OUR RENO JOURNEY: THE FRONT DOOR HAS BEEN UPGRADED!
/* * The Banham locks were kindly gifted to me, with no obligation to post. All opinions and views are 100% my own.**
They say a person makes up their mind up about a house, before they’ve even set foot in inside. It’s all about the curb appeal apparently… Well if that was case, then I certainly wouldn’t have bought our dear old ‘rat house’.
The front door was the original dating back to the 1930’s ‘Arts and Crafts’ era, and I’m pretty sure that if it had been looked after properly then it would still look beautiful now. Sadly this wasn’t the case for us, as this door was rotten, bitten (the previous owners dogs had bitten the door frame) and it still hummed as sweetly as it did on the first day we viewed the house, as it did on the day it got ripped out. A smell I’ll be glad to forget - think dogs urine saliva and rats all combined.
It wasn’t solid wood- a wooden veneer to look like solid oak. We only knew this as another neighbour thought theirs was solid wood until they chopped it up. The annoying thing was we didn’t just need a new door, but an entire door frame and side glass. The glass was single glazed with a lattice lead pattern and it gave us zero security and protection. In fact I was always scared the glass would pop out the frame every-time we closed the front door - whoops. I can safely say that now it’s been ripped out. Not to mention the side panels of glass being clear, offering no privacy.
The original door also had heavy thick bolts on the back, but they were pretty useless unless you were inside the house, so basically it all had to go.
The original Front door - Inside and out
I started researching doors and locks and had my heart set on a traditional 1930’s front door. The estate where our house is located is full of 1930’s properties and lots of them have original stained glass doors, so I knew it would still blend in with the period of the house and not upset our fellow neighbours.
Our builders recommended a carpenter in Portugal who could make us a new oak door and frame and ship it to the UK, which we decided to do as it was the most affordable option for us, and it would give us the flexibility to have exactly what we wanted. I then found a local guy who would make the stained glass.
Because of the glass rebates, we ended up having to double glaze the stained glass - so effectively they’re actually triple glazed as the stained glass roundel had to be sealed and encapsulated into double glazed units. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I can still see the texture clearly and the light still hits them perfectly through the hallway. Plus, this makes them tougher, safer and more energy efficient.
Now the locks- Sweet mother of Jesus the locks. I have lusted after Banham locks for so long. I know that must sound crazy, but I am very particular about details and have been fascinated by these locks ever since I first spotted them on a beautiful pink door in London.
So whats so great about Banham locks, I hear you ask…. except for the fact that they look super pretty, Banham locks are also protected by patent and have a unique Key Registration system offering audited, controlled security. The locks are also un-pickable and un-copyable (without permission and a code). They’re also bloody sexy locks and also only require one key for both locks! No more thumbling around like a school caretaker for that second key. Basically if Carlsberg did locks, it would be these… as they say!
I went for the Banham L2000 night latch, the Banham M2002 deadlock, the small letter plate and letterbox protector all in polished brass 🔐 🖤. I honestly couldn’t love a set of locks anymore.
The Banham Nightlatch L2000 in polished Brass £262.80
They also have a nifty feature which means you can double lock the night latch before you leave the house, so that if anyone tried to break the glass and reach in, the night latch would still lock. You just turn your key clockwise to the 6pm position and back to 3pm and voila, walk out and you know that it is locked from the inside and out!
The Banham Letter plate in polished brass £246
and the
Banham letter box protector in polished brass £194.40
For the door furniture I chose the matching polished brass letter box from Banham which was £246, and the matching Banham letter box protector in polished brass which was £194.40.
This sturdy piece of solid brass deters any potential thief’s being able to reach through the letter box to open the locks.
My new black oak 1930’s style front door with Banham L2000 Night Latch and Banham M2002 Deadlock in Polished Brass.
From the inside- my new 1930’s style front door with Banham L2000 Night Latch and Banham M2002 Deadlock in Polished Brass.
Banham L2000 Night Latch £262.80
Can you tell I’m passionate about locks? For me its all about the detail, but you can’t ever compromise your safety and with these locks you wont ever need to.