksets with updated finishes. For example, the Denver division of Beazer Homes offers Kwikset's Sonoma lock in only two finishes–chrome and brushed nickel–for its entry-level homes.
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