We all know how to accessorize a couch or chair.  Decorative pillows and throws can change the look of upholstered pieces quite simply and beautifully; however, it is just as easy to change the look of wood furniture like dressers, end tables, and nightstands with new knobs and pulls. Â
Colorful accent furniture is very popular right now.  Take any kind of decor and add a splash of color by way of an accent piece of furniture and you've got instant eye candy.  But if you already love the color of your piece of furniture, or want it to remain wood-toned, there's no need to paint it; changing its hardware is the quickest way to an updated look.Â
Period pieces are great for an eclectic look, or to add a little sense of history; however, they often need a little tweaking to bring them into the now.  Take, for instance, this pair of mid-century modern chests.  In their original state, they were a little too mid-century and not enough modern. A coat of black paint and these glamorous brass ring pulls, though, bring them up-to-date.  Kate from Centsational Girl did a great job choosing pulls that remain true to the period, by matching the clean lines of the chests with hardware that is geometric with mid-century modern flair. Â
While Kate stayed true to her chests' heritage, Jenna from Rain on a Tin Roof changed the look of her grandmother's corner hutch completely by adding gold knobs and corner brackets to give the old-fashioned piece new life.  Now the hutch--once a china cabinet--resembles trendy campaign-style furniture.
Just as Jenna did, consider how a piece of furniture will function when choosing what kind of hardware to put on it.  In this case, the cabinet's swankier new look fits its new use as a liquor cabinet much better. It's amazing how adding new hardware to a piece can totally change its look.
Sometimes a piece of furniture is just plain boring, in which case adding some fun hardware just to give it some style is an easy solution to banishing the blah.  This writing desk had wooden knobs stained the exact shade of the desk itself, giving it zero personality.  The beautiful hand-painted ceramic knobs give it a dose of style, though, and help coordinate the desk with the rest of the room. Â
Think of hardware as the jewelry of a room and don't overlook the opportunity to accessorize your boring furniture simply by changing out the knobs or pulls.
Knobs and pulls come in all sorts of styles, shapes, and colors these days, making it easy to find something that will match a room's theme. For instance, these milk glass pulls from D. Lawless Hardware would be perfect for a vintage piece.  Or, try matching a coastal-themed room with pulls in the shape of shells or seahorses, or birds for an eclectic or traditional room.  You can find pulls made from wood, metal, leather, cut glass, ceramic animals, geodes and agate; they come in the shape of leaves, twigs, insects, flowers, symbols, letters...you name it. Â
Alternatively, skip the hardware altogether and fashion pulls from rope as seen on Country Living. For that matter, you could also make pulls from ribbon for a nursery or girl's bedroom like Melissa did at 320 Sycamore. Needless to say, if your room has a theme or specific style, you can find a way to coordinate your furniture with hardware.
Colorful accent furniture is very popular right now.  Take any kind of decor and add a splash of color by way of an accent piece of furniture and you've got instant eye candy.  But if you already love the color of your piece of furniture, or want it to remain wood-toned, there's no need to paint it; changing its hardware is the quickest way to an updated look.Â
1. Update the Style of Period Furniture
Period pieces are great for an eclectic look, or to add a little sense of history; however, they often need a little tweaking to bring them into the now.  Take, for instance, this pair of mid-century modern chests.  In their original state, they were a little too mid-century and not enough modern. A coat of black paint and these glamorous brass ring pulls, though, bring them up-to-date.  Kate from Centsational Girl did a great job choosing pulls that remain true to the period, by matching the clean lines of the chests with hardware that is geometric with mid-century modern flair. Â
2. Change the Style of Outdated Furniture
While Kate stayed true to her chests' heritage, Jenna from Rain on a Tin Roof changed the look of her grandmother's corner hutch completely by adding gold knobs and corner brackets to give the old-fashioned piece new life.  Now the hutch--once a china cabinet--resembles trendy campaign-style furniture.
Just as Jenna did, consider how a piece of furniture will function when choosing what kind of hardware to put on it.  In this case, the cabinet's swankier new look fits its new use as a liquor cabinet much better. It's amazing how adding new hardware to a piece can totally change its look.
3. Add Some Style to Boring Furniture
Sometimes a piece of furniture is just plain boring, in which case adding some fun hardware just to give it some style is an easy solution to banishing the blah.  This writing desk had wooden knobs stained the exact shade of the desk itself, giving it zero personality.  The beautiful hand-painted ceramic knobs give it a dose of style, though, and help coordinate the desk with the rest of the room. Â
Think of hardware as the jewelry of a room and don't overlook the opportunity to accessorize your boring furniture simply by changing out the knobs or pulls.
4. Match a Style of Furniture to a Theme
Knobs and pulls come in all sorts of styles, shapes, and colors these days, making it easy to find something that will match a room's theme. For instance, these milk glass pulls from D. Lawless Hardware would be perfect for a vintage piece.  Or, try matching a coastal-themed room with pulls in the shape of shells or seahorses, or birds for an eclectic or traditional room.  You can find pulls made from wood, metal, leather, cut glass, ceramic animals, geodes and agate; they come in the shape of leaves, twigs, insects, flowers, symbols, letters...you name it. Â
Alternatively, skip the hardware altogether and fashion pulls from rope as seen on Country Living. For that matter, you could also make pulls from ribbon for a nursery or girl's bedroom like Melissa did at 320 Sycamore. Needless to say, if your room has a theme or specific style, you can find a way to coordinate your furniture with hardware.