Originally published May 4, 2020; doorbells and door knockers updated April 24, 2021

If you’re looking for new doorbells and door knockers for your front door, you’re in the right place. We’ve updated our entire front entry and it has a fresh new look. I had the best time researching new accessories for this reno. Here are two roundups with my finds for cute, stylish, modern, and/or fun doorbells and door knockers.

Choosing Doorbells and Door Knockers

Some of these doorbells are so cute! Here’s a variety of different doorbells and door knockers, from Victorian to modern. As you can see from this collection, I’m not interested in a smart doorbell for this house. Bring on the style!

Mixing Styles on an Old House

Vintage doorbells caught my eye, but I’m not sure if they would work with our exterior. Our house is a mashup of mid-century 1965 bones and craftsman-style/modern updates. Clear as mud, right? Basically, we like simple lines and modern styling that still fit the look of our house. Here’s where we started, once the security door was removed.

Installing the new front door was one of our major DIY projects last summer. I bought this beautiful, unfinished Douglas fir door and stained it while Wyatt worked on the installation. Get all the scoop in this blog post.

Tips to Install and Stain a New Front Door

Narrowing the Doorbell Choices

I ordered a few bells to gauge the sizes better in person, and it’s also nice to compare them with the other door components. Here is the stained wood, new black exterior door handle, and a couple of possible doorbells. I debated whether black or brass would look better on our house. Black won.

We need a skinnier bell than the brass “press” bell in these photos (even though I love it). Against the blond brick and dark wood, here are two possibilities I tried first.

I have to admit, I also love this little bee doorbell! It’s expensive, for a doorbell, but it would add a touch of whimsy and our kids would LOVE it. Alas, I researched the heck out of this bell and determined that it’s just too wide for this house.

Update: We Picked a Boring Bell

I’m reviving this post for a 2021 update, and I’ll take all the suspense out of it. We chose this sleek black doorbell from Rejuvenation, mainly due to the size and coordination with our door hardware. It’s not as fun as the vintage bells, but it’s very pretty in person.

Here’s the finished product! It is such an improvement over the original door.

How to Stencil a Coir Doormat

How to Install a Wired Doorbell

If you need help installing or changing out a wired doorbell, here are directions. We are not planning to change the chimes, but those directions are included in that link, too.

18 Unique, Vintage, and Modern Doorbells

Here are links to all 18 of these doorbells. Some are available in other metals, so check the link if you need a different metal than what’s in the graphic. I ordered #8 in black, as you can see in my photos above.

SILVER: one | two | three | four | five
BRASS: six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven | twelve
BLACK/BRONZE: thirteen | fourteen | fifteen | sixteen | seventeen | eighteen

Knock Three Times…

Although we are not planning to install a door knocker on our new door, I couldn’t resist a roundup. There are some great choices out there! Replacing your door knocker could be a small DIY project this summer, and you’ll enjoy seeing it every time you come home. Here’s a 3-minute video showing you how to install one, if needed.

SILVER: one | two | three
BRASS: four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten
BLACK/BRONZE: eleven | twelve | thirteen | fourteen | fifteen

Read More About Our DIY Exterior Projects

1 – Back Porch Refesh + How to Install IKEA floor tiles
2 – How to Stencil a Coir Doormat
3 – Four Non-Toxic Weed Killers for Your Yard
4 – Tips and Tricks to Spray Paint Metal