We all know I have a pillow problem. And true to form, I couldn’t resist grabbing two of these boldly striped 26″ x 26″ euro pillows for just nine bucks a pop when we came across them at HomeGoods. In my defense, John walked off and came back holding them, so he might have a pillow problem too. But come on, $9? For giant 100% cotton euro pillows? Sold. In our house, pillows are definitely nomads, so these guys could end up doing a little tour (hitting up the guest room, the playroom, and even the sunroom or living room). But right now we’re loving them in our bedroom with the similarly toned flower & berry prints from Alaska that we hung a few weeks back:
It’s sort of like adding a completely temporary boldly striped headboard without doing anything more than spending $18 and tossing them on the bed. No muss, no fuss. And no commitment. We really like how they work with everything from our garage sale botanical art and the lighter toned greeny-gold curtains to the green potted plant on the other side of the room and even Sir Ram. Because when you stop to think about it, what really works with a giant ram head over your bed? Am I right? Oh and as for the smaller greeny-gold pillow, it’s sure to pop up in other places too, so it’s not always destined to be layered with the new striped pillows for those who object (although in person it’s really nice pairing that further ties in the curtains). Here’s a wide shot of the very unfinished side of our bedroom:
I know, I know. That picture looks crazy. So check out all the doodled changes that we’re planning to make as we go:
To further expound upon my doodles:
- We hung the twig & berries art on the same center-line as the ram (just so they wouldn’t look like they were riding high and because the lamp shades only overlapped the written flower/berries names and not the illustration) but once we get new night stands that are hopefully taller (since those old living room side tables are way too low and don’t have any concealed storage) we’ll probably scooch everything up a bit.
- The ottoman is necessary for Burger to get in and out of bed (yes, we pander to him, although we refuse to buy doggy steps) but it’s a little short and chunky and dark (although it does tie into our leaning mirror and dark chair) so we might get/make something lighter and longer (perhaps with dark legs but a lighter fabric top).
- The wheat colored lamp shades sometimes read as a little dirty since the bedding, trim, light fixture, and door are so white. Mehaps a little makeover or upgrade is in order.
- We’d love some sort of big chunky cabinet to the left of the bed for function, balance, and to make sense of the odd little nook there.
So that’s the long-term plan in there. And just as new additions to a room often inspire some tweaking (ex: in a surprise turn of events our twig & berry art spurred us to lose the ol’ printed duvet cover), the addition of the new striped pillows sparked a little art tweak on the other side of the room. Ever since we added the matching framed botanicals by the bed (along with the matching wall plaques on either side of Sir Ram and the matching new striped pillows at the head of the bed) the horse art somehow slipped from feeling nice and balanced (since it had two different items under it – a chair and a dresser) to feeling a little too balanced and mirror-image since it was one of many things that were now in pairs…
So because we were itching for a little less symmetry (while still wanting to maintain some semblance of balance to help the new-ish chair and the very old dresser relate), we decided to play around with stuff that we already had to see if we could come up with a free alternative:
- Down came the horses above the dresser (which now reside in the playroom but will hopefully find a permanent place somewhere else down the line).
- Up went two differently sized old Ikea frames that we had sitting in the playroom, waiting to be hung for almost 8 months.
We immediately liked the less symmetrical arrangement but the oddly mismatched frame colors weren’t doing it for us (one was a clashy reddish brown and one was white). And since the botanicals looked so good with a little oil-rubbed bronze spray paint I decided to quickly pop the glass/art out of them and give them a few thin and even coats of leftover ORB. You know, so they’d tuck into the room a bit more and look more integrated with the stuff going on across the wall. So outside I went with my sexy spray painting socks (see those here)….
… and soon enough the frames were bronzed and beautiful…
Then I needed something to put in them. So I dug through the old art stuff we already had and found a simple little green dandelion print from Ikea (it used to hang next to our front door in our first house). I also decided to make some always-appropriate-for-a-DIY-couple’s-bedroom “paint chip art” with old Ralph Lauren swatches that I had in my basket (yes, I have a paint swatch basket since I hate throwing them away, which is also where I house all of my paint decks except for my favorite one that hangs in the hallway). Home Depot doesn’t even sell Ralph Lauren paint anymore, so I figured “recycling” the old swatches was better than hoarding them or just trashing them, so I pulled out all of the little colored squares…
… and just used tones that reoccur in the room so it would tie in (I didn’t need something that screamed since that would compete with the botanicals and the remaining horse photograph over the leather chair). I was left with a little pile of browns, grays, blue-grays, greeny-yellows, soft sand colors, creams, and whites. So I just arranged them in a gradient from darkest to lightest (this photo was still a work in progress since I switched out a few of the chips that stuck out too much or looked out of order).
Little loops of scotch tape on the back of each one held them in place on four pieces of card stock that I taped together to create a big 16 x 20″ background to fit the frame. Ta-daaa.
We love that the paint chip art looks like a pixelated photo and the dandelion pic is a nice little “neutral” touch in the room as well (so it all layers in nicely without conflicting too much with anything else on the walls). Yay. We’re fans. Although we’ve learned that art posts are definitely the most not-everyone’s-boat-is-floated-by-the-same-stuff kind of thing. But we sleep in that room and we like it mucho. Hurrah! Clara’s favorite part? The pig of course (she runs into the room squealing “piggy!” and pointing while oinking). Very cute.
For another version of paint swatch art, check out what we did with leftover swatches in our old office (on our postcard ledge) and drop in on Jessica Jones’ awesome paint chip art project here on How About Orange.
Oh and since I’m in a doodling mood, here’s a bit more about why we did what we did:
See, it’s not as perfectly balanced and mirror-image-ish. But it still kind of goes. And it’ll work a lot better after some tweaks over time (get ready for more doodling)…
… like this…
We really like that the white mirror in the nook relates to the glossy white window trim, and the art hanging on either side of it is dark enough to feel balanced but not exactly the same size/shape anymore. So that’s where we are.
Who knows what else we’ll change as we go though. We’re definitely fans of the trial and error method (since we never seem with it enough to get things right on the first try, haha). Although this corner view is still my favorite for some reason. Probably because the mirror reflects a ton of window-light and the big chandelier is floating overhead with the neutral-ish-but-not-white curtains, the dark moody leather chair, and the horse art in the background.
So anyway, it’s nice that something as simple as two cheap-o pillows and some fast & free art swappage (I must be in a free art mood this week) could add a bit more interest while taming the super-symmetry that seemed to build and eventually boil over as we added art and accessories.
Have you guys bought cheap-o pillows lately? Or decided to switch out art and accessories as you toss in other additions and slowly build a room? Any favorite pillow sources in general? Oh and has anyone out there gotten it totally right with everything from the furnishings to the accessories in one shot? That must be amazingly serendipitous. We’re more of the learning as you go slash bumbling along type. Haha. But at least we didn’t break anything this time…
Blair says
That is PERFECT art for you guys. Love it.
Mandie says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the striped pillows!!
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
I LOVE those striped pillows!! Only $9!??! That’s amazing! HomeGoods is such a wonderful place.
And I love the new art. It feels more you than the horse picture. I actually saved the Martha Stewart Paint Swatch book from the Home Depot and plan to frame it (you know, when I’m not picking out colors from it).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah Martha’s paint swatch book is total art! I had it folded out on the sofa once and everyone who came over was drawn to it like it was made of solid gold!
xo,
s
Erin says
Over the course of a few weeks, I gathered all of Martha’s color swatches. Each time I went I would grab two rows. I hole punched them and put them on two 3″ rings. I freaking love having all the colors in the big size! They’ve definitely made the rounds to several friends and family homes =)
Callie says
I happened to catch the commercial for Marriage Ref the other day… They were arguing over the fact that they had too many pillows. (Approximately 13 on the master.) The husband was complaining that he was going to die in the middle of the night.
Lucky for you… John doesn’t seem to mind. Oh, and you don’t have more pillows than fabric textiles. I would be a little concerned then.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that sounds like an argument that some guys can relate to. Just gives me three accent pillows on the bed and that’s it!
xo,
s
kim@superchyc says
I love to see that I am not the only one with design ADD. I love change, and it keeps things fresh. Love the update to the artwork in the bedroom!
Blair says
I love the gradient art! You could even trying making a design with it. Guess this is another one of your crafty no cost art. I am definitely going to expand my horizons when it comes to making art. I thought when I did this: http://thefirstapartment.blogspot.com/2011/03/50-dollar-fix-fabric-frames.html I was being pretty crafty!
~Blair
Bboss says
You guys inspire me everyday. My biggest hurdles are cost and time to shop. I feel I have to do a room over all at once. I’m learning from your site that it is a daily thing and that you have to break it down into manageable steps while keeping the overall idea in mind.
AarthiD says
While I haven’t splurged on pillows lately (my bare, empty apartment is in pretty dire need of some cheering up!) I did see this pretty awesome pillow update over at Domestic Adventure that I really liked. Her vibrant pillowcases were totally a great place to start her decorating her living room.
Meanwhile I love the touches of green in your bedroom! It definitely brings the whole room together; the curtains to the walls to the bed. It’s gorgeous. The slight asymmetry of the frames / dresser / chair / painting give the room a deliberate sense of balance off-balanced-ness. (Is that even a real word? Whatever.) Either way, it’s obviously deliberate choices and I love ’em.
As for the doodles, I love ’em. Y’all should do something like this for every room on the list, hahaha. Kidding, kidding! But I love seeing your lists/visions for your rooms. You guys have such a great sensibility to the whole reno/decor thing, it’s fabulous.
AarthiD says
PS: Would an ottoman like this look better in your room?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah- gorgeous! We just don’t have that kind of money. Haha. But it’s great inspiration!
xo,
s
AarthiD says
*laughs* Yeah that’s more than a little pricey, but it was pretty and the dark wood + white leather is a good look for your room. This is a lot more affordable (oh, Ikea) but you’d have to spray-paint the legs (haha with the ORB! and your spray-paint socks!) to match the room. Good thing all the IKEA stuff is disassemble-able.
Doggie Steps are possibly the most ridiculous things ever. Pfft.
PS: that horse picture reminds me of these books from when I was a kid.
Linda says
Looking good. Kind of glad to see one of the framed photos morphing to another location!
Sally M. says
Totally random– but I am preggers and am getting my little Mr. the same crib Clara has– except I don’t know what size mattress I should go with! Help!?
P.S. You guys have totally inspired us to tackle our own bathroom remodel. The layout is EXACTLY the same as your first house bathroom (built ins and all)!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, aren’t they standard? So sorry if I’m being an airhead, but we just went with an organic “crib mattress” (it only came in one size and it slipped right in). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alisa says
We are getting the same crib and I read that it takes a standard crib mattress.
Megan says
We got the same crib last month and they do take standard mattresses :) It looks awwwwwsooooome! I love that crib! Thanks, Sherry!
Jill says
I love the new art, guys. I think staining or painting that reddish dresser dark brown or black would look amazing! What are you thinking of in terms of a new duvet?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re not sure yet. Just something soft and not too crazy so it doesn’t feel too busy I think. We’re definitely on the hunt but so far, nada. We’ll keep you posted when we scoop something up though!
xo,
s
Julie says
ooo, first comment! Anyway, I really love the changes you guys have been making … it looks so much more personal now, at least IMO. Love the pillows!
Martha says
I like the new art and agree that it does break up the symmetry that you had going on before. I have to say that I love seeing your process.
Quick question – do you touch up the old picture holes with spackle and paint whenever you re-position art?
YoungHouseLove says
If they show we do. If they don’t we usually just leave them hidden. Haha.
xo,
s
Molly says
I found cheap-o pillows at Target! You can see them here: (last photo)
http://thenestinggame.com/2011/08/03/skirting-the-issue/
And, like you, they were originally for the guest room but migrated out into the Living Room and are working much better for me there.
Love your pops of green with the blue walls. Very natural beachy. Like water and algae (but in a good way!).
YoungHouseLove says
Cute! I love Debbie Downer also. Haha.
xo,
s
Julia @ Chris loves Julia says
I love the upgrades! Free art is the best. I actually framed an entire paint swatch and it made a beautiful ombre work of art. I’ll have to try your method as well because I love it so much!
Chris loves Julia
Jenny @ Words On Wendhurst says
Switching out the sepia horse print was a good call. That graduated art is very pretty! :-) I like the striped pillows, and $9 was an awesome price – even if they were just the pillow forms!
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
I really like the new pillows. And I can see where you’d want everything a little more asymmetrical. We do the same thing, build rooms as we go. Once the season changes or we add something new, I start looking around and I discover other things that bug me. Recently, I changed out the art in our bedroom, which made me change our bedding, which made me buy new nightstands: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/summer-swap/ I think rooms should be built over time, and even if you love everything the first time, it seems after living with it for a while, you get bored and change things up. And that’s what keeps us happy. Ha.
Meagan says
I am loving the new art you have going on. The two horse prints always seemed too busy to me. This is way more my jam. and I am loving the dandelion print…I love some dandelions.
Toni says
I really like it, y’all! I had tried something similar to your paint swatch idea, but with not such as fabulous results. In this case, the more the merrier! I only used nine paint swatches, and it read as just that- paint swatches. Using that many together is a stroke of brilliance! Great work!
ALittleBite says
I wasn’t a huge fan of the horses, so I like the new arrangement much better!
ashley says
I’m loving all the changes in this room. The look is becoming more “gathered over time” as they say, and you have so much more freedom without that WE duvet cover.
Jocelyn says
Been reading your site from the other side of the world (Australia)for a while now and love it. Am inspired to do my own version of paint chip art. Thanks.
Corinne says
I’m on the fence about the pillows….I like them, but I’m not sure I like them in that room. However, I’m loving the free art! The paint swatch “photo” is really cool!
Adriane Wacker says
Great idea with the paint swatches…I like the look of the new frames much better. I really liked the horse pictures, but I REALLY like the non-symetrical look and the dandelion is classic! Good Job!
Sarah says
I am in love with all your new art!! The twigs and berries are to die for, and I may copy your paint swatch art. These are my favorite types of posts, because you make something super cool out of what you already have.
Iomay says
1) I love Stripes so these pillow totally did it for me
2) LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the change out of the artwork. It is so fun and it doesn’t feel contrived.
3) Can I say how much I love it all, again?! :)
Reading this blog is such a good usage of Carrigan’s nap time. Seriously who needs to clean anyway? :)
Christina says
I bought the same pillows in Aqua! Love them!
Jen says
I love the paint swatch art… what a creative idea. I think I may have to try something similar for free art in my guest room. I’ll have to pick up some more samples on my next Lowe’s trip.
Lindsay says
I love it all!!!
Michele Daggar says
I love that Ikea dandelion print! I’m sure it’s not for sale anymore, but how long ago did you get it?
The paint chip picture is absolute perfection to me. Seriously, if only there were more hours in the day. Not for me to make that picture, for you to make one for me silly! Really, I love both of these, and the ORB is a very addictive habit.
Way to go Sherdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh gosh we got that about four years ago maybe? I hope they still sell it though! It came in a pack of three prints (all with plant-related photos).
xo,
s
Sam says
Ok, L-O-V-E the art change up. I can totally see how it helps the room pull together, and the dandelion print really pulls the other plants and flowers prints in. :D Although, hmmmm, the jury is still out on the green stripy pillows. It might be the way they look on the screen but they look a bit odd next to the lovely warm green of the curtains and the other cushion. Although, thats just me. A+ on the art switcheroo though.
p.s. just totally had to google how to spell dandelion, oh dear. :S
Stephanie says
I LOVE the changes! The room was beautiful to start, and it’s coming together even more beautifully. Great updates!
Maureen in NY says
I am sure you have answered this question before, but since I am fairly new to the blog, hopefully someone won’t mind answering again. Where did you get the chandelier? I NEED that in my home. Pronto.
YoungHouseLove says
It was $49 from Ikea! It’s called Maskros and it comes in two sizes, we got the smaller one (yes, believe it or not, that’s the little one in our room!).
xo,
s
Debbie~refreshrestyle says
love it all!
Paige says
Love! I’m a big fan of making my own artwork, too. Have you ever tried anything with scrapbook paper?
YoungHouseLove says
We did! Here ya go:
https://www.younghouselove.com/five-dolla-art/
https://www.younghouselove.com/nursery-progress-adding-some-art/
xo,
s
Emma says
I Young House LOVE it! Well done. Also, Home Goods is my happy place.
{love+cupcakes} says
I love, love, love that framed paint swatch idea! Brilliant!
Jenny says
This is totally random & you may have addressed it before but I love how the light fixture from your bedroom is perfectly centered within the bathroom mirror in the picture where you are showing the after view from your bed…it made my OCD happy :)
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that awesome?! We had to place the bed really carefully so it all looked centered, but we love that the light and the window are “automatically” lined up!
xo,
s
Megan@reFind says
I totally pinned the paint chip idea. I have just been waiting for the right spot for one so I can choose colors :) Love it
Kristina Strain says
I love the asymmetrical art arrangement way better than the matched horses. Not that I hated the matched horses, mind you. This looks way more organic and natural, which I definitely go for. Also, what’s with the trike on the vanity?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s something we found on vacation here: https://www.younghouselove.com/getting-sandy/
xo,
s
Courtney says
I really like both those striped pillows and the new “unsymmetrical” art. I love seeing how this room continually develops. However my eyes kept getting drawn to what looks like some sort of tricycle on the vanity counter. I can’t remember if we’ve seen that before, but I would love to see a close-up and hear how it ended up there.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a vacation find from here: https://www.younghouselove.com/getting-sandy/
xo,
s
Holly@Loveoflifeblog says
Wow I love this paint chip art! It reminds me of the Ombre trend! I love these changes, and especially the striped pillows!
Susie says
What did I miss – what happened to the old (new) duvet cover? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Click the link in the first paragraph to the twig and berries art for that story!
xo,
s
Crystal says
I love the new art and the pillows!
Katie @ Epistle says
I love the pillows!
Moving the horse art makes me a little sad – though I understand about balance. I just loved the horses both up there so much…
Oh well :)
Ali says
Ditto! I’m probably the only person who liked the old bedspread better too.. Oh well! As long as it’s what you guys love.
Julie says
I took your inspiration for more pillows and unbalanced art and hope to be applying it to my living room soon. If I can ever decide on a new area rug…
Juli
ilikebeerandbabies.com
beth in dc says
Very nice changes. Speaking as a fellow pillow addict, I know how they can spur tweaking. And what is that little bicycle that appeared by the sink?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s something we found while on vacation. Here’s that link for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/getting-sandy/
xo,
s
Laurie says
Love your “new” art. It looks fantastic there, much more sophisticated and less amateur.
Maury @ AFabulessHome says
I saw those pillows there and I wanted them so badly but they dont have a color that matches any of my rooms. I thought about getting them anyway, but I showed a little restraint (for once!)
Jules says
Did you think about swapping the location of the art? Put the horse print above the dresser, and the two new pieces above the armchair? The color balance might look better. Dark horse print, over the dark armchair, makes that side of the room look darker. Love the new artwork though, and the pillows look great.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s a good idea! Never thought about that, but we certainly could tweak things again down the line!
xo,
s
gk says
i like this idea! you could even do a photoshop mock-up before making the switch, to see if it works for you.
YoungHouseLove says
Alas, we tried it and didn’t like it as much. The darker horse print looked way too top heavy over the lighter dresser (the dark chair grounds it nicely). It was definitely worth a try though!
xo,
s