Bugging Out

Let it be known, sales folk of Anthropologie, that I’m a sucker for your home decor knobs, occassionally picking up a set even without having anything to knob-up, so, you win. And I win, because now I have an awesome collection of knobs just for fun.

This could turn into an expensive addiction over time, although I must disclose that I’ve never have I ever spent $16 on a single knob – the retailer does seem to have a never ending assortment of clearance-priced knobbies at any given point in time, from which I can usually find something I like discounted between $2.95 and $6.95, or between 29.5 DH and 69.5 DH (we’re still on a post-vaca Moroccan currency translation kick and probably will be until the henna on my hands and feet has faded). The latest addition to my collection I picked up over the weekend, take on a beetle form, and I’m beaming with delight over them, as is Pete’s daughter, a budding little Entomologist:

The brassy bugalicious accents are perfectly suited for our stairwell closet which feature a stained bi-fold door that I installed in the springtime. As an interim solution, I had installed two purple knobs (also $2.95 from Anthropologie circa 2010) that did the job quite well, but have been keeping an eye open for a new set that better fit into our home decor.

Quite appropriately, I had bought a set of brass dog knobs early last year that have been happily at home on our TV stand, so the opportunity to continue the brass/animal detail into another place in our house was appealing. Ironically, the purple knobs were also tested on the TV stand and didn’t make the cut. Someday, somewhere they’ll find a home, but these dogs please me daily.

It was a two-minute swap, and that goes for any knob switch-out. It’s one of the greatest pleasures in living a DIY lifestyle: Be adventurous. You don’t be stuck with knobs you don’t care for.

What’re your favorite sources for accents like drawer pulls and door knobs?

P.S.: I revisited my favorite kitchen flooring project this week on diynetwork.com. Check it out (and see some of the other great flooring ideas from DIY Network)!