Decorating the Entryway with Keyhole Covers

Decorating the Entryway with Keyhole Covers

Irish folklore says that the doors in Dublin homes were painted in bright colors so that drunk Irishmen could find their own home after a night of many pints.  Apparently there had been a slew of “stranger in my bed” incidents, which led to the pretty painted doors. Even if the story is complete rubbish, I’ve loved antique door hardware and keyhole covers ever since. So, I decided to use them to create some entryway wall decor for our foyer.

A while back, I picked up these keyhole covers at a favorite vintage shop in Thomasville, Georgia. The colors reminded me of the Irish tale about antique doors, and I knew they’d be perfect for my upcycling idea.

Keyhole covers or door knob back plate from antiques store for upcycling ideas

All I needed was the perfect backdrop for my vintage hardware. So, I headed to Habitat ReStore and scored an old cupboard door that had just the right of chippiness to the paint job.

Cupboard door from Habitat ReStore to use as unique wall decor with vintage hardware

Now that I had everything I needed to create some entryway decor, I just needed to put it all together. And it was going to be SUPER easy to do!

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Displaying the Vintage Hardware or Keyhole Covers on a Cupboard Door

First, I  needed to figure out an arrangement for the door knob back plates. 

Once I arranged the antique hardware on the cabinet door, I marked the screw holes with a pencil and screwed them in with my hand drill.

Placing the keyhole covers on a cupboard door before attaching with screws

That was it- told you it was easy! And had the cabinet door been softer or older, I may not have even needed a drill. A screwdriver probably could have gotten the job done, too.

Attaching a door escutcheon or doorknob keyplate to a cupboard door for foyer wall decor

But one thing I noticed was that the new screws I was using looked SO bright and shiny against the keyhole covers. 

I should have collected a bunch of old, mismatched screws but I didn’t think about it at the time. Heck, one of those “jars of hardware” from Habitat ReStore or a yard sale would have been perfect, too.

New screws on antique door hardware look too silver and need to be aged

I dabbed some metallic brown paint on the screw heads but it was a little too glittery. 

Aging new hardware to match the vintage hardware by painting them bronze

So, back to the drawing board!

This time, I used some vintage brass craft paint and it worked much better! Now the screws blend in with the keyhole covers. Ready to see my new piece of entryway wall decor?

Decorating the Entryway with Keyhole Covers

Oh my gosh, I love it!! The antique door hardware is positively perfect in our foyer. Truthfully, I never gave entryway wall decor much thought before.

keyhole covers as quirky art

To hang it in the entryway, I added a couple of D-rings and picture hanging wire to the back. I made sure that the small screws for the D-ring hangers didn’t poke through the front of my foyer decor.

And there it is today, right next to our front door! The best part about using keyhole covers as wall decor is that they are easily attached to whatever your backdrop is. 

Entryway wall decor or foyer decor by upcycling the keyhole covers as unique wall art

And who doesn’t love repurposing an old cabinet door for wall decor?

decorating the entryway with keyhole covers

So now the question is- what is/are the next unusual thing(s) I can turn into unique wall decor? Hmm…

keyhole covers as foyer decor

If you enjoyed this upcycling idea for keyhole covers on a cupboard door, then you’ll love these other ideas for cabinet doors, too!

repurpose cabinet doors

Craft on!

S

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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.

Comments

  1. This is SO cute! Love the vintage chippy feel 🙂 Found you at Hit Me with Your Best Shot!

  2. This is so cool – love the colors – and LOVE the story behind the reason the houses were painted different colors – they’re painted that way in Newfoundland too – which was settled mostly by the Irish so now I know why LMHO
    Thanks for sharing – saw you over at Beyond the Picket Fence !

  3. Great idea and it turned out so vintage and rustic looking. Perfect wall hanging!

  4. I love this!! Very cute! Wish I had these antique hideaways that you have!
    Lindi @ http://www.lovecreatecelebrate.com

  5. Thank you so much for sharing all your fab DIY crafts and tips on our #PureBlogLove Link party, I am always amazed at your posts and wanted to personally thank you. I pinned this to our board. You ROCK!!!
    XoXo
    Heidy

  6. Love this! Those key plates are so awesome. Nice attention to detail with painting the screws, too!

  7. Love it! Thanks for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty. We hope you’ll party with us again this Friday.
    ~Bonnie

  8. Love the legend about the painted doors. Makes complete sense to me. Thanks for linking up to On Display Thursday.

  9. I just spotted this on Pinterest. Such a fun story! I love the colors and the whole project! Super Cute!

  10. Another brilliant project. I love that wood. I wish the had any store like that here. We evidently just fill up the dump. So I’ll just drool over yours, lol,

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      If they had had several cabinet doors like it, I would have stocked up. Usually, I only find much newer/cleaner ones…but I like the chippy ones best!

  11. Maggie Martin says

    I too am a pushover for vintage hardware and I love your cat!
    Keep these great ideas coming, always a highlight of my day to see a new “Sadie”

  12. This is so beautiful!

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