Everything You Need to Know About House Numbering: From the Past to the Modern

Everything You Need to Know About House Numbering: From the Past to the Modern

These days, we don’t even pay attention to many important details unless there’s a need for that. Door number signs can be considered such details as we use them for navigation and don’t even consider how complicated wayfinding would be without them. Today you can see door number plates literally in all public spaces — from apartment buildings to office centers and hotels. This concept has a long history and its purposes have been changing over time. Now we can take a look at the idea of door numbering from the modern perspective.

Buying Modern Door Number Plates

It seems obvious that over the centuries not only the purpose of door numbers has changed but also their appearance. Today, people struggle to find modern number plates that will be both functional and look organic within a specific space. That’s why the design and style play such an important role.

If you’re looking for professionally designed stylish door number plates — Bsign is your best destination. The manufacturer offers a bunch of interesting and classy collections. You can easily match those signs to your unique interior design or, what’s more important, make a custom order to make sure all your specific requirements will be met. All this is possible thanks to the unique UV printing technology and handcrafting approach.

The Routes of the Door Numbering System

It is believed that the first door number signs are found in Pont Notre-Dame in Paris and they date back to 1512. However, although this can be considered the first case of using door number plates in a public space, the door numbering system didn’t become widely used until the 18th century.

In the 18th century, big European cities started applying first street and house numbers, creating the first number-based navigation schemes. It’s commonly believed that the major accelerator for such a change was the Post Office. Before the door number plates were applied, people were used to placing signs with symbols. However, with such an approach, it was more difficult to describe mail details. That’s the reason why numbers were chosen as the most efficient tools to distinguish addresses.

housing numbers

The Initial Function of Door Number Plates Compared to Its Modern Use

The first case of the door number usage had a different purpose from what it later evolved to. Initially, number plates had to help determine the distribution of property ownership in the city. As mentioned above, later, under the pressure of the post office, it evolved and started depicting the organization of the residential area.

Today, the use of door number plates is even wider. We still use them as address plaques to enable efficient layout and ensure smooth navigation for delivery and emergency services. However, these days, door numbers are also used in multi-storied buildings, like hotels, hospitals, educational institutions, and other public spaces where there’s a need to make a clear distinction between different areas. Modern number plates may be also used as decorative elements only. Businesses leverage the visual potential of plaques to enhance their style and branding.

Tips on Choosing High-Quality Door Number Plates

  • Follow the legal requirements, like ADA, in order to make your space more accessible and inclusive.

  • Choose durable materials over mass-market ones so that you can be sure the sign will serve for a long period.

  • Make sure the design of the door signs corresponds to the overall style of your space.

If you want to get a more clear guide on choosing door numbers, just get in touch with specialists and specify your custom requirements.


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