See that knob on top? That is a vintage doorbell. It makes the most lovely sound so we wanted to keep it when we replaced the door. The problem is that it is so non-descript that nobody recognizes its a doorbell! It's a cheap plastic knob and plate painted to look like metal and we've been wanting to replace it for a while. We hadn't found any suitable replacements though until our recent trip to Artefacts in St. Jacobs.
I wish I had taken a Before photo to show the new hardware covered in layers and layers of old peeling white paint like the old mailbox slot we found. HandyMan has a polishing wheel (seriously, it is the most useful tool!) which he used to strip off all that paint. Beneath it all we found this...
Isn't it pretty? It looks to be cast out of bronze as it has a slight brownish tint. I love how it says "Turn" - there'll be no mistaking that this is a doorbell now!
We debated whether to spraypaint the bronze to match the brushed metal of the other door hardware, but its really hard to get the exact same metal finish. Plus the metal is so darn gorgeous we didn't want to cover it up; its kinda nice having it in its authentic original finish.
And here are my trusty assistants showing you just how nice the doorbell sounds: