If you search the internet it is easy to become overwhelmed by the plethora of ideas on how to decorate your children's bedroom so here I will focus on sources and themes for door knobs that both parent and child may enjoy. One of the keys to success is to focus on themes that are not age restrictive or gender specific but that have a broader reach. With this in mind consider the following list of keywords to act as a prefix for “door knobs”.
Birds - our feathered friends lend themselves to door knobs as their profiles can be stylized making them easier for gripping by small hands or less flexible hands. They have also provided the inspiration for less expensive knobs available in wood or ceramic and one of my favorite collections comes from the talented hands of artist, Kimberly Madson. In Madson’s collection “Blue birds on a wire” each wooden knob is painted with a base color and then decoupaged with an artistic print that is then sealed to protect against grime.
Birds - our feathered friends lend themselves to door knobs as their profiles can be stylized making them easier for gripping by small hands or less flexible hands. They have also provided the inspiration for less expensive knobs available in wood or ceramic and one of my favorite collections comes from the talented hands of artist, Kimberly Madson. In Madson’s collection “Blue birds on a wire” each wooden knob is painted with a base color and then decoupaged with an artistic print that is then sealed to protect against grime.
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| Blue Birds on a Wire by Kimberly Madson |
Madson also offers a unique series of knobs decorated with classic prints of cows and bulls. All of her knobs are handmade and both the subject of the knobs as well as the craft of decoupage should stimulate some interesting conversations.
Nautical – I was pleasantly surprised to find that the choices here are not limited to kelp, pirates and mermaids. At Sweet Petites Boutique they aptly describe themselves as a “A Chic Children's Boutique”. There are a lot of themes to choose from and there is the added benefit of finding other accents for your child’s bedroom.
Nautical – I was pleasantly surprised to find that the choices here are not limited to kelp, pirates and mermaids. At Sweet Petites Boutique they aptly describe themselves as a “A Chic Children's Boutique”. There are a lot of themes to choose from and there is the added benefit of finding other accents for your child’s bedroom.
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| Image Whale Knobs |
One style that appealed to my mature taste but which I suspect would also appeal to most age groups was the Nautical Whale Knob collection.
The drawer knobs are made from maple hardwood and are fitted with a metal insert so that they can be removed, and re-installed without stripping the thread on the insert. The knobs are then hand painted with whale or stripe motifs.
For those of you who are looking for something that may be more easily pegged as nautical check out the starfish knob by Beach House Dreams. The star fish are cast in metal and finished in a robins’ egg blue patina.
The drawer knobs are made from maple hardwood and are fitted with a metal insert so that they can be removed, and re-installed without stripping the thread on the insert. The knobs are then hand painted with whale or stripe motifs.
For those of you who are looking for something that may be more easily pegged as nautical check out the starfish knob by Beach House Dreams. The star fish are cast in metal and finished in a robins’ egg blue patina.
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| Star fish Image |
Animal – While a broad search for “animal door knobs” will turn up a wealth of images this is a bit like following Alice down the internet hole. So, refine your search to a specific animal or bug. A search for bee door knobs was very productive and took me to a wide choice of very detailed door handles many made in quality mediums like cast bronze. Using the prefix zebra I was able to find more wooden gems by Sweet Petites Boutique
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| Sweet Petites |
Material Another way to find your way through the maze is to narrow your search to the material the knob is made from. This is also a useful way to filter products broadly by price. Ceramic handles and wood handles should be more affordable than those cast in bronze or stainless steel. Glass is also an option and here the range is wide both as to style and price.
One of my personal favorites are the knobs available through Out of the Blue Design.
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| Art Glass by Out of the Blue |
They offer many themes ranging from an abstract collage of stars to scenes of angle fish swimming through deep water. The knobs are all made from solid glass and really merit the description as art glass. They are handmade and well made so don’t think fragile as the annealing process they use helps harden the glass against breakage.
For a fuller understanding of the glass artisans technique do visit their site.
If the above approaches don’t help you find something that you can all agree on then;
Consider Adjectives – remember learning how to use them in school? Well I am finding that they save a lot of time when immersed in a project so add to your list;
For a fuller understanding of the glass artisans technique do visit their site.
If the above approaches don’t help you find something that you can all agree on then;
Consider Adjectives – remember learning how to use them in school? Well I am finding that they save a lot of time when immersed in a project so add to your list;
- Whimsical
- Magical
- Unusual
Good hunting.
Kath Lauder
