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What color hinges would you use for black exterior doors?

LE
10 years ago

These need to be ordered soon.
Doors will be Marvin clad, ebony outside, painted to match inside. Handles (levers) will be satin nickel. Hinges can be either satin nickel or dark bronze, as far as I can tell, no black option.

My original thought was to have the hinges "disappear" rather than emphasize them with the contrasting silvery metal. But will the bronze look "off" because it will be browner? You know how it's bad when things look like they are supposed to match, but they don't? Now I'm thinking I'd be better off just matching the hinges to the levers.
(Windows will be black inside and out and we are able to get black hardware for those. House style is hard to pin down, modern farmhouse is the best I can come up with.)
I'm sure this is one of those things I won't notice much later (unless I conclude that I botched the decision, then I'll see it forever!)

Comments (7)

  • Soesoe
    10 years ago

    I'd go satin nickel but in all likelihood the dark bronze would be just fine. Aren't these details so fun to keep awake at night over, lol.. I love the modern farmhouse - that's what we just built. I'd love to see more pics.

  • millworkman
    10 years ago

    Satin Nickel as they generally should match door operating hardware.

  • kirkhall
    10 years ago

    Satin Nickel as well.

  • virgilcarter
    10 years ago

    Black or dark bronze. There's nothing attractive about contrasting hinges.

    Why don't you just have a primed finish and painted black later when the painter is on the job?

    Who wants to have hinges on view?

    Good luck on your project!

  • bevangel_i_h8_h0uzz
    10 years ago

    Is the dark bronze really dark so as to look almost black, or is it more of a rusty brown color? If really dark, I'd go with the bronze but if more of a rusty color, I'd go with satin nickle as that will match the door handles while a lighter bronze might just end up looking like a rusty hinge.

    On the plus side, it is possible to purchase black door hinges (see the link below) and it isn't all that hard to change them out after you move in. Basically, just be sure to get the same size and style hinges (they mostly come in 3 inch or 4 inch and with square or rounded off edges) then remove and replace one hinge at a time while the door remains attached and supported by the other two (or sometimes three) hinges.

    Here is a link that might be useful: black door hinges

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    I agree to blend them in. SN is light on a dark door. Dotting the front door with high contrast door hinges would detract, imo.

  • LE
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the input. I'd like them to be "invisible." This weekend, I was told that the Marvin ORB is on the blacker side, so I will probably go with that. If the doors were not so dark, creating such a contrast with silvery hardware, it would be easy to just match them but I'm in the camp of "why call attention to door hinges" in this case.

    (Plus I have to remind myself: we still have thousands of decisions to go, many will be more important than this one, and it won't permanently ruin my life if I make the wrong one here!)