If it feels good, do it. Not usually the best advice to live by (unfortunately). But when it comes to using knobs and pulls to give a face-lift to an old dresser, the practical and the pleasurable happily coincide.

After seeking hardware guidance from decorating experts, Real Simple found much of it contradictory, however. Oversize knobs “look clunky,” one designer said. No, said another, they “make a statement.” All the metal in a room should match, one advised, while another suggested freely mixing nickel and brass.

The upshot: If the knobs feel good in your hands and look good to your eyes, buy them. Change your mind? Try something different.

Here, three types of pulls — vintage, contemporary, and traditional — give the same simple chest of drawers three unique looks and you a sense of limitless possibilities. Find the style you’re drawn to, then go ahead and express yourself.

Knob Styles

Vintage-Style Knobs

Contemporary-Style Knobs

Traditional-Style Knobs