Woo to the hoo. Our bedroom horse art arrived, so we’re back to share the whole how-to-affix-them-to-canvas adventure. The title might have already given it away, but even though they arrived on Monday afternoon (spoiler alert) it took two attempts to get ‘er done in this instance.
First I went with the ol’ spray adhesive route (for $4 from JoAnn with a coupon), since I used this for anything and everything back in my art school days (it was like the duct tape of our world). It’s usually a great candidate since it’s acid free (which means it’s good for not ruining prints) and it’s listed as “all purpose” and “permanent” right on the label.
It was as simple as spraying the back of the poster (while it was upside down) along with the front of the canvas and then starting at one side of the canvas and lining up the corners and sort of rolling the print down to adhere it as I went. I was able to do it all myself (without any John help) and even snapped this pic midway through. Girl power.
Oh and I did this in the sunroom since I could seal off the fumes from the rest of the house while wearing my mask and opening the doors and windows to the outside world and running the fan (it’s stinky stuff). So if you ever dabble in spray mounting it’s great to do it outside or in a highly ventilatable space like a sunroom or screened in porch.
But back to my method. After laying my poster in place, I gently used a credit card my Kroger card to smooth things out (gentle is the key word, you don’t want to end up with scratches or dents):
Then I did the same thing with the other guy:
Wham, bam thank you ma’am. Or so I thought. I hung them with pride and marveled that it only took about twenty minutes to attach my prints to my canvases. I may have even done that thing where you clasp your hands together and shake them on either side of your head in a victory dance of sorts. Can’t confirm or deny that.
And then tragedy struck. Ok that’s a little dramatic. More like things slowly became un-stuck. Boo hiss (my dad always says that and I crack up). I noticed that they were looking a little wiggly and less taut before bed, and within about 12 hours (by early Tuesday morning) there were actually big speed bump looking separations between the print and the canvas. I should have taken a picture but I was too worried/annoyed/bummed to remember to document it. It was the butt crack of dawn and I kinda thought all was lost. Oh well, I did mention at the end of my horse art post on Monday that I could royally mess this project up. Do I know thyself or what? Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. But I gave a little tug at the corner of one print and happily learned that it was actually really easy to peel the prints right off of the canvas so I could essentially start all over again. The horse photography gods must have been smiling down on me.
So next it was on to method numero dos. This time I googled around for a more “heavy duty” technique that was a bit more reliable and commonly recommended. I found this and this, which both suggested using acrylic medium as glue. The kind that I grabbed was Liquitex Matte Varnish from Michael’s (for $3 with a coupon):
I brushed a thin and even coat onto the surface of the canvas…
… along with the back of the poster…
… and then stuck them together using the same method as I did with my spray mount, although for some reason I needed John’s help this time. So maybe have an extra person on hand to help you line up corners and keep your print from folding or getting crinkled as you go. Specifically I had two corners and John had two corners and we placed my two corners down first and sort of rolled the rest of the print down (like the second pic of this post while using the spray adhesive) and that seemed to be a great way to avoid bubbles or crinkles. Some small air pockets did occur, but I was able to work them out from the middle of the canvas towards the edges (gently with the palm of my hand). Oh and some folks can have a reaction to acrylic medium (we didn’t, but noticed it said that on the container) so wearing thin latex gloves while touching the corners and placing the print might be a good idea.
Sorry we didn’t snap any photos of this step (all of our hands were in use) but here’s the finished – and very secure – result after we adhered both prints with the Liquitex varnish and then laid them flat for a full 24 hours to cure (I didn’t want them to buckle or slide off the wall while they were drying). We’ve both taken a few steamy showers in the adjoined bathroom over the last few days and they really appear to be stuck for the long haul this time (after spray mounting I could tell they might be a bit wiggly, but they felt a lot more cured and hardened about 12 hours after I used the acrylic medium). Sweet. Of course I’ll keep you posted if it all comes crumbling down. But so far, so good.
As for the sides of the canvases, I debated painting them charcoal or deep brown or even using some metallic paint, but opted to just leave them white for now. The clean look works for us (it ties into the white trim and the mirror hanging above the sink between them). And as for covering the front with something (like acrylic medium or Mod Podge) we decided that we liked the smooth print-like finish for now too. But if anyone at home is planning to use something like acrylic medium over your print or poster I’d recommend testing it out on a tiny area first, just to make sure it doesn’t make anything cloudy or runny (although I’ve heard it’s usually great – just call me Captain Careful).
We did switch the sides that we hung them on (from my original photoshop rendering), since J liked the one on my side more and I liked the one on his side more. Now we can each wake up and see our favorite prints from our side of the bed (J’s is the beach one and mine is the wild horses one). Sidenote: We realized that we switched “sides” when we moved, and finally figured out why. No matter where we live, I subconsciously prefer to be on the side furthest from the door. I guess I feel more cozy and nestled that way. Weird, huh?
One of my favorite things about the prints is how luminescent they are. That soft glow is definitely something that our rough little photoshop rendering didn’t account for, which is why some people might have been turned off by how much harsher they looked in that “guestimate.” Or they might just think horse art is weird. Which is valid (I know not everyone is on the Equine Train with me). I’ve always had a strange animal fascination – I just graduated from My Little Ponies and Popples (remember those?) to ceramic and photographic versions.
In money news, each poster (found here and here) would have been $169 to get ‘em printed on canvas to the size that I wanted and I was able to DIY each one for just $64 a pop (including the poster and the large canvas). So I saved over $200 bucks. Here’s hoping it sticks.
And now for a money shot of the sink nook. My least-favorite-to-favorite place in the house. We really like that the light & airy nook is a nice counterpart to the moody horse photos (we thought lighter/softer art might be a little too sweet and matchy-matchy for our tastes, so we went for something a little wild to contrast the big white mirror).
As we mentioned in the original poster post on Monday, we know these prints are a bit of a departure from our first house’s beachy, light, and airy (and sometimes very “safe”) style. And that art is definitely one of those in-the-eye-of-the-beholder things. In general, we’re having a lot more fun taking risks in this house (although every time I think I’m going to shock & repulse my mom she ends up liking it, which is totally throwing me off). Embracing the Just Gotta Do You School Of Decorating (which is taught by Queen Latifah in my mind) has allowed us to be more true to ourselves, and our house already feels more special and more like us.
One brave-for-prudes-like-us choice seems to somehow fit right in with the next one, and it gets easier to trust ourselves as we go. All with minimal nail biting and second guessing, which was a constant occurrence at our first house. I’m not going to say that we’re never nervous (just the idea of saying that makes me nervous), but lately we’ve had some luck doing the whole “what’s the worst that can happen?” exercise and it has always been something not-that-bad (ex: we’ll get new art, we’ll repaint, we’ll return something, etc). Which are all things worthy of ending up with a house that we love – so we get all Thelma & Louise and hold hands and drive off the cliff together. Oh and one more I’m-kinda-freaking-out tip: it’s always nice to look back on other bold-ish choices that we’ve made since moving here when we need a slap of it’ll-hopefully-be-worth-it confidence, like the painted backs of the built-ins in the dining room (which were so much more of a visual payoff than leaving them white)…
… and the still-in-progress contrast-y dark-beamed and dark-sectionaled living room (we were ready to try something beyond the white beams and the white slipcovered sofa in our first house’s den)…
… and the deeply saturated guest room (which is kind of moody but still happy and fun)…
To us, our little ponies in the bedroom just seem to fit right in with the photos above. It feels like home.
And it’s so crazy to think that it looked like this five months ago:
You thought I’d wrap things up with those before shots, right? Nope. Still babbling. Because the other day I had this thought that I wanted to share with you guys: although all of the risky-bid-ness that we’ve been experimenting with is definitely fun, one thing that we never expected was that it would work so well with the softer and more calm “moments” in our house, like the serene white-framed hall art gallery:
We’re learning that it’s not all or nothing. Areas of color and contrast seem to go well with (and balance out) the less bright and saturated spaces. So going bold in one spot doesn’t mean your whole house necessarily needs to be saturated and stimulating. It’s as if those quieter zones seem to temper things (like our white-on-gray frame gallery which leads to our more colorful and contrasty bedroom). A little of Column A, a little of Column B if you will.
In short, we’re definitely still “students” who are just figuring things out as we go. Wax on, wax off. Diving in and having fun and embracing the whole trial-and-error and why-the-heck-not approach seems to work when it comes to inching towards a place that feels like us. Yes, this is another one of those yay-you moments where I encourage you to go for it and play around and be brave and have fun – all in the name of landing on something that you couldn’t love more. After all, it’s only paint/art/bedding etc – so it’s likely something that you can semi-easily undo if you hate it. So quit horsing around (aww yeeeeah, a last-line-of-the-post horse pun) and just go for it. Can I get a yeehaw? No? Alrighty then.
Psst- Here’s an awesome post all about taking risks from The Nesting Place. She says it a lot better than I do, so… what she said.
Psssst- Is anyone else in total denial that Oprah is over? I can’t bring myself to delete her last episode from our DVR, so I guess it’ll sit there a while. Maybe for twenty fiiiiiive years.
Erin says
I love the horses!
And thank you for the Popples link; it made me think of Wuzzles, which were my favorite. (Is that what they were called? They were a combo of two animals. Mine was a lion/bee.) Memories, light the corners of my miiiiind….oops! Sorry. I get carried away. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
OH MY GOSH THE WUZZLES! I forgot all about those guys.
xo,
s
Meredith K A says
HA yay for even more awesome 80’s toys. Teddy Ruxpin, anyone? I also had an original cabbage patch kid, like the kind my mom had to wait in line for. My sister still sleeps with hers. But I guess those are still around…?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Teddy Ruxpin. He was the best.
xo,
s
Liz S. says
I’ve found that 3M brand Spray 90 (stronger than the 77)Available at some craft stores and home depot, is the best for spray mounting artwork. You do need to spray both surfaces. Some of the problem may have been the canvas.. They often have a coating on them that seems to deter the poster from sticking.
Just my two bits!
YoungHouseLove says
So good to know! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Christina W. says
I read something a few years ago that a study was done and men typically take the side closest to the door and women the farthest. It’s subconscious, but has to do with feeling secure. Weird, huh?
YoungHouseLove says
Totally weird! But it makes sense.
xo,
s
Robin @ our semi organic life says
If we don’t what does that say about our relationship? hmm..
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, well I’m the “bug hunter” in our house (John leaves that stuff to me) and he cooks and does laundry- so I think our roles are a bit untraditional but it works! Haha.
xo,
s
Liz says
The horse prints look fantastic! I think they add a lot of sophistication to the room, though I guess I would disagree that they are somehow a “bold” or “risky” choice. They just work, IMHO! Thinking I need one of those prints now for my house. I have a thing for animals too, mostly of the abstract variety, like the Picasso drawings.
Cara says
I like it. I am planning on mounting some engagement and wedding pics in our bedroom. I’m thinking of using self adhesive foam board. Have you tried it?
http://www.foamboardsource.com/self-adhesive-foam-boards–self-adhesive-foam-board–1-2–self-adhesive-foam-board.html
I figured they would then be light enough to attach with 3m picture hangers.
My husband likes to sleep on the side closest to the door so he can “protect” me too. But at our new house I sleep next to the french door that goes straight outside so not sure I’m protected any better on that side!
YoungHouseLove says
Never tried it but it sounds like a great plan! Let me know how it goes. And good luck!
xo,
s
Carolyn says
So I’ve been really enjoying your transformation and especially the bolder choices you’ve been taking. But as you reflected on the slow(ish) process of home renovation and decoration, it made me think about my own situation and wonder if you have any advice.
I’m a soon-to-be-newlywed who is also moving into a rental in 3 weeks. I know we’ll only be there a year (due to work relocation), so huge investments are out. How do we make it feel like “us” in a short amount of time (no luxury of a 5 month bedroom makeover) and on the cheap?
YoungHouseLove says
I think hanging stuff on the walls can really make you feel like you’re home. It was a big shift in when our house started to really feel like ours. And it can move with you to your next place. So I’d suggest framing photos you love and even DIYing some stuff (fabric stretched around a canvas, some abstract swirly oil painted creation, etc) and then you can take it with you. Curtains can also make a room feel so dramatically different, so I’d go with some extra long ones (you can take them with you and hang them in your next place too- since you can just mount the rod high and wide again, regardless of the actual window measurements. Good luck!
xo,
s
ruthie says
Let me just say I read the sentence about you and your husband switching sides of the bed when you moved… and my husband and I have totally done that. Even when we go to our in-laws I pick the side further away. The reason? Because I haven’t grown up yet and I’m still afraid of the boogie man! I know he’ll reach my husband first and thus I feel safe.
p.s. I’m a modge-podge kind of girl
darcie says
I just LOVE your style! Job well done!!!! :)
Tracy says
I do the same thing about sleeping furthest from the door. Although for me, it’s totally a conscious decision – I want hubby between me and any inruders!
Rebecca says
Guys, I am so with you on the “what’s the worst that can happen?” train! I moved into my first apartment (no roommates!) and took a crazy risk on a color for the living room. You know what happened? I hated it. And I repainted. It’s not the end of the world and trial and error is how you figure out what you like. Your new place is amazing and I’m loving all of the “risks” you’re taking. Bravo!
http://needleworksinc.blogspot.com/2011/04/wants-and-desires.html
Paola says
Hi,
I found your website this week and I love it, I have been following you every day, I love your house and all the ideas you share. I am all about DIY and I can’t wait to get my own house to get hands on. I have a 15 month baby and only wonder as I see your proyects how do you do to get them done.
So thanks so much for all the posts and I will keep following you.
PS: sorry for any misspell or bad writing english is my second language and I am working on it.
Paola
YoungHouseLove says
So glad you found us Paola! And your english is perfect! As for how we get stuff done, one of us usually watches the baby and the other one writes posts and answers comments during the day. Then when she naps or goes to sleep for the night we tackle projects. Thank goodness for naps and a 7:30 bedtime!
xo,
s
J&J says
I love the bold choice. Your room looks fantastic. I was wondering if you’ve seen the Ikea Maskros Hack by Little Green Notebook?http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/05/diy-sputnik-chandelier.html
YoungHouseLove says
Yes and it’s amazing! I love that she wasn’t afraid to cut and spray and glue that baby up. So gorgeous!
xo,
s
Jacqueline says
I’m in the “love the horses” and “sleep farthest from the door” groups!
Danielle C says
My husband always has to sleep closest to the door. He says so that he can protect me in case someone breaks in. So sweet!
Allison says
The large rectangle canvases look great with that square window in the middle especially since they’re at different depths and there’s lots of other shapes and textures going on. Thumbs up!
Jill says
Looks great!! The room is feeling more finished and beautiful.
LauraC says
FUnny about switching sides of the bed. We’re Army and move a lot and seem to switch sides every time. For me its either away from the door or closest to the bathroom depending on if I’m pregnant at the time of the move!
Luisa says
They have grown on me and I do like how it picks up the gold in your curtains. Nice job! I have one burning question, however. Do you have plans for the bedroom plant? It seems out of place – not fitting into the rustic or the chic of the bedroom – and somehow screams to be returned to Bali or Bohemia – wherever that is – or even IKEA!
Cheers and don’t mind me …
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I just like something alive in every room so I’m not lonely. I’m also a weirdo about air quality (some Nasa study came out and said that corn plants are some of the best air filtering plants so I got a corn plant, plopped it in the bedroom, and called it good). Maybe someday I’ll upgrade to something chic like a little citrus tree or something!
xo,
s
Laura says
I adore the new prints! Random question about your picture collage in the hallway…my husband and I went to Ikea to pick up some frames, and they had unusual sizes for prints. For instance, we were looking for a matted frame that would hold an 11×14 picture, and they said they didn’t sell 11×14, but sold something like 12×15 (I can’t remember the exact size). Do actual pictures and art prints come in two completely different sizes? If my question doesn’t make sense, I’ll try to rephrase, haha.
YoungHouseLove says
I know what you mean. I think Ikea tries to sell frames in standard sizes (like 12 x 12 and 8 x 10 and 4 x 6 and 5 x 7) but some of the larger ones are kind of random. What I usually do is to find a print that I can trim just slightly and pop in there. A lot of the art in our house isn’t perfectly sized for the frames or mats that we have but I trim it. The key is just to make sure it’s bigger as opposed to too small (which just looks weird if you see the end of the print/poster instead of running it under the mat or frame. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah K says
Ikea has a lot of metric sized frames, which can throw things off when you’re buying prints from another store in the US. I’m totally with Sherry on just trimming prints or pictures.
If you want to frame 8×10 pictures in Ikea 8×10-ish frames, I find the best thing to do is have the pictures printed 8×12 & then trim them. (Costco doesn’t charge any extra for the 8×12 print).
Kim says
Love the link to The Nesting Place-the advice is really great, and I really need to listen to what she says. I think the pictures on canvas idea would be good for a kids room. They always like to have posters, but it is hard to make them look good.
Amanda says
YEEHAW!
There you go. I have no shame in a good out loud burst! :)
I really love “John’s print” with the water, it really compliments your wall colour.
On another note, I really think some sparkly nobs on your nook vanity would be nice. … I may just really love sparkly nobs too.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! New hardware for the vanity (and a few other upgrades) are definitely on the agenda. Can’t wait. I mean YEEEEEEEHAWWW!
xo,
s
Janet @ ordinarymom says
Funny. I realized the same thing about sides of the bed when we travel. But I prefer the side CLOSEST to the door. :)
Sarah says
I’m totally the same when it comes to sleeping furthest from the door, whether it’s at our home or in a hotel. Whenever we go to eat in a restaurant I always have to sit so that I can see the door too. I don’t know why, it’s totally subconscious but my hubby indulges me and automatically takes the seat with his back to the door.
YoungHouseLove says
Sometimes at a hotel it all changes depending on my lip balm and cup of water. How crazy is that? I like them both to be accessible from bed, so if it’s a hotel with just one night table and it’s on the side closer to the door I sleep there. I guess it’s lip gloss and water over all else. Haha.
xo,
s
Jasmine says
My husband is a maniac about habit things, so he ALWAYS takes the same side of the bed no matter what house/hotel/guest room we are in. The weird thing is that since moving to our latest house ‘my’ side ended up away from the door (and closer to the ensuite-bonus!) and found I am sleeping much better. So subconsiously, I think the ‘protection’ thing really matters!
Jamie says
Popples!!!!!!!!!!! I still have my popple, and now my little 2-year-old girl carries it around in her backpack everywhere she goes (along with my entire collection of care bears.) Good times!
oh, and I love love love the art!
YoungHouseLove says
I can’t believe you still have your Popple and your Care Bears. So jealous.
xo,
s
Jenny says
I still have my Care Bear – Love-A-Lot Bear. Do you remember the Care Bear cousins? I still have the elephant – Lotsa Heart.
YoungHouseLove says
No way. I totally remember those!
xo,
s
Naomi says
My Care Bear was Love-A-Lot, too! And yes, I still have it, and my Popple and My Little Ponies. Couldn’t bear (haha!) to part with them – so glad I’m not the only one!
Amanda Wells says
Love the prints! What color did you use for the backs of your bookcase? I somehow missed that! I llooooove the color.
I’m freaking out trying to decide on a paint color for my kitchen – we are getting ready to sell. Hate the cabinet colors, but not willing to tackle that. See it here –
http://www.amandadovewells.com/?p=579
YoungHouseLove says
That’s Dragonfly by Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line (color matched to Olympic No-VOC paint). Love it so much.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Love the prints, love the house, but let’s talk about Oprah!!! Seriously, pulling at every single heartstring that I have over the past week!! Good grief. I have been in an emotionally fragile state. I have the last 3 episodes saved on the DVR to watch again and again. (I may have a problem)
BUT – did you know that she is starting another show in Jan 2012 on her network – called Oprah: The Next Chapter?? It will be only 3 days a week and not sure what format (talk show or otherwise) but I found that out yesterday and it totally helped me. Seriously. I have a problem.
:)
YoungHouseLove says
That does help! Except that we don’t get Own. Stupid cable decided it should be a pay channel in our area. Booooooo! I might have to call and do the ugly cry in hopes of changing their mind.
xo,
s
Emily says
I love the horse prints – but I think I would have preferred them in a more neutral setting – mostly whites and tans. I really like your bedroom, but somehow I don’t like the prints and the bedroom together.
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating says
I love that y’all are taking more risks in this house. I liked your other house, but it did seem “safe”. I think the risks you’re taking here are paying off. I personally love the oversized artwork, and I like that the colors really blend with the curtains without being too matchy.
I’m not surprised that the spray adhesive didn’t work. I’ve never had success with any kind other than the Loctite industrial strength, which is so strong that I actually used it to install the grasscloth wallpaper in my bedroom after having no success whatsoever with wallpaper adhesive. I also like it because it sprays out as a web, which is easier to control, rather than a mist.
Emily says
I really lost my reading focus on this post once you mentioned Popples. Man, did I love my purple Popple. Thanks for the memories!
Hanna says
Although I am not a horse girl myself, I am totally loving this post! You made me realize that my dream of some of these:
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Nyria-Posters_i3406657_.htm
In my office, mounted on canvas, may not be financially impossible! (The mounted on canvas versions are $108 each. Yeouch.) Now I have to just start haunting the craft stores for cheap canvases!
Tara says
this is neither here nor there, but i’m wondering how you feel about the fact that the poster on your side “matches” the dresser in tones while the poster on john’s side “matches” the chair. i think i tend to break up matching tones (so i would have switched the prints to ensure that both sides had a little of each color combination). so do you prefer the prints to reflect the colors of the furniture they’re hung above or was your placement choice simply due to you each having a favorite print?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, never really thought about it. Haha. I think just trying things and seeing what you like best is the easiest way to figure stuff like that out. We hung them both ways and liked this way better (probably because the tones of the items beneath each print subconsciously related as you mentioned, but mostly because John wants “his” on his side and I wanted “mine” on my side). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Meredith K A says
I actually thought your final arrangement was the best from the first time you posted the mock-up, because the more serene ocean scene goes with the serene little sitting nook & tree, so I am totally with you on that one!
Gloria says
I used the same brand of tacky spray to mount large posters at the office I work this month, I’m talking 40+ posters… and it did the exact same thing. I never have the problem when I use Super 77 which is twice as expensive, but gosh darn Aleene and her cheap prices drew me in!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man! I’ve heard great things about Super 77. Might have to try that someday!
xo,
s
Kim says
I thought I always sleep closest to the door, but I think it’s actually closest to the bathroom. Our bathroom door and bedroom door happen to be on the same wall. And usually hotel bathrooms are also near the door. I should just say I am the protector, though! :)
Jen says
I,too, prefer sleeping furthest from the door! I’m glad I’m not alone in that. The prints looks much better in “person” (if I can even say that) than in the mock up. I wasn’t a fan until I saw them really hanging on your walls. Good choice!
Katie says
I am still not feeling these prints, but to each their own. I’m sure if you walked into my house there would be several things you could pick out that you aren’t a fan of either!
Sarah says
I’ll miss Oprah too!! When she started tearing up… I was a goner. Glad I am not the only one who is sad = (. On a happy note, I am inspired by your poster idea. I have a huge blank space on the wall above the t.v. in the living room that needs to be filled on the cheap.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, whenever Oprah cries I cry! Seriously, I can’t help it. She could probably cut an onion on TV and cry and I’d be bawling too.
xo,
s
Joy says
A bedroom for peace. You have gathered the ingredients, mixed them well and produced another great room. Thanks for sharing.
– Joy
Stephanie says
These look way better than in your photoshop version! All that matters is that you two like them. Homes are always a work-in-progress!
Emily says
Nice work! Thanks for the liquitex trick! I’m definitely going to use it. :) I like that the pictures are a bit shiny/glowy. thanks for the chuckles too.
Nadia says
Perfectly timed, for me, for just before a long weekend. I have a bunch of 8×10 photographs that I have been wanting to mount on something for a while, but not sure how best to do it. I like the canvas idea more than just foamcore, not least because the canvas could be already the same size as the photos. In either case, do you think spray adhesive would be enough, or should I go the acrylic route? Both, I assume, have equal fumes?
Thanks for any advice!
YoungHouseLove says
I’d definitely go with the acrylic medium- it worked a lot better for us and was easy to do. It also wasn’t nearly as fumey (although I’d still crack some windows- can’t hurt!).
xo,
s
Nadia says
Thanks!
Heather says
I’m still waiting for an ‘april fools’ on the horse pictures. Are you guys serious?!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we love them. For reals. The big shocker is that my mom just called and she loves them too. Woah.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Your bedroom looks so much more complete now! Really nice job.
And I don’t know why I haven’t noticed this before, but I LOVE the sheepskin rug on top of the big brown one. Such a cool difference in textures.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! Those are so nice to step out onto in the morning. Like a foot hug. Wow, I’m weird today.
xo,
s
Marla says
Totally have the same sleeping arrangements here too:) And did you ever take note of where you sit and where hubby sits when you go out to eat? Without really thinking about it I usually end up sitting with my back to the entrance while my husband is in the seat with his back to the wall allowing him to face the entrance and not having anyone “sneak up” on him. We’ve always figured that maybe it was so he could be the first to respond to any impending danger – haha!
Anyway, the horse art is much softer and easier to process than the photoshop version. There are some things about our homes that we need to go to the “experts” on knowing how to handle. But this is a case where mom and dad know best, I think. It’s not for me, but I appreciate the serene landscape of both prints – the horses aren’t jumping out at me as much as I thought they would. For you, I love it!
YoungHouseLove says
I never pay attention to where we sit in restaurants. So interesting! Now I’m dying to go out to eat to see. Haha.
xo,
s
Stephanie Phillips says
We do the opposite at restaurants. I put my back to the wall because I love to people watch. :)
Ashley says
I saved the last episode too. I just can’t let her go.
Courtney says
I just recently heard about your blog…..love it, very inspiring! I do have a question that’s not totally related to this post but I’m hoping I’ll get a reply. Where did you purchase the big standing mirror in the master bedroom?
Side note: My 3 year old son Liam LOVES Hamburger!! And I think he has a crush on Clara…he keeps asking to look at pictures of her ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, tell Liam that Burger sends him a nervous sniff and an excited lick. And Clara has a drooly kiss with his name on it. As for the leaning mirror, that was a sweet wedding gift from John (he wanted to me get to see myself in my wedding dress before walking out the backdoor to get married in the yard) from West Elm. Although Ikea now sells something exactly like it for a lot less. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
AT says
They look really good! Another thing that comes out in real life versus the photoshopping are the hints of gold-green in the skylines of both that are drawn out by your curtains. Nicely played!
Jodie Kirk says
I loved your first house, and I’m definitely loving this one too!
One thing I feel very uncomfortable with is choosing paint color. It seems no matter what, I always pick the cheesiest, cheapest looking color. One thing you guys have taught me is that glossy/semi-gloss is not the route to go, so thank you for that! Now I just have to work on picking a good color that I love!
Leslie says
Many years ago, a friend of mine told me a statistic (and I cannot remember the figures), but the content is that most men tend to take the side of the bed closest to the door – a protective instict. I take the farthest side now just because of that fact. I would rather him protect me. Also, I like the prints against the wall color. I was kind of skeptical when you photoshopped the art, but it now looks great as one cohesive unit.
KarenC says
Okay… first I have to say that horses just aren’t my thing. Not even white ceramic horse heads. LOL But they work in your space. I like how they fill up the wall and pull out the browns in the dresser and leather chair.
I also love your comments about taking risks. I’ve decided to do that myself in my own home. I’ve gotten courage from reading YHL and seeing all your bold color choices, so I’m going to go for it and do my house in the colors I love and with the things that make me happy. If my wardrobe choices reflect my favorite colors of aqua, turquoise and lime green… why can’t my house? If I love the beach… why can’t my house reflect a bit of that… even if it is a little ranch style house miles away from the shore?
So… I’m going to take a risk and I think I’m going to love the results. Thanks for the inspiration!