• Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact
  • Let’s Organize These Posts:

    • Art Attack
    • Backyard
    • Barn
    • Basement
    • Bathroom
    • Beach
    • Bedrooms
    • Being Thrifty
    • Business-y
    • Buying and Renting and Selling
    • Casual Celebrations
    • Closets
    • Curb Appeal
    • Dainty Details
    • Deck
    • Decor
    • Dining Room
    • DIY
    • Dog-Related
    • Entryway
    • Flooring
    • For the Kids
    • Garage
    • Gardening
    • Helping The Economy
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects
    • Holiday-Related Projects
    • Home Safety
    • Kitchen
    • Lighting
    • Living Room
    • Merry Travels
    • Office Space
    • Organized
    • Other Pads
    • Outdoor Living
    • Scooter Fun
    • Stairwell
    • Sunroom
    • Supporting Sponsors
    • The Art Room
    • Tools
    • Uncategorizable
    • Wedding
    • Windows
    • Work-pads
  • Search

  • Hi, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle.

    You can find me writing for HGTV and DIY Network, follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)
  • Search

  • Pages

    • blog
    • Merrypad Features
    • Privacy Policy
    • about emily
    • before + after
      • before + after, our current home
      • before + after, our first house
    • contact me
    • choose a badge and share the merrypad.com love
  • Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact

Retiring NuTone, Replacing with Atomic

January 5, 2016

Happy New Year, friends! I suspect that my Mom’s going to be most excited to see the newly installed new doorbell chimes in our home, and the rest of you might bug out over the fact that I got rid of something that was truly original and authentic to our 1950’s abode… hear me out.

Those old NuTone door chimes? Beautiful things, but broken in numerous ways. The clock on the face wasn’t working when we bought the house, and these days only two of the chimes sounded off. And the dog went manic anytime his tail thwapped the metal, but that was always good for a laugh as long as it didn’t happen while a kid was napping, or in the middle of the night.

Vintage NuTone Mid-Century Doorbell Chimes, 1950's.

Time for an update.

I turned to Rejuvenation for a new doorbell during the spring (the mid-century chime doorbell button), and noticed at that time that they had some nice chime options too.

Mid Century Star Doorbell too wide for space

The button, that never actually got installed because notice how much wider the hardware is compared to my old doorbell above? There wasn’t enough space between the standard bell hole and the storm door trim to accommodate, so I resorted to a basic white faceplate, and all’s well. After that experience I actually expected replacing the door chimes to be more troublesome, but they ended up being a piece of cake.

I started by taking a few photos of the existing unit, mostly to understand how it was wired in case I needed to reinstall, or needed to help future buyers understand how to install it.

Wiring on a Vintage NuTone Mid-Century Doorbell Chime, 1950's.

From there, I unscrewed it from the wall, and sized the new door chime (the atomic age doorbell chime in brushed nickel) against the footprint of the old product. I love knowing that the hallway was once a shade of my all-time favorite green color. The new box was a bit narrower, so I knew I would have to do a bit of wall patching and painting to update before installing.

Installing an Atomic Age Doorbell Chime, Brushed Nickel.

Painting and patching drywall when updating doorbell chimes.

Once the paint dried, I positioned and leveled the new door chime, marking where wall anchors would have to be placed to secure the unit.

Installing an Atomic Age Doorbell Chime, Brushed Nickel.

I wired the product, tested to make sure that it worked on both the front and back door (first try, high-five), and then secured it to the wall.

Installing an Atomic Age Doorbell Chime, Brushed Nickel.

The faceplate to the new door chime attached separately, and my only complaint with this is that the set screws were positioned so close to the wall that it was almost impossible to get a screwdriver flush enough to the wall without damaging the paint with the rotating handle.

Installing an Atomic Age Doorbell Chime, Brushed Nickel.

We love it. The entrance to the hallway feels wider and lighter, while it still feels appropriate for our home. Most places I’ve lived have only had plastic, less attractive chimes, so here’s a friendly reminder than you can update them with ease!

Installed doorbell chime, modern upgrade to the home.

Share

DIY

Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. You can find me writing for HGTV and DIY Network, follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

5 Comments


Susan
January 5, 2016 at 4:24 pm
Reply

Love it, and I’m sure the dog is happier. I have one of the ugly plastic, going on my list of things to change.



Meredeth Oliver
December 29, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Reply

I have a question for you. We have now installed 2 of these chimes and in both cases the front door chime is not sounding the 2 notes. It is 1 “ding” (different than the backdoor sound) because it seems like the hammer is not striking in the downward direction hard enough. Does yours sound the dual-tone correctly? We even hired electrician the first go-around because my husband thought it was his fault that it wasn’t working. There are no reviews online for the product so I am at a loss.



    Emily
    January 4, 2017 at 11:58 am

    Oh, bummer, Meredeth! Ours is definitely the duo-tone, no issues to report here… If not the electrician, has the manufacturer been able to offer any advice? Is it a defect of how the “hammer” inside isn’t making contact correctly?

Jennifer
January 18, 2019 at 5:53 pm
Reply

Hi there,
Love the door chime you removed! Any change you still have it? I need something like it for my mid-century home remodel.
Thanks!
Jennifer



    Emily
    January 24, 2019 at 7:11 pm

    Hi Jennifer! Unfortunately no, I don’t have the doorbell anymore. It sold to another enthusiast.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • HI, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • Instagram

    Can’t believe I ever bought dumpling wrappers. 🥟 Pulse a few cups of flour in the food processor drizzling in cold water until it forms dough. Roll smooth. Use a conveniently large cookie cutter, or just trim out squares. The end ❤️ #hny #dumplings
    Didn’t think I’d be making more masks, but her Didn’t think I’d be making more masks, but here we are (now feat. recycled t-shirt layer for added softness and bonus-layer protection). #diy #amateurseamstress #diymask
    Get out there ☀️ Get out there ☀️
    The gang finally showed up. 👻 The gang finally showed up. 👻
    A record 233 cloves + 10 shallots 🧛🏻‍♀️ 
#merrypadathome #garden2021 #garlic #gardennotes #whatisnormal
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Immeasurably tall, lanky tomatillos. #garden2020 # Immeasurably tall, lanky tomatillos. #garden2020 #tomatillos #nofilter
    32 oz., reserved for the brave 🌶🌶 😍#homeg 32 oz., reserved for the brave 🌶🌶 😍#homegrown #tomatillos #harvest2020
    Nothing says “let’s stay home all fall, too” Nothing says “let’s stay home all fall, too” like a badass custom fireplace on our patio. 🔥 #chiminea #merrypadathome
    Load More... follow emily: @merrypad



  • Like Us On Facebook

    Facebook Pagelike Widget



  • Popular Posts

    • How to fix an IKEA drawer. Cheap IKEA Drawers (And The Quick Fix) 40.1k views
    • DIY sideboard rehab. Our Refinished Midcentury Buffet 39.7k views
    • How to design and make a barn quilt. How to Make Your Own Barn Quilt 33.3k views
    • DIY driveway removal. The Driveway Rocks 24.7k views
    • How to hang art on brick surfaces using specialty clips. The Easy Way to Hang Art on Brick or Stone 24.4k views
    • Goodbye, gold fireplace covering. Less Is More: How to Remove a Fireplace Surround 22.2k views
    • Our DIY flagstone patio. Building a Patio in One Day 17.4k views
    • Bedroom paint, freshened up with Snowbound paint. Painting Everything White: We Chose Snowbound, By Sherwin Williams 16.5k views
    • Tips for dying pasta different colors, and a Halloween Recipe for the kids. Tips for Dying Pasta Different Colors (+ A Special Halloween Recipe) 15.3k views
    • Finished stained kitchen cabinets. Javalicious, A Gel Staining Reveal (Update #3) 14.2k views



  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)





  • a little bit of everything, friends, DIY, and inspiration

    • Dadand.com < My husband and his BFF
    • DIY Network
    • HGTV
  • Get Posts Via Email

  • Some Legal

    Merrypad incorporates the occasional affiliate link to Amazon.com and Minted; we link to many other websites and products, but if it is in context of a paid sponsorship, it is always noted as such. Please review the privacy policy and contact me if you have any additional questions.

    Theme customized by Pete Fazio Creative, the guy from dadand.com.


© Copyright Merrypad