Satin brass reeded lever handle on a tall narrow reeded backplate on a deep inky green panelled door
Whole home · Victorian with extension

One finish from the old house to the new extension

Reeded satin brass handles on the original panelled doors, crisp linear levers on the new glazed ones: different shapes, the same warm brass.

Shop the houseMake it yours
The look
Fittings
Satin brass
Old house
Inky green doorsSoft white wallsPatterned tile
Extension
Polished concreteOak

A Victorian terrace that has kept its patterned tiled hall, cornices, staircase and panelled doors, with a bright extension built into the side return at the back. The old doors are painted a deep inky green and have Charlbury handles: a contoured lever on a finely reeded plate that suits their period mouldings. The new glazed doors into the extension are slim and modern, so they have a straight linear lever on a square rose. Both are satin brass, which is what ties the two halves of the house together.

Up close
Satin brass linear lever on a square stepped rose on the narrow green stile of a glazed door into the extension Side-return extension with a long roof light, herringbone oak floor, oak dining table, linen sofa and black sliding doors, the green glazed door to the Victorian hall at the end Inky green bathroom door open off a landing with a mahogany newel, fitted with a satin brass Charlbury reeded bathroom handle, a roll-top bath beyond Inky green door with a satin brass Charlbury reeded handle opening onto a Victorian sitting room with a marble fireplace, gilt mirror, shuttered bay and rust velvet sofa Satin brass linear lever above a square turn on a putty white flush cloakroom door in the extension Inky green door resting on a satin brass projection door stop on white skirting, a satin brass hinge and patterned floor tiles
Shop the house

Satin brass for old doors and new

Victorian hall with patterned tiles, a white staircase and an inky green panelled door with a satin brass reeded lever, looking through to a slim glazed door with a satin brass linear lever and a bright extension beyond 5 2 1
Make it yours

More satin brass levers, bathroom handles and turns

Scroll for more →
Good to know

Linking a period house and a new extension

EraVictorian terrace with a 2020s side-return extension
Trend statusRising; Victorian extensions and satin brass both up in 2026
Inspired bySide-return extensions on London terraces
SuitsPainted panelled doors and slim glazed internal doors

Different shapes, one finish

An extension rarely looks right with the same ornate handles as the Victorian front rooms, and modern handles look odd on old panelled doors. The answer is to change the shape but keep the finish: a reeded handle on a plate for the period doors, a plain linear lever for the new ones, both in satin brass.

Why satin brass

Satin brass has a soft, brushed glow rather than a mirror shine. It is warm enough for a period house and clean enough for a contemporary space, and it sits well against both deep painted doors and pale concrete and oak.

Reeding as a bridge

Reeded details have become popular in new interiors as well as old ones, so the fine fluting on the Charlbury plate looks at home in a period hall without feeling fussy. It quietly echoes the cornices and panel mouldings around it.

Planning notes

Glazed doors need roses

Slim glazed doors usually have narrow stiles with no room for a long backplate, so choose a lever on a rose. Check the stile width and the lock's backset before ordering.

Bathroom to match

Use the Charlbury bathroom handles upstairs, or a square turn and release beside a linear lever if the bathroom is in the extension.

Hinges in the same finish

Swap painted-over hinges for satin brass butts when you redecorate the old doors. On heavy period doors, use three hinges rather than two.

Protect new plaster

In a new extension, fit a projection door stop as soon as the doors go in, before a lever marks freshly plastered walls.