Page 38 - 2018 Your Home Your Way

38 THE BRANDON SUN • YOUR HOME YOUR WAY • 2018

Digital doorbells, like this one
from Ring, can synch up to your
phone so you can see who is at
your door before you answer it.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE DOORBELL

Before electricity, doorbells rang via a ple of vintage-look ones are stamped with a area, not only for visitors but for packages.
complex rigging of mechanical pulleys. Vis- “ring” or “please ring” note, in oil-rubbed With many of these units, you can speak
itors pulled a rope or turned a key-like affair bronze or burnished finishes. with the person ringing your bell, chatting
— think Downton Abbey’s elaborate system Got a vacation home near the water? directly with the FedEx or UPS driver, for
to summon staff, but on a smaller scale for Consider a doorbell shaped like a turtle, instance, about where and when to leave a
the masses. crab, scallop or starfish. There are cast-metal delivery.
The electric doorbell was invented in ones shaped like hummingbirds, daisies and According to Consumer Reports’ Eric
1831, and by the early 1900s was all the rage. dragonflies. You could opt for a cabin-y look Hager, the smart doorbell business has
Chimes and bells could be heard from any- with a doorbell in the form of a pine forest grown enormously in the last several years.
where in the house; a tremendous conven- or bear, or go full rustic with a truly Old He acknowledged concerns about tech sys-
ience for homeowners and visitors alike. School bell on a rope, in brass cast like a tems’ vulnerability to hackers, but said
Today, you can co-ordinate the look and horse’s head. homeowners seem willing to take on those
sound of your doorbell to your home’s style. Rhode Island artisan Michael Healy, who risks for the convenience and other safety
You also can embrace the internet age with crafts outdoor art and hardware, has a door- features of smart doorbells.
video doorbells that can be answered from bell in the form of a fox head in nickel silver, Adorne’s wireless video intercom kit in-
thousands of miles away. brass or oiled bronze. He’s got little alliga- cludes an outside doorbell camera and an
If you’re renovating an older home, the re- tors, frogs and palm trees, and a monarch inside intercom.
tailer Rejuvenation has several retro-style butterfly hand-cast in bronze and brass, with Homeowners can see who’s at the front
doorbells. There’s a round oak bell, popular its wings a rich green patina. door from different locations in the home.
in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with a Ready to go high tech with your entry- The unit can be powered by a long-life bat-
porcelain button. A midcentury starburst way? Having a “smart” doorbell, with video, tery, or you can hook it up to existing door-
style comes in chrome or brass. And a cou- allows you to keep an eye on your front door bell wiring.