So... Christmas is coming.  And we all want our homes to look the best for the family and friends coming to share the special day! One of the ways to check everything is in order in time for Christmas, is to take a walk around the house with a pen and paper and make a small list of anything you want to get sorted before the big day.

What to look for before Christmas

Here is are list of what to check around the house. Some of which can be sorted so easily and can also cost very little. Doing a few small things can have a big impact on the way your home looks!

Wobbly Cupboards -

Check your hinges aren't broken or rusty. Get a toothbrush to clean grained wood.. by giving them a good clean they can look brand new!

Marks on doors or walls-

Little hand prints/ scratches etc. And if you cannot remove a scratch or mark, get some more artwork up. Or a new pic of the kids!

Gloss discolouring

Check your internal doors and skirting and coving.  Not the nicest job doing the glossing but it can make the world of difference to your home. Don't forget to check the bathroom!

Wobbly Chair Legs

You don't want Aunt Sall falling off during the turkey dinner! - Or maybe you do!

Don't forget to polish the chair legs as well as the table.

Polished/ Waxed dining table

Ready for guests to feast on. If a standard table polish isn't good enough to remove starches or marks, then get yourself some wood wax or wood stain. It can transform a  wooden table. If you have bigger scratches or chips, there are other products out there to help heal your furniture. Such as, Pens, Chalks and Sanding equipment.

Any DIY is finished (Or hidden if not finished).

No-one wants the husband's push bike building hobby staring at them! Upcycle something old to store things in and can be a great feature in a room! Or if your Unfinished DIY is a upcycle project, get some cheap Christmas looking fabric from a store and cover it up!

Clean and undamaged Handles or knobs

- Replacing your door handles/ knobs can transform a room. Quite often this is the first thing they see when entering a room.

Bathroom Accessories

Make sure they are not missing or broken! People will always nosey around your bathroom, either to occupy the time or just because Aunt Sall is nosey! Also make sure your bathroom lock is functioning properly, even the wine you have won't make walking in on Aunt Sall less traumatic!

Above everything, have the best Christmas time with your friends and family!!!! And truly once Aunt Sall has had a couple of glasses of red, she won't care that you have a kitchen cupboard missing or a mosaic of child sized handprints in the landing! ; )

Downton Abbey

Have you been carried along by the massive excitement of Downton Abbey!  Well I have and I've already seen the new film twice and, I must say, it was as splendid, extravagant and magnificent as I thought it would be.  The intricate story about the Crawley family preparing for the Royal Visit is a joy to behold.   The antics of the disgruntled servants are hilarious and the many amusing and caustic remarks thrown in by Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess are legendary.

What about the costumes?

Well, they are absolutely divine of course;  Wonderfully luxurious and beautiful fabrics, embellished with stunning jewels, beads and embroidery.  Accessorised with splendid long, sparkling necklaces and pendants with head-dresses and hats lavishly decorated with feathers, braid and ribbons.

It got us thinking about all the period and jewel-like door knobs and cupboard knobs and handles that could give your home the same luxurious look and feel of Downton Abbey.  Just like the Hafele range of Modern Life Glitter round and square knobs.

With pure Swarovski elements, the Modern Life Crystal knobs and pulls are sumptuously glamorous and opulent, just like the beautiful Downton Abbey chandeliers dazzling in the sunlight.

The magnificent Downton Abbey

It is a stately home I bet all of us would love to live in.  If you want to re-create the Art Deco look of the 1920s and 30s in your own home, then look no further than the Heritage Brass Charleston and Broadway knobs on backplate or the Carlisle Brass Facetted Crystal knobs for that authentic Art Deco feel.

Choose striking, bold and contrasting colours for your walls and furniture, mixed with silver, black and chrome.  Bold geometry and symmetrical designs showcase the Art Deco style, with decadent details like sparkling mirrors and bejewelled boxes adorning your dressing table.  Add our glitzy cupboard knobs and handles to your bedroom chest  to complete your extravagant and grand interior.

We can all take a step closer to our dream home with lavish Art Deco accessories and furnishings and live the life of 'Crawley'!

Why did I receive a Penalty Notice Email?

On the 1st of July 2019, two emails were sent out to all of our customers regarding a penalty notice. They appeared to be from us here at Handles4doors. After investigating what has happened our email provider confirmed that our email campaign account was hacked into. They were able to create two phishing emails and sent them out to all of our customers. We can confirm that these emails are not from us and are spam emails. We hugely apologise that you received these two emails and we kindly ask that you delete them and do not open any links.

What have we done about this?

We noticed straight away that these emails had been sent out. The first thing we did was go into our email campaign provider and change all passwords to stop anyone from gaining access, and reported the incident to the provider. They also began investigating straight away. We then reported the incident to the  Information Commissioner's Office. They also began an investigation.

We were then inundated with telephone calls and emails regarding this and making us aware of the situation and also checking that no money was actually owed. The email campaign provider has since confirmed that someone on the 1st July gained access to the account by guessing credentials. We have since changed all of our passwords to all of our systems and followed many extra measures to ensure this doesn't happen again.

What Impact will this Penalty Notice email have on my computer?

We can confirm that the individuals who gained access to our email campaigns were only able to see email addresses. We DO NOT store any addresses or bank details in this system. In fact, we do not store any BANK DETAILS anywhere in our company. Any hardcopy details from our customers are disposed of in the correct confidential way (invoices etc).

To this date (18/07/19) we have had no impact reported by anyone who received the emails. A few people tried to open the email links, (please don't do this),  but have reported that nothing happened to their computer.

If you would like to know more, please get in touch with us on 01252 786510 or customerservices@handles4doors.co.uk. And huge apologies again for any inconvenience caused.

What's new for Handles4doors? The big reveal is now upon us!

New Site Design

We have a very exciting time for us in 2019. We now have a NEW and improved website design. The new design is faster, with a great new filter system to narrow down your search easily. We have created a much easier and quicker checkout for you, and completed some work in the background to make everything faster. Hopefully that outcome is that it makes your shopping trip with us even better. Any feedback about the site would really be welcome - Contact us be email customerservcies@handles4doors.co.uk or give us a call on 01252 786510.

New Product Ranges

We also now have two other main categories of products to share with you. Bathroom Accessories and Tool & Consumables.

We have added a budget, mid range and a luxury range of Bathroom Accessories! The Luxurious range is the DeLeau XL range by Carlisle Brass. DeLeau (from the French meaning of water) is the architectural quality range of bathroom accessories. It is  slightly more expensive then the others ranges we have because it is made with Grade 316 Stainless Steel, which doesn't rust. This is very much desired, with them being used in an environment where water is involved It should mean that they will last a lifetime. Each product comes with fixing screws, wallplugs and concealed fixing plate.

De Leau LX

In this Luxury Deleu range there are a many different products to match all of your bathroom accessories. Some of these are; Robe Hooks, Tumbler and Holder, Towel Rings, Glass Shelves, Towel Rails, Toilet Roll Holder and Toilet Brush and Holder. These are also available in two different finishes; Bright Stainless Steel and Stainless Steel.

Britannia Range

Hafele Britannia Towel Rail

The mid range we have selected is the Britannia Range by Hafele. These products are made from Brass/Zinc and then Polished Chrome plated. In this range we have a toilet roll holder, a double robe hook, a towel ring, a glass shelf and a tumbler and holder. It is a nice range for your bathroom at a great price.

Provence

Provence Range

The Budget range is a range called Provence and is also made by Hafele. This consists of a Toilet Roll Holder a Double Robe Hook and a towel ring. This range is made with Zing Alloy and then Chrome Plated. The prices of these are fab, so if you are looking to kit out your bathroom on a shoe string, this is the range for you!

Tools and Consumables

This is something that fits under our umbrella. We are now selling Cleansers, Touch-up equipment, Furniture Waxes, Polishes, Wood Fillers and Maintenance & Packaging. Some examples of these new items are as follows -

Need something New that you can't see?

If there is something you are after that you can't see, please get in touch and if sure we can get it for you! Also keep an eye out on our site for discounts and promotions that we are running to help you save on your purchase! read our blog on ways to save here...

Firstly, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Handles4doors!

Hopefully everyone's plans are well under way for the Christmas season. Tree up, turkey bought, presents wrapped, tinned chocolates and baileys bought and plans all made! I don't know about you we are really looking forward to Christmas this year! Maybe it's because the mince pies are flowing in the office! We have a new found love of mince pies and squirty cream, normal or not normal? Either way, we are sat in our Christmas jumpers and looking forward to the holiday.

I just thought I would share with you what is going on here at Handles4doors this Christmas. So we are busy processing and packing orders up until Friday the 21st of December. This is the last day that our courier company will be picking up our parcels this year.

Opening Hours this Christmas

We are open until Christmas Eve and do not return until the 2nd of January 2019 (feels so weird writing 2019!) By all means, please continue to buy our lovely products, but just note that the last despatch date is 21/12/18 and nothing with then be despatched/ processed until we reopen in the new year. You can find more details on our opening hours on Google but here is the breakdown of our hours over Christmas and new year -

24/12/18 - 7.30 - Midday

25/12/18 - Closed

26/12/18 - Closed

27/12/18 - 01/01/19 - closed

Reopen - 02/01/19

What's new after Christmas?

We have something very exciting we are launching in the new year! Please keep your eyes peeled! We are working on something which will improve the way you can all shop with us and also what you can shop with us! Exciting right?

Any questions or if your query is urgent, please contact us on 01252 786510. For general customer service questions please email customerservices@handles4doors.co.uk.

Really hope everyone has an amazing time and we will see you in 2019!

Natural pewter is an absolutely amazing finish to pick when choosing your ironmongery. Most companies will sell Natural Pewter and Pewter Effect in their finishes. I wanted to share some of the examples of pewter we have and how you can use them. We also have just launched a fabulously priced clearance sale of pewter handles which could be perfect for you.

One of the brands, Finesse Fittings, uses the best quality lead-free pewter (min 92% tin) which is entirely safe to use anywhere in the home and does not rust. Pewter has a warm and lustrous quality, which is hand-finished to give a unique patina. Finesse products are neither plated nor lacquered. Cleaning with a soft damp cloth will restore the original finish.

Different styles of natural pewter handles

The great thing about pewter is not only does it look great with its rustic finish,   it also has excellent anti-erosion qualities. There are many different types of Pewter that you can choose from, so some of these are as follows -

Antique Pewter

Hammered Pewter

Pewter Effect

We do provide our customers with both natural pewter products and pewter effect products. Obviously, the natural pewter is the better of the two and is normally reflected in the price. However we have a selection of them that have been significantly reduced, so you can buy real natural pewter and at a great price. Take a look here at the reduced range

If there is something you cant find, chances are, we can get it for you. Just ask us! 01252 786510 or email us at customerservices@handles4doors.co.uk. If you are local, we do have a showroom you can visit if you wanted to talk in person - Unit 26, Waterfront Business Park, Fleet, Hants, GU51 3QT.

Ever wondered what everyone else is buying? I thought it may be a good idea for me to talk you through whats hot right now in the ironmongery trade!

So you want to know what is hot right now?

We thought our readers may like to know what is hot in the ironmongery industry right now? Our top seller for 2018 so far is our Frelan Hardware Cupboard Knob. It is 30mm in diameter and is finished a lovely polished chrome for all of you magpies out there. Not only does it look amazing, but its only £0.69 each! What a bargain! So what does this hot shiny top seller look like I here you say....

Number 2 on the hot list!

The second most popular product this year so far is the Hafele White Porcelain Cupboard Knob. Another shiny finished product for you magpies! Its is 38mm in diameter and only costs £1.20 each! Another hot bargain. These look great on chest drawers or bedside cabinets! 

So? What else is hot this year?

There are a few other hot items out there right now, one of them being our 156mm Mitford Bar handle. It is made by Hafele and finished in Polished Chrome. It also has a great cost at £1.47 each. Another most popular hinge sold this year is our Hettich Sensys Soft Close Hinge Set, Standard Kit with Wing Mount Plate.  SKU:  HE9071205K

• 35mm cup diameter
• 12.8mm cup depth
• Suitable for doors 15-22mm thick
• Soft-closing functionality
• Complete with winged mount plate, fixing screws & cover caps
• Sold as a set

The standard soft close hinge option comes complete with a pre-mounted Euro screw fixing winged mount plate which incorporates basic height adjustment, a hinge arm cover and a hinge cup cover cap.

The Hettich Sensys Soft Close Hinge is a highly innovative piece of kitchen hardware with an aesthetically pleasing design with ground breaking functionality.  If you are looking for a good value, easy-to-fit cupboard hinge to modernize your kitchen and impress anyone who uses your cupboards, the Sensys Soft Closing Hinge is the ultimate solution.

FOR A VIDEO SHOWING THIS HINGE IN OPERATION CLICK HERE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE ON HETTICH’S WEBSITE!

We are always updating our best sellers on the site each week. Keep updated by looking on our home page! And please don't forget that we love to here from you, ask any questions you have or even if you want to leave us some feedback. Lots of our customers leave feedback here at trustpilot or on google.

We know some of our products can be confusing to the new or inexperienced DIY-er especially the term 'Euro' escutcheons or 'standard' escutcheons.

EURO LOCK HANDLES AND EURO ESCUTCHEONS (keyhole covers)

We get a fair amount of feedback about euro handles, locks and escutcheons.  If you see the word 'Euro' in a title or description then this means that you need a 'cylinder lock' in your door for these items to fit.

There are Door Handles on a Euro Backplate and Euro Escutcheons.  They have a large keyhole shape in them and this fits around a 'cylinder lock'.  Here is an example of a Door Handle on Euro Backplate and a Euro Escutcheon:

Euro on a Backplate

Euro Escutcheons

STANDARD LOCK DOOR HANDLES AND ESCUTCHEONS (keyhole covers)

All door handles that fit on to a Mortice Lock, are called a Door Handles on a Lock Plate. They can also be a Door Handle on  a Standard Lock Plate.  If someone is referring to an Escutcheon, they mean a Standard Escutcheons.  Here are some examples.

All types of escutcheons are used to cover the keyhole cut-out in the door, to create a nice neat finish.  They would be used if you have a Door Handle on Rose or a Door Knob on the door.  This type of door handle or knob is not mounted onto a backplate which would have the keyhole cut-out, so the escutcheon has to be a separate component.

If you are every unsure of anything, please feel free to get in contact with us. We have a great team who are specialists in our technical department, who will always be happy to help you. You can call us on 01252 786510 or email us a customerservices@handles4doors.co.uk and someone from our tech team will come back to you as soon as they can.

We have many other articles which may be able to help you as well. Some of these are -

Who's been upcycling - https://www.handles4doors.co.uk/blog/blog/whos-been-upcycling/

Help, I already have fixing holes - https://www.handles4doors.co.uk/blog/blog/fixing-holes/

Top Tips for saving you money - https://www.handles4doors.co.uk/blog/blog/top-tips-saving-money/

Whats behind the door - https://www.handles4doors.co.uk/blog/blog/whats-behind-the-door/

Is there something that interests you, that you would like us to write about? Just let us know!

We don't just do a fantastic spend and save scheme here at Handles4doors. Are you in the trade? You could save 15% on every purchase with us going forward! Let's explain how it works...

Whether you're a builder, an interior designer, an architect, a headmaster or maybe you're a project manager? We can offer a fabulous 15% off purchases to all of our Trade Account Customers.  Sound good? Let's tell you what you need to do now!

Yes I'm in the Trade, what now?

All you need to do is to get in contact with us and let us take a couple of details from you and set you up a trade account. This is free of charge and we will provide you with a login and password. Now you can shop online, with your permanent discount of 15%. You can get in contact with us by telephone or email - 01252 786510, customerservices@handles4doors.co.uk.

What if I'm not in the Trade?

Even if you are not in the trade business, we can still offer you savings. We have a spend and save scheme;  if you spend over £100 you will automatically get 5% off your shopping. If you spend over £200 you will automatically save 7.5%. If you spend over £300 you will save 10 %, and spend £500 you will receive 15% off your shopping. We also give free UK delivery when you spend over £95.

You can always call and ask us if we have any offers on 01252 786510, or take a look on our website. We often have various offers ongoing, or discount codes you may be able to use.  We also wrote a blog on how to save as much money as you can on your purchases, take a look here.

Upcycling is a huge industry nowadays.  Whether your upcycle projects are a hobby or a business venture or even both, they are becoming more and more popular. Cabinets, shelving, hooks,  coffee tables, chests;   you name it, we want to make our own. It makes us unique and helps us to stand out from the crowd, as well as giving us a great sense of achievement by creating our own pieces. In this article, I wanted to share with you some ideas of where to start if you're new to upcycling.

Here is my finished creation! This was a very old, very orange wooden sideboard, which has been painted along with the fish tank. The handles are by Hafele and can be found here

So where do you start with your upcycle?

I'm going to break it down into three small steps for you -

• Where to buy furniture or items to upcycle
• Where to buy materials
• How to care for your upcycle

Where to buy items to upcycle

You want to make your expenses as low as possible, especially if you're looking at selling your refurbished item. To do this you want to source your furniture smartly. Here are some ideas -

• Family and friends wanting to get rid off old or unused items
• Car boot sales
• Ebay/ Gumtree / selling sites
• Facebook marketplace
• The local tip
• Charity shops
• Local shops for wooden crates

* Set yourself a budget and stick to it!

Where to buy materials for you to upcycle

Now you have found your item, you need to try and visualize the end result. Colour, finish etc. Remove any handles, hinges, hooks or studs that will be in the way of painting.

For most upcycles you will want to - clean, sand, prime, paint, wax, add fittings. You can buy most of your materials from various hardware stores or online. Any new ironmongery needed you could purchase from a local or online ironmongery specialist. We happen to be a leading supplier or top quality ironmongery if you wanted to take a look here:

www.handles4doors.co.uk.

Cleaning your upcycle

When cleaning most items, you will just want to use something gentle such as warm water and mild detergent and a soft cloth. Always try this first and if it doesn't remove any stubborn dirt then there are other stronger cleaners out there, but you do want to try and avoid these as they can cause damage (I suggest testing a small area first). If you need to use something harsher than a soft cloth, then steel wool is a good option or you can use a toothbrush;  just don't rub too hard!

Once you have chosen your desired cleaner, use gentle up and down strokes following the grain of the wood. You must wait for the material to dry thoroughly before moving onto the next stage.

Priming your upcycle

The first thing you will want to do is to sand down the surface, make any chips, marks or peeling paint disappear to a smooth flat surface or the best you can. This also creates a rough surface for the paint to stick to and will last longer.  It will also remove any scratches or chips or at least make them less obvious. Use a clean, dry soft cloth to remove any dust the sanding has created.

There are many different brands and types of primers out there.  Primer helps to hide imperfections and create a smoother finish. Most well-known stores will have a wood primer and it will say on the tin how far it will go. There will always be people there to help assist you if you need help choosing the right one. There are some that only require one coat as well which will make the step quicker. Always make sure the primer is fully dry before moving onto the next step.

Painting your upcycle

There are a few different ways to paint your item, so try and use the way you think will be easiest for you. Spray paint, tinned paint, brushes or rollers.   Whichever way you choose, just make sure you get a good brand. Apply thin layers and allow to dry thoroughly in between coats. I normally do 2 or 3 thin coats. You can lightly sand in between each coat making sure you remove all dust before applying the next coat. Doing these steps should ensure the best quality results.

Finishing Wax/ Finishing Lacquer your upcycle

Now you don't want all of your hard work priming and painting to not be protected the best way you can, do you? So the best way to do this is to get a good branded finishing wax and use a soft cloth to rub it on your furniture. The instructions on the tin will tell you how long to leave it to soak in. You normally then rub it off with small circular motions. Some brands suggest doing this process twice.

How to care for your upcycle

If you want to keep your upcycle at its best for the longest period, then my best advice is to gently dust very regularly. Keep it out of the sunlight if you can, as it may fade the colour over time.

Sometimes, things can get spilt onto our creations;   if they do, go through the gentle cleaning process mentioned above. When your item is an antique and you are unsure of how to care for it, please speak to an antique specialist and they will be able to guide you. If you are slightly worried, always test a small area at the back or inside to see how it will react.

If you get stuck or you are unsure of something, give us a ring and ask us 01252 786510. or email general@handles4doors.co.uk