How high is too high?
The answer isn't entirely existential when it comes to doorbells. Still, there is no single answer. ElectraChimes are meant to be seen, and heard. As a rule of thumb, we recommend the top of the chime be hung just above eye level at about six and one half feet on a standard eight foot wall.
Here are two installations close to the the ceiling.
In the first example, a Coronet with a custom walnut cover and nickel-plated bells rests comfortably in a newly constructed home in Connecticut. The homeowner could have built the chime niche anywhere they wanted, yet chose a location near the ceiling.
The Texas installation at right is a Coronet with three brass bells at the former location of a more modest doorbell. This negated the need for the homeowner to move the wires and patch the wallpaper.
As a practical matter, playful children and pets are less likely to play with the tubular bells when they are mounted just out of reach.
Shipped Worldwide
A Tale of Two Metros: Custom for an Existing Townhouse and a Standard Finish for a New Custom Home
Here are two ElectraChime Metro doorbells. The top two photos show a Metro executed in rift cut white oak with Minwax Classic Gray Stain beneath three coats of satin urethane for a Philadelphia townhouse. The lower two photos show a Metro in natural walnut installed in a newly constructed home in Colorado Springs. The juxtaposition of the ultra modern Metro with the traditional Spanish arches and plaster is stunning, don't you think?
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.
See and Hear: Doorbell Demonstrators.
Remember visiting the hardware department with your father and then wondering off to play with the doorbell display? Oh how we must have drove those store clerks to distraction by pushing all the buttons!
Door Chimes are meant to be heard and seen, so naturally customers needed to know what they sounded like and working displays were common.
Door chime displays range from simple counter-top mechanical demonstrators to wall dominating extravaganzas like these 1930s Rittenhouse demonstrators.
Today, through the magic of the internet, you can hear just how delightful ElectraChime long tubular bells sound. Of course, the online experience is only as good as the speakers on your phone, tablet or computer. We believe ElectraChimes sound best in person.
So go ahead, press play to hear our doorbells. Better still, click on any of photos in our catalog and see for yourself how great ElectraChimes look, and sound.
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.
Arched Doorbell Niche sports a customized ElectraChime
Photos courtesy of K. Beck
Here's one of my favorite doorbell niche treatments. Painting a light background contrasted with a tasty wall color really frames the doorbell. K. Beck of Portland, Oregon, wanted a doorbell that complimented her taste for her mid-century renovation:
This chime is a customized Ribbon doorbell in Mahogany. If you are interested in your own custom doorbell, please let us know. We're here to help.
