Brass Mailboxes

The simplest brass mailboxes are also the most traditional and will probably never lose their distinctive appeal. If you're particular about definitions you might want to quibble here. I'm referring to mail slots in front doors. Chances are good, though, that it's just this visual memory that's prompted you to think about brass mailboxes, whether it's a post-mounted one at the end of a drive or a wall-mounted one on a front porch.

Visualizing Brass Mailboxes

The first image of brass is probably the shiny polished brass typical of door mail slots. But that is only one of a range of finishes that is impressively wide. Among those often found on brass mailboxes are satin, gloss, verdigris, weathered, antiqued, and hammered. Brass, as a metal, is very adaptable to any number of decor schemes. Researching house design magazines and websites is always a good idea to feed your creativity.

Mail slots in front doors can be either horizontal, which you see most often, or vertical. Remember that if you one day replace the front door. Styles of wall-mounted mailboxes range from the neoclassical traditional rectangle to free-form modern to more ornate Victorian interpretations. Post-mounted mailboxes at the end of a drive show similar variation. Again, the more browsing you do, the better.

Whatever your final style selection, the more you know about the lacquer finish that usually protects it, the better you'll be able to maintain that look you first opted for. If the brass is not lacquered, you'll need to polish it regularly to maintain a shiny gleam. However, if the finish is an antiqued patina, you won't need to do so.