I’m pretty sure that when producers of decorating shows run out of ideas, they have the same conversation every time. It goes like this:

Producer 1: “How about a kitchen makeover for less than $300?”
Producer 2: “You know, just changing the hardware and the paint color can make you feel like you have a new kitchen.”
Producer 1: “Brilliant!”

The truth is, they are lying. Changing the hardware is fun, but it’s rare that it can carry much more impact than a cute detail. Also, if your kitchen has a lot of cabinets, the cost of hardware can seriously add up! At the end of the day, though, I am a slave to decorating shows so I had to take notice that The Great Indoors had discounted all of its hardware.

I’m a sucker for boring white porcelain knobs, which are conveniently inexpensive, but I think it would be fun to add just one painted porcelain knob to keep things interesting. Wouldn’t this one be a fun focal point?

I also like the idea of pairing a boring set of sheets and blankets with a few fun solid and print pillows. Like Restoration Hardware’s reversible diamond silk shams, which are marked way down from $99 to $19, and one or two pillows covered in CB2’s Marimekko Keidas cases, which are down to $14.95 from $29.95.