At least once a year I am called to do the almost impossible job. One year I was called to a home the customer had just purchased. The interior decorator recommended all the door knobs be replaced with decorative levers. The existing hardware had the brand name “Nostalgic.” I have worked with many brands of decorative hardware, but I never heard of Nostalgic.

I did an internet search and found the companies website, but at the time their offerings were minimal and no lever could be found to satisfy the customer. The customer liked a lever design by Baldwin. The problem was the Baldwin lever would not fit on the Nostalgic escutcheon plate. Plus using a Baldwin lever would mean a different spindle size, which would require using Baldwin latches.

I gathered the hardware I needed and figured out a plan for getting the Baldwin lever to work with the Nostalgic escutcheon plate. I installed the hardware on a door at my office and emailed a photo to the customer. The hardware was approved and I ordered everything I would need to finish the customer’s first floor. From start to finish the whole job took about 3 months to complete. About a year later I converted all the knobs on the second floor to levers as well.