Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Monster Eyeballs

Three cheers for a $12 fifteen minute project that makes us giggle. Because sometimes you just gotta laugh. We switched out the old knobs on our dining room built-ins.

Din Knobs Before

Din Knobs Close Before

The first step is to put on your safety goggles and protective gloves. Kidding. The first step is to unscrew the old ones and the second step is to screw in the new ones. So easy. Here’s a little in-progress action shot for ya:

Din Knobs Progress

And here are the new ones all “installed”:

Din Knobs Wide

But back to the whole monster eyeballs thing. When I fell in love with these greeny-yellow knobs at Hobby Lobby (for $1.50 a pop thanks to a 50% off sale), it never crossed my mind that they’re a bit similar to the eyeball-esque hardware that we inherited with our kitchen. Remember this weird (and wonderful?) post about that?

Eyeballs After

Anyway, somehow we missed that they might look like monster eyeballs (you know, because some monsters have yellow ones instead of white ones) until we got them home and screwed them in and John started laughing about the obvious (but not to us until that moment) similarity. Although somehow in yellow and oil-rubbed bronze they feel a bit less eyeball-y and more playful and eclectic than the more cartoon-ish black & white ones in the kitchen. At least that’s what we’re telling ourselves.

We love them anyway. Monster eyeballs be darned.

Din Knobs Close

Especially with the teal backing of the built-ins above them – such a fun color combo.

Din Knobs Wide2

Thankfully from most vantage points they look more like fun yellow knobs than body parts of any kind (but from Clara’s line of sight they might continue to look like monster eyeballs for a while, which she might get a kick out of). Either way, once the walls go soft gray and we add curtains and art and chairs and a big opening to the kitchen we’re sure the knobs will hardly be the focal point. We could probably get little alien butt knobs and no one would notice.

Din Room Wide

So that’s a little $12 makeover that makes us smile (and makes our built-ins feel fun and kinda funky). Sidenote: I hate the word funky. It always makes me think of smelly feet or old cheese.

New theory: every house needs at least a few monster eyeballs. We have nine thanks to the one on the closet door in the guest room.

Guest Knob Curtains

Methinks that’s just enough.

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    wow-they really do look like monster eyeballs! I can’t see anything else now! :) I’m currently choosing knobs/pulls for our kitchen redo, so I can understand how you gotta go with what you love. But I would be giggling every time I saw them if they lived in my house, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, giggling is good right?

    Reply

    • Kaitlin says

      I have these exact same knobs on my dresser! I LOVE the color. The knobs are a lot farther apart on my drawers than they are on your cabinets, but I still giggle at the thought of them looking like eyeballs every time. Especially when one drawer is closed and the drawer below it is slightly open because then it looks like a googly-eyed monster with an open, goofy grin. Makes me smile :)

  3. Elisa says

    Hehe, thanks for the giggle! I looked back at the progress shots from this morning and they are totally in there too.. but they don’t look like eyeballs from across the room! Phew!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, yeah it’s just when you get close and eye-level, so Clara might be the only one to notice. Actually she might like that they look like monster eyeballs too. Haha. Bonus.

      xo,
      s

    • Snickrsnack Katie says

      Um, yeah, sorry – but these look like yellow boobs. With giant nipples. No likey.

      But hey, whatever floats your boat! :)

  4. KiM says

    I kinda liked them until I saw the side picture of them, and well, they reminded me of boobs. :( Not ok. LOL

    Reply

    • CC says

      That’s hilarious that you said that! When there ended up being a total of nine, I started singing an old song from Sesame Street, which I now can’t get out of my head:

      “She’s my real martian beauty
      She’s my number nine cutie
      She has nine hairs on her head
      1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
      Tied up in ribbons of red

      She has nine little eyes
      All the same size
      Looking up, down, round, and straight ahead…”

    • Kelly says

      I agree- I hate these ones! I’m all for fun accents and blasts of color, but these just don’t do it for me. And I love the color- not against the white though. But hey, it’s not my house, eh?!

    • Lindsay says

      I agree – I actually thought the old ones gave a little vintage look which contrasted well with the shelves. I’m not a fan of these knobs, but they’re just not my personal style, but it’s not my house : )

  7. Melissa says

    Totally cute! Nothing like a quick hardware update to add a quick bit of pop to furniture and built-ins. Thinking about doing the same on my living room built-ins because the shiny brassy knobs just aren’t doing it for me anymore!

    Reply

  8. Jessica says

    That just cracked me up. The 2 posts today also broke up the monotony of the rainy Thursday. :) I love the fun color and that it sneaks into the guest room as well. Unfortunately I’m a crazy-face so when I saw the side shot I thought of another part of human anatomy and then giggled like a 12 yr old boy. Oh man. Working with kids has really taken its toll.

    The dining room built-ins look amazing! :)

    Reply

  9. Kim says

    O my gosh, I thought the same thing!!! Nippling came to mine actually when I saw the side shot. How bad are we today… Love the house John and Sherry. I am especially envious of your wonderful bedroom and nice spacious living room and what you’ve done to it so far. I am so inspired by you!

    Reply

  10. Barbara says

    I came here to say what KiM did…eyeballs from the front, boobs from the side. I think maybe you might want to think about those knobs some more….

    Reply

  14. Lexi says

    I just put the exact same hobby lobby pull on a vanity I refinshed a few weeks ago. Now, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to look at the vanity with our seeing the Monster Eyeball staring back. Love it!

    Reply

  15. Jacci says

    I just keep marvelling at how *different* your choices in this house have been. Does it have to do with Clara? Do you think having her made you want to go with the bright colors? I know each house needs what it needs (our current house had different design needs than our previous home), but it seems like you guys have almost completely overhauled your aesthetic? can you give us the skinny on what the big change was for you. it seemed like it all started w/ Clara’s nursery…

    Reply

  18. Katherine O says

    Just used these same knobs on a dresser that I painted teal (not as dark as your backing for your built-ins). I love them. :)

    Reply

  19. Sarah says

    Those look awesome! I love your built ins :)
    Do you have a good place to recommend for inexpensive knobs that are cool? I want to update our dressers with some new, fresh knobs and pulls and nothing at home depot or lowes is fitting my need. I don’t have a hobby lobby or ikea anywhere near me. (very sad, I know!)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Home Depot and Lowe’s have some good stuff. You can also check online at places like myknobs.com or look for a local hardware store (we have a shop called Pleasant’s here in Richmond that’s awesome). Good luck!

      xo,
      s

    • Sara says

      Target has some great choices too. Hobby Lobby has some very Anthropologie inspired style knobs too and they often go on sale for 50% off.

    • Pat E. says

      You can also try ebay. I’ve gotten some great “antique” looking glass knobs there that I’ve used on cabinets, as wall hooks, etc.

  20. Trista says

    I love how much fun your new home is becoming. I’m in the boat that says you need something quirky in every room.

    Petersiks…I think it’s definitely time to paint the dining room. Have you decided on a color yet?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, we’re going with the same soft gray that’s in the living room so the kitchen (which is in the middle of those spaces) will be a pop of color in between them. And we’ll have some brightly patterned curtains or something fun in the dining room too.

      xo,
      s

  21. Jessica says

    It is crazy how much a little thing like changing knobs transforms a room! Our kitchen had cheap white Kindergarden cubby hole knobs when we moved in last year and $30 later it looks like a totally different kind of room. PS totally jealous of your built-ins.

    Reply

  22. Carole says

    Like ’em…I saw some cute green glass ones at le tar-jay the other day, thinking of upgrading the ones in our bathroom. Will you keep the old ones or donate them?

    Reply

    • LauraC says

      As far as painting the knobs goes, I’ve had successes and failures. We have built-ins with doors in our living room, and the knobs and hinges were bright (ugly) brass. I spray painted them w/Rustoleum’s hammered oil-rubbed bronze and they look great! And they’ve held up super well for two years: success. Then, just last week, I replaced some plain white wooden knobs on a console table with some from Pier 1 and decided to paint the new ones (w/acrylic). I tried a pink, green, and left one the darker brass color. Ugh, the painted ones looked terrible! So I’ve been working on scraping paint from every tiny crevice with a pin, trying to resist just going out and buying new ones. Fail. So you never know until you try. But I really like the old knobs so I’m sure you’ll find a use for them. Not a huge fan of the new ones, but love the silly, fun post! :-)

  23. Sheryl J says

    Personally, I’m not a fan of them (sorry) even though I love their color. Maybe if they didn’t have the bronze “nipple/pupil” in the middle, but I understand this is your house and you can’t please everyone =) Your choices have to make YOU happy since you are the ones who live in the house. Thanks for the update nonetheless!

    Reply

  26. Ali says

    I LOVE Hobby Lobby’s knob selection (what a weird sentence). So many fun colors and shapes!

    I see the monster eyeballs for sure, but only in the up-close straight-on shots. And I didn’t see boobies until it was brought to my attention. I’m sure if I bought some my husband would point that out to me right away. o.O

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, oddly enough John never saw it. I noticed in that side shot, but in person they’re not very “female” looking – haha – since you don’t see them from the side like that unless you sit on the floor against the wall (which was how John took the pic). Thank goodness! Haha.

      xo,
      s

    • Abercrombie Wife says

      I thought that it might have been in that post, but didn’t feel like going back to look at it. They don’t look so much like eyes from a distance so i think they look good. A nice pop of color and when you get your parson chairs that will look that much better.

  29. Jennifer says

    These are cute (especially from the front), but I kind of like the old ones better – the detail looks so pretty! But, to each their own. I love so much of what you guys do!
    Do you have anything inside the cabinets yet? Dishes, china, board games? I actually really enjoy re-arranging and cleaning out the contents of our dining room server cabinets…weird. It’s the little things :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      There are lots of books and magazines in one side of the built-ins (since the shelves above are too shallow for most of our books- wah) and we have decorative stuff on the cabinets on the other side (vases, candles, bowls, etc).

      xo,
      s

  31. Sara says

    I totally thought “eyeballs” right away. I was surprised that you picked them after saying that the kitchen knobs look like eyes. These look even more like they are watching you because of how close together they are.

    As much as I want to like them because I love you guys and what you do, I think they attract too much attention and distract from your lovely display on the shelves. Especially since someone else pointed out how they resemble the female anatomy.

    Reply

  32. [email protected] says

    The monster eyeball knobs are so cartoonish and playful. It’s definitely an improvement compared to the old knobs but now, all I can see is the knobs. (not that is it a bad thing)

    Jessie

    Reply

  33. Marla says

    lol. Yeah, I didn’t want to say anything, but they sure do look like monster eye balls. But if you’re happy with it and it brings you some laughter in your home, then enjoy! p.s. I like how the yellow looks with the teal :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ours didn’t do that, but if they did we probably would have used a hack saw to cut them down. You can do it manually if you grab an inexpensive hack saw. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  35. Desiree says

    Dangit, I wish you hadn’t said eyeballs, because now that’s all I see and I can’t get past it!

    Oh well, all that matters is that you love them!

    Reply

  36. Sara says

    Ok, so here’s my question…I have a bunch of hardware that I want to replace but whenever I look at the replacement knobs in anthro or elsewhere, the screw-back-thingie always seems SO long, like it will stick out the other side too far. Your screw-back-thingies also look long in your “progress” shot and I was wondering what they look like inside the cabinet? Do they stick out? How do you deal with that extra length?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ours didn’t do that, but if they did we probably would have used a hack saw to cut them down. You can do it manually if you grab an inexpensive hack saw from the home improvement store. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • Jen says

      At Home Depot in the cabinet hardware section, they have packages of screws in different lengths that are specifically meant for installing cabinet hardware. I had to buy some that were longer than the screws that came with my hardware, but if you wanted to avoid the hacksaw you could pony up the couple bucks and buy the shorter ones.

    • Sara says

      Thanks, you guys, that definitely helps! Now I feel so much more ready to tackle my kitchen cabinets and the knobs on my sideboard :)

  41. S says

    No, just “NO”. They’re awful. I think that you guys are trying so very hard to move away from what the old house is, that sometimes you are losing sight that not every little detail has to be so extreme. The bedroom lighting comes to mind.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They tickle our pickle but they don’t have to tickle yours! No worries. That room is going to have soft gray walls with white trim and built-ins so we tossed caution into the wind with fun little knobs that we love. To each his own!

      xo,
      s

  42. sarah says

    Your house is really starting to come together!

    I have an off the subject question. Since you take and store so many pictures I thought that you might have some recommendations for backing up photo files. My computer is filled up and now I looking for external hard drives, do you use one? Also do you have a recommendation for an online photo back up service? I am always so afraid that I would lose all of my photos if we had some sort of natural disaster. Sorry this is kinda random but I thought you might have some suggestions.

    Reply

  44. Kate says

    The kitchen eyeball post was my very favorite YHL post of all time! (except maybe the one of John on the john – the look on his face cracked me up!)

    One favor though…can you draw some monster faces on the yellow eyeballs photos? It’s all that’s missing from the post!

    Reply

  45. haley says

    The new knobs look great but gotta admit that I was SHOCKED that you replaced the old and didn’t whip out a can of yellow spray paint whoop a$$ instead and paint the oldies!??

    Reply

  47. Michelle says

    Hi Sherry and John!

    Long time reader, first time noter :-) I was looking for a way to contact you via email or something, since this isn’t really Monster Eyeballs related (though those are really cool and unique!), but couldn’t find anything — sorry if it seems spammy!

    ANYWAY in the spirit of DIYing, I’ve recently started an Etsy shop for custom-made cross-stitches called Crossing Stitches. I know your taste is more modern for your house, but I would love it if you stopped by to check it out, and maybe even kept my shop in mind for future gifts (or even decorations around your home!). I would be happy to offer you all a discount — just let me know if this is something you’d be interested in!

    The shop is located here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mpaley

    Thanks!
    – Michelle

    Reply

  48. leah loo says

    You guys crack me up! I so appreciate the spirit of fun you bring to your decorating adventures! While I get the intention of what you are doing, my comment would be that, if it were my dining room, I would want to blend the exposed hinges and the knobs away, to make it all more contemporary,and to highlight the wonderful shelf display. I would first move the cabinet knob location up to the top corner of the doors (they are way too low!)and I would want them to be simple, simple, simple (clear glass or acrylic?)and not draw attention to the hardware. They are just a bit too visually distracting to my eye, but hey – it’s all an evolution, right? Have fun with your ongoing projects – it’s always fun to see the progress of your spaces.

    Reply

  49. banclothing says

    I think these nobs are great although I would rather seem them in a kids room or somewhere less sophisticated as original buildin’s. It’s the colour the throws me off… just seems like alice in wonderland would have these on her buildin’s. It’s not my house though and you like them so that’s all that matters.

    Reply

  50. elle C. says

    That’s definitely a lot of progress!

    I’ve been trying to learn from your blog, since we’ve just bought a house too that we’re renovating. You guys have really helped me change my mindset from “WE HAVE TO FINISH A WHOLE ROOM, DANGIT!” to “Let’s just follow our inspiration, even if that means moving from unfinished room to unfinished room.”

    On the one hand, I’ve been amazed at how patient you guys are – just doing bits and pieces at a time and skipping all around the house. But then seeing all of your progress in just 3 months is remarkable too. It’s like the more patient you are, the more you actually get done!

    I’m thankful to be learning this from your blog. It’s relieved a lot of my stress (as well as my poor husband’s, who is NOT inspired to finish off our 98% finished master bath by installing new A/C vent covers in the ceiling. WHY oh WHY did I feel like those vent covers HAD to be installed before I could enjoy my beautiful bathroom?!). So thank you – I’m not only learning a lot from your blog, but you’re actually probably saving a marriage from a lot of house-related arguments (and I’m not exaggerating!)

    Reply

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