I’m having fun with knobs. I’ve discovered a rich seam of beautiful door and drawer knobs on Ebay, in junk emporia and charity shops.
The modern fitted desk units in my home studio are really posh, and were here before we moved in. But the drawer and cupboard handles were horrid. So I took them off and replaced them with a collection of beautiful coloured cut glass knobs from Ebay, at £3 each. I chose lime green, pale violet, pale blue and amber, mixing and matching them for a much more interesting look.
Our bathroom cabinets had plain white spherical knobs, which were OK but a bit boring. So I replaced them with sparkly glass knobs found in a second hand shop for £1 a pair. Then, on a roll, I changed the knobs on the cabinet I keep my art materials in. I found a lady on Ebay who hand-paints wooden knobs in Moroccan designs, in vivid colours, and bought a bunch for £2.95 each. Instead of fixing them the normal way with a metal pole and screw-on nut, I glued them in place with No More Nails glue, which sticks incredibly well.
The French doors between our living room and hallway had dreadful aluminium handles that looked like they came from a hospital or asylum. Nasty. So we tracked down a set of four shell-shaped brass Art Nouveau handles in our local antique emporium and fitted them instead. They cost £20.
Our kitchen’s only a couple of years old and the knobs on our units are fab, so I’ve resisted temptation and left them alone! But if your units are looking shabby, interesting knobs are the perfect way to create a fresh, funky look on a shoestring.
I’ve also collected a stash of interesting knobs just in case they come in handy. A shiny black one with white dots, two featuring bluetits and flowers, an African knob with yellow, red and blue flowers and three miniature cut glass ones in deep red. None of them cost more than three quid each.
B&Q sells a huge range of gorgeous new knobs in funky designs. And interesting old metal, ceramic and glass knobs turn up at Boot Fairs all the time, for next to nothing.
