My Favorite Keyless Entry for an Instant Exterior Door Upgrade

DIY PROJECT

What’s the first thing we do once when we get the keys to a new house: change the locks and throw away the keys, ha! We have used Schlage’s keyless entry for our home and all of our rental houses, because it’s way easier to live a keyless life. Plus, it’s a must for guests to check into our short-term rental homes. On Day One of owning The Loft renovation we switched out the deadbolt for the Schlage Touch Keyless Deadbolt. Then last week we gave the exterior doors an instant upgrade by switching out the builder-grade front door handle for my favorite handleset, Century Single Cylinder Handleset. It looks so much better! We also use this one on the back door and workshop entry.

How to bulk up your hardware

Most doors, new or existing, have only two holes, one for the deadbolt and one for the handle. The first time I tried to upgrade a door handle, I thought I was stuck using a chintzy one, but luckily I was wrong!  All I needed to install the Century Handleset was to drill another hole in the door. It seems intimidating at first, to drill a hole through a perfectly good door. But from someone who’s done this several times, I assure you, it is both simple and easy. A template and the size drill bit you need is included in the kit. You just need to mark, double check your measurements and drill. That’s it!  To install the handleset into the existing holes though, it’s simple enough to complete with just a screwdriver. For my very first renovation, the Sage Home, I used the Century Handleset with a matte black finish, it has been my go-to ever since. 

Keyless Entry

We have found the Schlage Touch Keyless Deadbolt to be the best for our homes. I like the Century trim, because it’s sleek looking and the numbers are easy to see (which is great for guests). A lot of our doors are old and wonky (plus our harsh weather expands or contracts them), so we love the flexibility that comes with the manual turn locks. On these you enter the code and turn the lock, which has been the most reliable and easiest for our guests. Highly recommend! 

The Workshop

I used the Schlage Touch Keyless Deadbolt and Century Handleset with the Broadway Lever in Satin Nickel in the workshop, and I love how it looks against the green paint. And since it’s separate from the colors of the house, I thought it would be fun to try something different than the matte black version that’s on the house. 

Quick Switch

We replaced the back door and the workshop door to get more light into the spaces. I might end up doing the same for the front door. It’s an easy switch to take the hardware off the current door and add to the new one

Now I just need help, what color should I paint the front door?! Something that would look great with a Matte Black Century Handleset. And while you are giving advice, what color should I paint the house?!  Check back tomorrow for mockups of The Loft exterior!

This post was created in partnership with Schlage. Thank you for supporting the brands with love!


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  1. Amber says:

    I love this door! Where is it from?

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