Wanna Meet My Lock?

A few days ago I posted this image of the pull on the first-floor powder room door. To my surprise, several readers were INTENSELY curious about the petite lock below.

 

So, to the curious minded out there, I offer ye this. The lock works every well.

 

Painting hardware should be a criminal act. There is no emergency hole to the lock on the outer side of the door.

 

The outer side of the door. An exquisite door plate. I can’t tell if it is upside-down.

 

 

 

22 Comments

  1. Kerri on February 13, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    I have a lock on two bathroom doors like that lock. Is there a key for it? I hate it when a kiddo locks it and won’t come out!

    • Ross on February 13, 2018 at 8:07 pm

      No key. When the door is locked, it cannot be opened from the hall.

  2. Michael Bazikos on February 13, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    The door push is upside-down. The wreath should be oriented the other way.

    • Ross on February 13, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      That is what I thought.

  3. Kerri on February 13, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    Oh, would the backplate be upside down because the ribbons on the wreath would normally hang down, not fly upwards?

    • Ross on February 13, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      Agreed. I think the plate is upside-down.

      But not for long!

      • Julie C. on February 13, 2018 at 11:18 pm

        Some of the stuff like this that goes on in your beautiful abode makes me wonder if the Colonel is not messing with you sometimes – just for a laugh.
        I think he is jealous bc he only got to enjoy it 6 months and look how much joy you are getting.

  4. Annette on February 13, 2018 at 8:20 pm

    I’m very pleased to meet your lock. And yes I too think plate is upside down. And don’t worry there is a special level in hell for people who paint door hardware.

  5. Randy C on February 13, 2018 at 9:29 pm

    LOL, lots of fun comments here. I was just holding my laptop computer upside down to see what the plate looks like. I agree, it looks better with the ribbons draping down.

  6. Lori on February 13, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    Since the handle was also upside down, is it possible the door was used opening the other way in another life?

  7. Bo on February 13, 2018 at 10:36 pm

    Yale catalog shows the ribbons at the bottom, and the Empire wreath is most often open to the top, so right you are.

    • Ross on February 14, 2018 at 12:05 am

      Thanks, Bo!

    • Stewart McLean on February 14, 2018 at 11:33 am

      I would argue that it would be odd to tie a bow with the loops hanging down, yet it could be argued as well that the ends of a bow would be unlikely to go up. Is this an old Yale catalog, maybe from the 1890’s? Is the source catalog from which you originally identified the rest of the hardware available to see how this plate might have been displayed by the designer. I fully recognize that the installer may have made a judgement call of his own, as that seems to be what it seems to come down to. My aunt calls me her gadfly for such remarks.

  8. aLynne on February 13, 2018 at 11:57 pm

    Is it possible that the whole door was upside down? I have seen a pull (not near as elaborate as the one in your house) with a deadbolt lock above it (so that only older children and adults could access it, and a small child couldn’t lock themselves in) before in an 1895 house that we owned. I have to wonder since the pull, and the plate were both upside down.

    • Ross on February 14, 2018 at 12:04 am

      The door has a distinct up/down pattern.

      The door was never installed upside-down.

  9. aLynne on February 14, 2018 at 12:02 am

    P.S. My pull was very plain, and the push plate was missing….but, the locks looked identical.

  10. Paige on February 14, 2018 at 6:24 am

    That lock!!! Yes. That’s exactly what I need. Pray if you every find one with a 2″ backset, I will pay a fairly unreasonable amount of money to acquire it. Love that hardware!

  11. Jordan on February 14, 2018 at 1:10 pm

    Hi Ross. Do you plan to polish all the hardware, or leave with the patina?
    Part of me is curious to see them without all the grime!

    • Ross on February 14, 2018 at 6:35 pm

      Hi, Jordan!

      Most of the interior hardware has later coats of shellac over. With this removed, the original finish is revealed, which only requires a GENTLE brushing with 0000 steel wool.

  12. Elijah Williams on February 16, 2018 at 1:11 am

    I have those locks on both of my bathroom doors, very interesting.

  13. Chris Brandt on March 4, 2018 at 9:20 pm

    Maybe the whole door was flipped? Seems odd that the hardware was installed upside down on both sides.

  14. mlaiuppa on May 2, 2021 at 8:44 pm

    I think it is upside down. I seem to recall those laurel wreaths in other parts of the house are open on the top.

    It also seems to me those little petite locks are above the handles not below. Could it be the entire door is upside down? That would certainly change which way it swings. Could the change in swing have happened when the radiator was installed as then the door wouldn’t open at all if I recall the story of the coat hook.

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