Remodelista

Think about how often you'll wrestle with your doorknobs in the course of a lifetime, and you'll realize it doesn't make sense to economize on this stalwart of the home. It's worth seeking out the highest-quality, most pleasing doorknobs in your price range.

For price-conscious remodelers, the Schlage Orbit is the knob of choice; the Hardware Hut lists the complete doorknob and rosette set for $22.69 (list price is $34.90). It's available in seven finishes, ranging from satin chrome to oil-rubbed bronze. Go to hardwarehut.com:

For the next level up, Baldwin's high-quality, well-designed hardware is the gold standard. When we remodeled our Brooklyn Heights house, we used the Classic Knob No. 5405.150, which works in almost any interior. It's smaller scale than the Schlage Orbit, available in 25 different finishes, and costs about $62.

Baldwin's Estate Knob (5041.140) is also a good bet; pictured below in satin black, satin nickel, and polished nickel:

Portland, OR, company Rejuvenation Hardware offers a nice selection of high-quality knobs in several finishes; go to rejuvenation.com:

In the Design Voyeur category, NYC-based (but Brooklyn manufactured) high-end hardware purveyor Nanz is the holy grail; peruse the offerings at nanz.com. Below, a couple of exquisitely rendered knobs:

Another strategy is to scour the salvage yards for historic pieces. However, make sure you ascertain the size you will need; you don't want to get stuck with an ill-fitting piece. Old House Parts in Kennebunkport, Maine, has an excellent selection of high-quality knobs that ranges from pre-aged brass (which always looks better 100 years later) for $75 a pair to $600 crystal beauties.

If you can bear the name, Olde Good Things, which has two locations in New York City, one in LA, and one in Chicago, is a good bet for Vintage Doorknobs.

Finally, in Berkeley, the go-to source for salvaged architectural elements is Ohmega Salvage. Its sister store, Omega Too (omegatoo.com), is also an excellent resource. Ohmega Salvage currently has a few round crystal knobs on offer at $250 a pair; go to ohmegasalvage.com: