How Long Before the Dogs Catch On to the New Doorbell?
Jeff S. writes from Michigan:
The house was built in 1936 in Grosse Pointe, MI. I believe it originally had a buzzer that was located in the breakfast room/kitchen and was relocated during the kitchen remodel 30 years ago to a back hallway. The dogs have not caught on that the chime means someone is at the door….a lot less barking. I think the chimes add a classy sound and certainly look better than the old plastic chime box from the 80’s that was there.
This ElectraChime Coronet was ordered unfinished and painted to match the white trim of this entry in a Colorado Springs home. A wise choice against the intricate wallpaper. I like how the tubular bells shine.
Shipped Worldwide
Doorbells are Naturally Multi-Media
ElectraChime doorbells are meant to be seen and heard. And when a new doorbell owner is happy enough to make a video, I'm thrilled. Here's a home movie from Southern California:
ElectraChime Doorbells from Coast to Coast
An Empire Seashell with three brass bells graces a niche in San Francisco's Richmond District. Meanwhile, an unfinished Coronet with two nickel-plated brass bells does sentry duty in this stunning New York City entry. The owner, a talented do-it-yourselfer, plans to finish the chime to coordinate with the existing decor. We can't wait to see his personal touch!
If your home suffers this malady, ElectraChime has a cure.
Before and After photos courtesy of K. Fitzgerald
Let's Talk Turkey about a Unique Doorbell
Right Around the time Sophie Cubbison invented packaged poultry stuffing in the early 1930's, Joseph Klein patented a long chime doorbell with a concealed mechanism that he marketed under the Velvatone name.
With success from popularizing her stuffing, Mrs. Cubbison built a spectacular Spanish Revival home in Los Angeles' Mt. Washington neighborhood.
Mrs. Cubbison helped design the two-story house, dubbed "Casa de Mi Sueño," or "My Dream House." It is considered "much more convincing than most of the 19th-century adobes," according to David Gebhard and Robert Winter's "An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles."
The home features oak doors, custom iron work and stone floors. And it has a unique chime niche that measures an unusually narrow five inches wide and 50 inches tall.
Even after a meticulous restoration, the doorbell niche remained empty until the current owner contacted ElectraChime. With some internet sleuthing, the owner had determined the original chime was likely one of Mr. Klein's Velvatone doorbells as the missing mechanism appeared to have been recessed at the top of the niche. Another clue being that Velvatone had a sales office in Los Angeles.
Alas, Velvatone was an also ran in doorbells. Today, as Mrs Cubbison might have quipped, Velvatone doorbells are about as common as hen's teeth.
With a surviving Velvatone catalog from the ElectraChime collection for reference, we determined the original chime was almost certainly a single bell model. Armed with this information and an original patent drawing, ElectraChime built a highly credible reproduction to do the niche proud.
Once more, the Cubbison house has all the trimmings.
If you are looking for a special custom doorbell for your own home contact us.
Best to Check with the Boss First
Photo courtesy of R. Ogden
When Rusty Ogden first contacted ElectraChime with a few questions, he wasn't quite sure which ElectraChime would work best in their Texas home. Rusty wisely deferred to "The Boss" who selected a Coronet with three brass bells.
She made the right choice, don't you think?
Doorbell Ingenuity in St. Louis
Photos courtesy of Dave B
Here's an inside and outside view of Dave and Lisa's doorbell system at their charming St. Louis cottage. The doorbell button is just beneath the electrically illuminated house numbers. And the whole number panel is hinged to serve as a letter slot for the mail. A three in one.
Of course, we're equally partial to the ElectraChime Empire door chime with Seashell inlay with brass bells in the niche. It's a perfect choice for a traditional decor.
