6 of the Best...Places to Buy Doorknobs

If you want more decorative doorknobs, perhaps in metal, glass or ceramic, there are many fantastic places you can go to find beautiful doorknobs.

1. Bombay Duck - www.bombayduck.co.uk

A fantastic range of beautiful and unusual home-wear and accessories, Bombay Duck are a fun company based in London that channel the vibrant and eye-catching colours of India into our homes. They have a fantastic range of door knobs, my particular favourites being these pretty ceramic rose ones.

2. Anthropologie - www.anthropologie.eu

An inspirational and beautiful concept store in London, Anthropologie houses some lovely things for every room, from bedding to cutlery, books to plates. They have a collection of very unusual doorknobs that would bring instant charm and style to any piece of furniture, I love these cute little squirrels!

3. Graham and Green - www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

Founded in 1974 as a small shop in Notting Hill, Graham and Green has now grown to come a traditional British establishment, They now stock an eclectic and unusual selection of gifts, home furnishings and furniture, all with a hint of a Moroccan souk and traditional british elegance. They have a lovely range of door knobs, including this delicate and intricate perforated bone design.

4. The Door Knob Shop.com

Described as the "haute couture of door knobs", the Door Knob Shop focusses on the luxury side of the door knob industry, with a single piece costing upwards of £150. If you really feel like pushing the boat out on something cutting edge and luxurious, I suggest that you give this company a try. They have a huge range of designs, all as modern and as stunning as the next.

5. Priors - www.priorsrec.co.uk

If you want something authentic and restored to add to your newly renovated piece of furniture, try Priors, who specialize in reconditioned knobs from different periods. They also offer other pieces for the home such as do0rs, window furniture and flooring. These nickel lion head knobs would give a touch of vintage charm to any chest of draws.

6. Screwfix - www.screwfix.com

For building industry endorsed and purely functional items, you can't beat Screwfix! Also handy for all of those bits and pieces that you might need to finish of your renovations like hammers, screwdrivers and of course things to fix screws with! They really do sell everything including the Kitchen Sink. As well as plain knobs they also stock a range of decorative designs such as this fluted door knob in polished chrome that would give a fantastic 1920's feel to a room.

Project Two - Door Knobs

To update old furniture, sometimes the simplest thing to do is to update the handles. After looking at many different types of doorknobs (some escalating to up to £10 for one!) I decided that I would decorate my own. I bought plain unfinished 45mm doorknobs from Screwfix, and made my own beautifully unique and perfectly co-ordinated doorknobs for my room.

1. As with anything wooden, you have to prime before you can paint. I used two coats of primer and two coats of eggshell on my doorknobs to make them as hardwearing as possible.

2. I decided to use Cath Kidston floral designs as inspiration for my own decorations for my doorknobs, and carefully drew the image onto each knob so it would be easy to follow when painting.

3. When creating my designs, I used Designers Gouache paint, as this gives a beautifully flat and intense pigment that shows up against the flat finish of the eggshell. Other essentials are a very small brush and a steady hand!

4. After I had finished my designs in the gouache, I covered the doorknobs with a varnish to protect the paint and to make them more hard wearing. I was a little dubious about the varnish at first, but it made the paint more vibrant, and they now look fantastic against the wooden wardrobes, really giving them a lift without having to go to huge amounts of work and expense. The plain doorknob is on the left, the varnished one on the right.

Project One - Bedside Table

For one of my first projects, I set about transforming an old corner bedside table that my Dad made about 25 years ago. There is only a small space between my bed and the door, and I wanted something slimline but practical to fit in the gap, luckily it was perfect! He did make a pair, but I decided to just use one.

1. First remove all of the beading from around the edge, be careful not to damage it as you'll need it later. Sand down all of the wood so you are left with a nice smooth surface, and brush the dust off so it does not stick in the paint.

2. Then prime everything with a dedicated primer. you can get several different kinds, but as I was covering a mixture of materials, I used a Melamine Primer which covers absolutely anything! You must always prime wood before you paint it as it prevents your carefully chosen colour from soaking into the grain of the wood. This is especially true if you want to use a gloss, as without a primer it will simply crack and peel off when it dries. Lecture about Primer over, let us move on!

3. Once you are happy that your entire piece has been covered with the primer and none of the old wood is showing through, leave it to dry and then paint with an eggshell paint. When painting furniture, doors, windowsills or other areas that take a lot of wear and tear, use an eggshell paint as it is more hardwearing and wont chip so easily. Eggshell is also perfect for lovely vintage aesthetics as it has a chalky finish. You will probably need two coats, so let one dry completely before starting on the next. I used a fantastic paint by Craig and Rose in their Opulence range called "Pale Cashmere". Have a look at their beautiful range at their website.

www.craigandrose.com

4. Once that is dry, you can start thinking about your decoration. For mine, I splashed out on some beautiful Cath Kidston wallpaper in 'Antique Rose Bouquet', but you can use anything from painted decorations, fabric, decoupage or really anything that takes your fancy.

5. If you're using wallpaper, measure the area you want to cover carefully, and draw out the shape on the back of the paper. If you have beading that you can use to hide the edges, make sure you have a border that you can fold around the edges.

6. Once you are happy with the shapes, mix up half of PVA glue and half water to create a paste. Mix well and spread onto the back of the wallpaper, making sure that you go all the way to the edges. Leave to soak in whilst you cover the wooden surface with neat PVA, and then carefully place the paper on top. I would suggest that this is a two person job. If you have corners, start there and work your way out, being careful to smooth it as you go so you don't get any air bubbles trapped.

7. When the paper is attached and dry, attach the beading back around the furniture. I decided to replace the old nails with pretty gold tacks that complimented the lighter colour.