These cut glass ones are also nice:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Vintage-Antique-glass-knobs-door-handles-/181084756585?pt=UK_Antiques_Architecural_RL&hash=item2a297e1a69

I agree with everyone here the glass or crystal would look amazing on this raw wood. I love www.knobs4less.com. They have a huge selection that have that custom look to them. We used them for 2 chests of drawers and our kitchen remodel. Good luck and post after pics ;)

The original knobs would have been plain wooden "mushroom" knobs.

Glass would work great, but I agree, the knobs most likely would have been wooden. Have you considered a larger lamp? Larger would be more appropriate with the scale of the piece and your current accessories. Then you could look to that lamp for inspiration.

glass knobs definitely!

Try something antique looking here are some suggestions

other suggestions

even teardrops on drawer would work. The old mercury glass is nice too

I have to disagree with the majority here, I think the small scale of the glass style knobs will not suit the proportion of this piece . It is a lrg masculine statement adding the glass will just feel diminished. A consideration other than the wooden knobs, which I think are best bet, would be nice patina'd oiled bronze handles and knobs. Definitely replace the small crystal lamp with a larger scale version. It is completely dwarfed by the wall clock. I might consider moving the wall clock as well, it is not really the right place for it. Because both the clock and bureau are focal pieces they would be best separated and used to better advantage.

If you weren't planning on the expense of another lamp, try shopping in your own home. It's always fun to mix things up a bit!

I would still go with glass knobs. If you are unable to find what is needed in the usual shops, you could find glass door knobs that are larger. There are preservation groups (National Cambridge Collectors, Inc. is one) that can help guide you in places to purchase glass items.

Try a local antique store or flea market for knobs. The buffet is lovely and a great find, have fun with it!

You could definately do a larger knob in glass that would look spectacular on the piece, it really depends on your personal taste. If this piece is a focal point in the room then splashier larger knobs would be great. If this piece is not the focal point of the room, then a smaller knob works fine provided the funtionality of opening and closing the drawers/doors works well. lots of antique furnishings have small knobs. If you decide to go with a metal knob you need to consider the rest of the furnishings in the room and what metals are in the room, ie chrome, brass, silver. That will determine the color of metals knobs for this piece as well

Auburn Gallery is spot on: the proportions need tweaking here. I think so many of your individual pieces are great, you just need balance. Glass knobs are pretty things, but too dainty for this beautiful chest. Wooden or patina'd knobs will give you the "beef" this chest needs. I also agree the clock and lamp need better homes. Good luck making this fantastic chest shine!

In lieu of the self (knobs) that might have come with the original piece, I agree that clear glass would look great. I strongly suggest drawer pulls instead of knobs--the kind that you cup your open palm under. You are replacing knobs on drawers so go for drawer pulls. Clear glass ones with antique bronze metal would be best. No shiny metal.

You could go a variety of ways depending on your style and the style of the rest of the room. HEre are a few suggestions for your piece, keep in mind you have to love it first

I came on late to this discussion - but before reading the comments - my reaction is glass knobs is not beefy enough - a good solid knob of bronze, antique bronze I would mix it up, knowbs on the drawers and tear drop pulls on the doors. The clock is fighting attention with this piece - its also top heavy over the buffet - place it on another wall in the room - and if you go with bronze or iron hardware, the darker wood of the clock would be picked up on the other side of the room. As far as the lamp goes, this is a boudoir size lamp and gets lost on this cabinet. This is a great way to bring in color into your room - whatever colors you have in drapery or rugs - pull out the color that is the least in the pattern and get a lamp base of that color - or if you want a sparkle from a glass lamp, then beef it up with angles, cuts in it. It is absolutely a magnificent piece - and yes, you should never ever paint it!!!!

It is a lovely strong piece, I think the solid glass knobs would look great, not the crystal ones. I also agree that the clock should be elsewhere as they are both focal points and compete with each other.

Would go with a metal finish....restoration hardware has a nice selection.

Thanks again for all the comments. The clock is only there as a safe place for the time being. It is a family heirloom that was given to us only a couple months ago. The books are there because we regularly reference them and I don't have a coffee table. I was planning on getting brass or stone bookends to go there for future use.?.? Maybe. Possibly. Anyway, back to the knobs.

I have looked through the many suggested websites (thank you!) and have a much better idea with what I want. I see now the knobs need to be more robust for sure. And I really like the idea of putting solid brass pulls on the bottom long drawer. The skeleton key holes are antiqued brass as is all the metal in my house, which isn't much. I'm still going with the glass knobs on the top drawers. :)

We are currently renting, so I'm not going to put much more thought into the rest of buffet. I'll wait until we've purchased a home in the next few months and it has a final resting place. I do however have a beautiful large brass wildwood lamp that Is in use in another room. I think that will make its way to the buffet when we move. Thanks for everyone's help!

If the knobs aren't original and look bad, replace; otherwise, keep the integrity of the piece.

I'd probably go with simple oil rubbed bronze knobs. Glass knobs don't seem to fit this style of furniture, IMHO.

You are probably right - sometimes old knobs can be found in antique stores, but the oil rubbed bronze would be closer to the original color than a crystal knob.

Try out the great selection of unique hardware that is very reasonable at Hobby Lobby. I always look there first.

The piece originally would have had wooden knobs. Not that you need to go that route, but sometimes it's nice to see where a piece has been in deciding where to go with it. I agree with the others that since the current knobs aren't original, it's a good opportunity to have some fun with it.

I change out cabinet knobs like I change my outifts. :) There are some great pieces here and I've been happy with their prices, quality and shipping. http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/drawer-knobs-pulls. Best of luck! It's a beautiful piece and quite a find.

That is a terrific score. Quarter sawn oak with rift grain. Awesome. I see Oil rubbed bronze with some heft.

Definitely need to use a larger lamp on top....and bolder metal knobs ...unless you are trying to create an era- perfect piece. Nice find!

on ebay there are several merchants that sell actual antique glass knobs in various colors as well. I bought some and they have so much more character than the newly made ones and are cheaper.

Hobby Lobby has tons of different and unique knobs and if you get them when they are 50% off, they're very reasonable!

There are some nice antique cabinet knobs you may like here: http://rusticahardware.com/page/3/?s=cabinet+knobs

I concure with person above who said "Lamp is too small." From your picture, knobs look fine, but the scale of the lamp, nope.

Lee Valley has the most knob selection I think I've ever seen. Try their website or visit one of their many stores and pick up a catalogue.

Does the lamp look too small to anyone else but me?

yes, the lamp is too small and it had been brought up - I also think that it should be taller, and a pottery or ceramic lamp, not necessarily glass unless it has meat to it, i.e, heavy glass with texture, cuts in the glass rather than a thin clear glass as shown..

check out Zara Home's knobs - they have some cool ones, some glass, some retro, some antique-y looking. Very pretty and you can always take them back if you don't like them. It's just knobs! Have fun!

Hi, to really hold up to the weight of this piece, larger ceramic or antique brass knobs would look best. You could go colorful or not, but a nice size is important. I do think the clear glass might be a bit too light and dainty for this piece. It is a gorgeous buffet! Buy several styles, try them and return what doesnt work. Best of luck!

Beautiful piece, good score! If you're planning to just get rid of the current knobs (donate, give away), how about spray painting them a shiny lacquer black or white first and see how that looks, you're only spending money for the paint until you decide what to do, and it will give you a different look and see if that's a route to go. Or if you have a color you were thinking if, paint that color. It's hard to tell what the current knobs look like. I think it depends on the look you're going for - to keep it vintage looking, then replace with wood or antique brass like others suggested. If want to update it with still a vintage flair, clear glass, milk glass, white or black glass/ceramic, or mercury glass could be neat. I wouldn't go too modern on this piece. Also check out Etsy website, search on knobs and pulls. Knobs and pulls are one of the easiest things to change to update a piece, but maybe buy one, put it on and see how you like it before replacing all. Perhaps find a style that has different sizes or coordinates together, use the smaller size on the small drawers, and bigger "beefier" ones on the bottom drawer. I would avoid drilling new holes for different type of knobs of what's currently there, it could lower the value of the piece.

Agreed...don't paint cabinet!

With all these suggestions, are you more or less confused! (thanks for the no-paint stance)

antique silverware drawer pulls would be awesome! Do a google image search for more ideas.

That is a very nice piece. I think crystal or glass knobs would compliment the lamp and also look good on the buffet. It would be a neat update but also be reminiscent of the time period as that was the type of door knob you often saw in some homes when this piece was made.

Stick to your revised idea , you have the solution and the antique lamp will probably tie everything in , Absolutely great piece.

I agree, the wall clock doesn't go here, and the lamp is too small, but the dresser is gorgeous.

Yes...glass knobs. I also notice there are key holes on the top two drawers, I would try to find a couple of old keys and then put a tassle on them. But only do the top two.

Boy, some great ideas here. I couldn't decide on knobs for my buffet, so I ordered two sets of different styles, the company had a good return policy so I returned the other set of knobs and kept the ones that worked perfectly. Also, you can print out pictures of knobs before purchasing and put against the buffet.
But, I do think the crystal knobs would be perfect.

I have several antique pieces in our home. I took a look at the knobs on them and they are all made of the same wood as the piece. I've seen wooden (oak) knobs for sale. If unfinished you could try to match the stain and then the finish. It would keep the piece looking more authentically antique. Two excellent restoration resources: vandykes.com and leevalley.com. Good Luck!

not all antique pieces have wooden knobs, and lots have been changed over the years. It depends where the piece was made orginially and what type of piece it is. The finer pieces usually have more ornate knobs. it will not make it more authentically antique to have wood knobs any more than metal or crystal knobs. its a matter of personal taste. The piece stands on itself as a wonderful piece, the knobs will only enhance it not detract from it.

How @ some antique door knobs? I used them on my china cabinet and they look smashing!

Hello, I'm a little late getting to this tread but I wanted to know about how old your piece was....I have something similar looking but I'm not sure where to go from there. Also a craigslist find....it appears to be made out of maple and have original mushroom knobs. It also has a paper card tacked to the back that reads "Tacoma Chair Company". I'm just fishing for info so I can decide on if I'd like to paint it or leave it (all though mines pretty banged up) and just some general curiosity on 'it's' story. Hope you can help and thank you!

I am way late with my post but I think going bigger or doing a mix can really dress it up, all the sizes below look like they will work on that beautiful piece