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Anyone who has read the previous post on choosing interior door handles for my home will have noticed images of the doors to which those handles are now attached!

Preserving The Original Features

The process of choosing replacement interior doors followed the same model: that the existing original 1930s doors would be retained and thirties-style replicas would replace the mish-mash of contemporary doors throughout the rest of the house.

A photograph of two of the original 1930s internal doors in the property undergoing renovation. The original bakelite doorknobs can be seen, heavily encrusted in layers of paint. — Original doors from the nineteen thirties

I played no part in sourcing or purchasing the first three doors needed during refurbishment of the ground floor. These pine doors in the traditional 4-panel 1930s style were supplied and fitted by the company which had carried out reconstruction work in that part of the property. Unfortunately, due to a sudden and serious illness, that company was unable to continue.

A photograph of two replica 1930s internal doors made from pine and before being either stained or varnished. — Replica 1930s ddoors in pine, unvarnished

Replacement contractors needed to be found to proceed with the next and further phases of the renovation project. Good, skilled tradesmen tend to have waiting lists, so while I waited for the bathroom and kitchen replacement projects to get under way, I occupied myself with searching for and sourcing some additional replica internal doors.

Finding 1930s Replicas

Nineteen-thirties-style replica doors are easy to find in Britain. Typing “1930s internal doors” or “one over three doors” into a Google search will produce many results.

As I compared product pricing, delivery costs and – importantly – testimonials, I came across a family-owned business with a physical store but one which could arrange courier delivery throughout mainland Britain. Blacketts Doors seemed to be just what I was looking for. They just happened to be located four miles from my home!

I settled on the Nostalgia DX in American white oak. With a larger, square panel at the top of the door and three vertical panels in the lower part, this design perfectly replicates doors from 1930s England.

During the order process, my communication with the business – both by telephone and email – was efficient and friendly. In my internet search, it seemed I’d stumbled upon a valuable and helpful supplier.

A photograph of the Nostalgia DX 1930s replica internal door in American white oak - unstained and unvarnished. — The Nostalgia DX door in American white oak – unstained and unvarnished

A photograph in closer detail of the Nostalgia DX 1930s replica internal door in American white oak - unstained and unvarnished. — The Nostalgia DX door in closer detail

A photograph of the Nostalgia DX 1930s replica internal door in American white oak - lightly varnished in a warm, light brown. — The Nostalgia DX door in American white oak after being lightly varnished

At the time of writing, the price for a product of this style from the Blacketts Doors is priced from £123 (inclusive of VAT). A courier service is used to deliver around the UK. Enquiries about delivery costs should be made directly with the company.

An Easy Task

Of all the tasks which have been part of this renovation project, this must surely have been one of the easiest to complete! There are many suppliers throughout Britain offering this style of product and able to arrange long-distance delivery. In my own search, finding a supplier so close to my home and one which offers such good service proved to be a pleasing bonus.

Contact Details of Supplier:

Address: Blacketts Doors, Studley Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE4 5AP

Telephone: 0191 2734073

Email: sales@blackettsdoors.co.uk

Website: www.blackettsdoors.co.uk

A.P. 31 January 2026

Photographs © A.P.

When it came to choosing interior door handles for my home, the decision for the doors on the upper floor – bedrooms and bathroom – was easy. The original door knobs from the mid-1930s were still in place and functioning. Some were covered in layers of paint which occupants of the house had applied during those intervening years while my family lived elsewhere but I felt confident they could be restored to reveal the dark brown Bakelite beneath.

Keeping It Authentic

The ground floor rooms required further research. One of my aims with the renovation was to retain original features. I wondered if it might be possible to find a match for the existing, original knobs and achieve uniformity throughout the house. I began an internet search for companies offering replica Bakelite door knobs and handles. I wasn’t disappointed. There were several UK companies selling what seemed to be excellent replica handles, backplates and knobs in dark Bakelite material.

Further Options to Consider

I noticed that if I typed something along the lines of “1930s door handles” into an internet search platform, the results included a second type of product: metal door handles and backplates with Art Deco styling.

At that point, I started to think back to my childhood years spent in that home. By the time we moved into the house in the 1960s, the Bakelite knobs had all gone from the ground floor rooms. Contemporary metal handles had been applied instead. So if I were to introduce new metal door handles into this part of the house, it would not be at the expense of any original features.

Additionally, I started to think more about the practicality of the handles. One day when moving from the kitchen to the sitting room with a cup of tea in one hand and a clutch of papers in the other, I used an elbow to push down on the door’s existing handle to open it. The functional capabilities of a handle were not lost on me.

Still, I felt a little resistant to introducing overtly Art Deco features into this house. This was not an Art Deco building. Rather, it belonged to that class of English thirties suburban ‘semis’ which display architectural components from times past. I remembered, though, that even the most ardent builders of pseudo-historical houses in the 1930s seemed unable to resist including an Art Deco motif here and there. Our own house sported the original wrought-iron garden gates when we moved in and they featured one of the most recurring motifs in Art Deco craftsmanship: the sunburst.

So, the first step towards the decision was made. I would opt for the practicality of metal handles on backplates and go for an Art Deco style which would be in keeping with the era of the property. The next step was to trawl through the wide range of designs meeting that description. There was a great deal of choice.

Finally, the design which caught my eye was the Jedo Deco Suite Lever on Plate designed and produced by Frelan Hardware in England. When my joiner was fitting the hardware to my doors he was impressed with the quality. In my opinion, they are not only beautiful to look at but comfortable to hold and use. I chose the polished chrome version – which seemed most in keeping with the Art Deco theme – and they are extremely easy to keep fingerprint-free and shiny with a light wipe using a dry, soft cloth.

Several UK online retailers stock this line. I purchased mine from Choice Handles, an ironmongery business based in Wales.

Remarkably, these handles are currently retailing for £14.50 per set (the handles are sold in pairs) at the time of writing. I am delighted with my “find” and with my overall decision on these handles and also for the surprisingly low price for this quality.

Details of Suppliers:

Frelan Hardware

Website: https://www.frelanhardware.co.uk/

Choice Handles

Website: https://www.choicehandles.co.uk/

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