What makes a period home? Is it the brickwork or the windows? Is it art deco door handles, federation-style terracotta roof tiling, burnished brass pull handles, or the paint palette?
The answer is ‘all of the above’. Period homes have a unique character blended from an easily definable set of design elements and a much more inimitable feeling of character and charm.
Every small detail, like the door handles we’re focusing on in this blog, offers an opportunity to re-capture a period of Perth’s rich architectural history with high-quality modern touches.
Benefits of maintaining and restoring period homes
Drive through some of Perth’s older neighbourhoods and you can see pockets of history preserved for a century or more. The suburbs around our Nedlands showroom has plenty on offer, from federation style workers’ cottages built between 1900 and 1910, to art deco which defined the 1920s and 30s.
Each of these design eras represented a time in Perth’s history. Preserving those memories in the character of your period home means remembering the charm that attracted you to the house, and carrying on a century-long legacy of unique design.
Easy ways to capture the charm of period homes
Know the style of the house
Before you go putting an art deco door handle on a Victorian home, it’s worth finding out more about the era your period home falls into.
- Early Victorian: c.1804-1860
- Mid-Victorian: 1861-1875
- Late Victorian: 1876-1901
- Federation: c.1890s-1915
- Art deco: 1920s and 1930s
- Post-war: 1945-1950
- Mid-century modern: 1950s and 60s
Of course, it’s possible for a Federation-style home (also called Edwardian after the King of England at the time of Australia’s Federation) was built after 1915. And art deco still inspired architecture well into the 40s. There are even some gems of modern architecture which echo those eras.
But knowing what year your home was built gives a good indication of whether brass pull handles, Gatsby-style art deco door handles or more decorative and delicate federation finishes are most appropriate.
Consider colour schemes
Over time your period home may have seen a renovation, re-painting or additions. Capturing its original character can be as simple as matching the right federation door handle to the classic red-brick exterior and pressed metal ceiling.
Cohesive design aesthetics depend on the overall look and feel as much as the individual details.
Material selection
Hardware used in the original construction can be influenced by the location and environment of the house. An art deco home in Perth is likely to use native timber in the joinery and locally sourced metal for window frames, for example.
Keep in mind when you browse the Brass Décor catalogue that our Australian-made products are hand-picked to suit life in local neighbourhoods:
- Made to be durable in Australian climates
- Supporting local industries
- Finished to Australian Standards
- High safety and performance benchmarks
Bring it home with Brass Décor
From brass pull handles on interior doors, to art deco door handles that welcome guests with a classy touch of belle epoque bourgeoise, Brass Décor’s range of period door handles is the perfect finish to any character home.
Find our full range of federation door handles and period-specific finishes in our Nedlands showroom at 169 Stirling Highway, browse our product catalogues online, or call us on (08) 9386 6057 to find out what’s in stock to suit your period home.