locked out drama—what would you do?

I get what you mean about the “industrial” look—some of those pushbutton locks really do scream utility closet. I’ve got a 1920s bungalow and honestly, most of the mechanical stuff clashes with the old woodwork. I did find a Schlage model that’s not too bad, but I still ended up sticking with a classic keyed knob for the front and just hid a spare key in one of those fake rocks out back. Less stress about batteries dying or buttons jamming, and it keeps the vibe of the house.

At the end of the day, reliability sometimes means sacrificing a bit of tech flair for peace of mind...

That pretty much sums it up for me. I’d rather have something simple that just works, even if it’s not the fanciest option on the block.