Polished brass octagonal centre door knob on its stepped octagonal base on a glossy inky blue Edwardian front door
Front door · Edwardian

Polished brass on an inky blue Edwardian door

Gloss blue paint, Art Nouveau stained glass and bright polished brass: the confident, cheerful front door of a 1900s semi.

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The look
Fittings
Polished brass
Front door
Inky blue
Stained glass
AmberLeaf green
House
Red brickWhite roughcastChequerboard tile

An Edwardian semi with red brick below, white roughcast above and a timber porch with fretwork brackets over a chequerboard path. The door keeps its original stained glass, tulips in clear, amber and green, and is painted an inky blue in high gloss. Polished brass suits the era's love of shine and colour: the octagonal knob, the slim profile knocker and the numbers all pick up the amber in the glass.

Up close
Polished brass serif number 32 above a polished brass profile doctor knocker between amber and green tulip stained-glass panels on an inky blue door Edwardian semi with red brick, white roughcast and a mock-Tudor gable, a timber fretwork porch over an inky blue front door with stained glass and a chequerboard tiled path Polished brass Victorian letter plate on the middle rail of a glossy inky blue Edwardian door below the stained glass Polished brass octagonal knob on a white panelled door in an Edwardian hall with a chequerboard floor, oak staircase and the blue stained-glass front door beyond Polished brass radiused cylinder pull with a brass euro cylinder on a blue door beside a polished brass rectangular bell push on the white frame Polished brass internal tidy holding two cream envelopes on the inside of the inky blue door below the tulip stained glass
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Polished brass for an inky blue door

Inky blue gloss Edwardian front door with Art Nouveau stained glass under a timber porch, fitted with polished brass number 32, profile doctor knocker, octagonal centre knob, letter plate, radiused cylinder pull and rectangular bell push 4 2 5 6 1 3
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Good to know

Why polished brass suits an Edwardian door

EraEdwardian, 1901 to 1914
Trend statusClassic; deep blues lead front door choices this year
Inspired byEdwardian semis with original stained glass
SuitsNavy, inky blue and dark teal gloss doors

An era that liked shine

Edwardian builders favoured brighter colours, glazed doors and generous ironmongery, a step away from heavy Victorian browns. High-gloss blue and polished brass catch the light the same way the stained glass does, so the whole door looks lively rather than formal.

Octagonal shapes

The octagonal centre knob has flat facets that flash as you walk past, and its stepped octagonal base suits the wide middle rail of an Edwardian door. Carry the shape inside with octagonal mortice knobs on the hall doors and the house feels designed from the front step in.

Working around stained glass

With glass in the upper panels, the knocker sits on the centre muntin between them, and the knob and letter plate share the middle rail below. Keep fixings clear of the glazing beads and leaded panels, and choose a slim knocker so it doesn't crowd the glass.

Getting the door right

Keeping polished brass bright

Lacquered polished brass only needs a soft dry cloth. Avoid metal polish, which strips the lacquer and leaves the brass to tarnish in patches.

Middle-rail spacing

The 254x100mm letter plate fits the middle rail of most Edwardian doors with room for the knob above it. Check the rail depth first if your door has a narrower rail.

Behind the letter plate

Fit the polished brass tidy with draught excluder on the inside. It covers the cut edges of the opening and its foam strip stops cold air under the flap.

A cylinder pull for the key side

The radiused cylinder pull frames the nightlatch cylinder outside and gives you something to pull on as you turn the key. Fit it on the lock stile at chest height.