I've always loved English cottages. And I've noticed that often with their kitchens, they use over-size wooden knobs, which looks very charming and almost comical...

There's just something really happy looking about giant knobs...

I couldn't find any knobs big enough to get this look. I ended up going on-line and managed to source some two & a half inch knobs from Amerock For Less. They are solid maple, and cost $1 each...

I applied one coat of wood conditioner, (this makes the stain go on evenly) 2 coats of stain, and then 3 coats of polyurethane, sanding with ultra-fine steel wool between coats...

I have never done this before, but it was much easier than I thought...I didn't use a brush, just wiped on the stain and the clear coat with some old cotton dishcloths I had lying around. Here is how they now look...they kind of look like big cookies...

I'm really pleased with the colour - it is not reddish, which seems to be the stain colour so many furniture makers use. It is a rich, dark walnut. I went on some wood-working forums that advised as many as 8 coats of polyurethane. I did 3, and I think they're shiny enough. And you have to wait 24 hours between coats, and I didn't want this project to drag on forever...