The life of a designer

Work is rough...especially when it's nice outside.

At my day job, we have a lot of clients building large summer homes on the beaches of Rhode Island. I love my job, but it can be pretty rough designing beautiful homes that any normal person will never be able to afford. (On a side note, this is why I enter Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes daily)

So, occasionally we treat ourselves to a lunch out. We just so happened to find a spot for burgers right on the beach (too bad I was wearing riding boots).

I snagged this picture from my seat while waiting for my two 4 oz patty burger topped with mac and cheese to arrive. I'll be spending the rest of the morning at the gym working it off.

So, even though I'll probably never get my own summer beach house, I'll settle for fatty burgers and lunches like this one. What is it about the ocean that just seems to make everything better?

Weekend Project...New Pretty Cabinet Hardware

One of the easiest ways to make a big difference in a kitchen, bathroom, or office is to change out your hardware. This works especially well if you currently have knobs (rather than pulls). If you do have pulls, you'll need to make sure you get new ones that have the same centers for the screws. To find out what size you need, remove the pull from the drawer and measure the distance from the center of one drilled hole to the center of the other. Pulls are sized by these center measurements. (So, 4" pulls have 4" from center to center of the screws, but the piece itself can be wider than that. 4" is not the overall dimension.) 

However, almost any knob you buy will fit into the currently drilled holes. So, swap out those boring satin nickel knobs for something so much prettier. 

Flower Burst Knob Begonia in Coral (also available in orange). $10ea. Image from anthropologie.com. See sources for more info.

 

 We all love Anthropologie for fashion, but I bet it's not the first place you look for cabinet hardware. The truth is, Anthropologie has good quality pieces at prices comparable to other companies of similar quality but with WAY more style.

I'm loving that knob pictured above. For $10 for a bright, unique 2" posy, you could totally afford to revamp a piece in your house. How pretty would these be on vintage white bedside tables or on a simple table in the entryway? 

As a side note- most standard sized knobs run in the 1.25" diameter range. So, before you buy unique knobs like these, be sure they'll fit aesthetically. 3/4 of an inch can make a big difference. Trace a circle out on paper and tape it to your current knobs to be sure you like the size.

Check out the pretties below, too. The top two would be great in smaller applications...maybe a vanity or dresser. The bottom two would be stunning in a full kitchen application.

1. Agate Slice Knob, Cream (also in blue). $14 ea. Agate and brass, 1.5" to 2.5" diameter. Need it now

2. Linen Flower Knob. $12 ea. Stoneware, bronze, and iron, 3" diameter. Gotta have it

3. Mother of Pearl Knob. $14 ea. Mother of pearl and brass, 1.5" diameter. Can't live without it

4. Glass Melon Knob, Copper (also in clear and light blue). $8 ea. Glass and brass, 1.5" diameter. Obsessed already.

 Anthropologie sells their knobs with full 1.75" bolts. So, after you fit it into your door or drawer, you'll have to trim it to size with bolt cutters...and by "you", I mean the biggest, strongest, meanest looking dude on your block.

 

All knobs, specs and images from Anthropologie. 

Sources:

Floral Burst Knob, Begonia in Coral: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/24225096.jsp?color=085

Agate Slice Knob: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-hardware/24146169.jsp

Linen Flower Knob: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-hardware/24224941.jsp

Mother of Pearl Knob: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-hardware/770330.jsp

Glass Melon Knob in Copper: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-hardware/870102.jsp