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.
thelady says
Neat idea for the prints! I must steal. For Spray Mount, that stuff might not be strong enough. I always used 3M Super 77 in school and at work for mounting. Don’t know if it’s acid free but it is intense. Like, fingers sticking together intense, my upholsterer uses it for wrapping cushions and stuff! It is really strong.
Mary says
love your stuff. you’re right about the calm balancing with the bold. Totally in denial about Oprah. So weird. I said I wouldn’t cry but I totally cry when she cries! Ugh, I don’t know. And we don’t get OWN because freakin’ cable is like a gazillion dollars and I hate the cable companies just on principal. I mean, please, they hike costs for no reason at all. So… I guess I’ll be blowin up her email hahaha!
Lindsay says
To be honest, I hated the images when you put them up originally. But now? With everything mounted, etc…I love it! It’s perfect. As for the mishap with the spray adhesive…I’m genuinely surprised! I used it all the time to affix prints to paper back in the day. Glad you found a solution.
Rachel Z says
Looks great! :) And…I totally sleep on the side furthest away from the door. My husband knows the drill whenever we are sleeping somewhere else. Although he was stumped one time when there was a door on one side and a sliding glass door on the other side of the bed! Haha…
L says
The photoshopped “sample” didn’t do a thing for me — but I really like the finished “real” picture. The prints have a lot more color than I thought they did, and I’m with everyone else, the switch was totally right.
Good job!
Jill says
Sheweeee! Sherry, take yourself a deep breath or two!That was a long post. But I LOVED it. The horse prints turned out awesome. I think sometimes interior designers feel like they have to be the know it all about their field, but honestly I am in the minority of my graduating class and those that came before me and after me. I say, if it makes you feel happy and it is pleasing to the eye, but make sure there is some common thread… then GO FOR IT!!! I will tell you what I think looks the best, but those are my opinions and at the end of the day you have to live with your space, not me. I just make suggestions and help keep you on the right path. Kind of like a coach!! My basketball coaches didn’t sit on the sideline and say “pass to her, drible 3 times, pump fake, now shoot, okay, you missed, pick up the ball and pass it to me because you are a doing a horrible job of it and I can do better”. HA!
Jill says
And whew, now I will take a deep breath myself. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we’re just both excitable creatures.
xo,
s
Jill says
Oh yeah and about the sleeping on a particular side of the bed: I like to sleep furthest away from the door so the intruder kills the other person first, or if I am sleeping alone then I have a little more reaction time to knock him in the jewelry case. HOWEVER, my mother says that this will change when I have children because you will want to be closest to the door so your children will run straight to your side of the bed… because we ALLLLLL know (as much as I adore my loud snoring, now hard of hearing Dear Old Dad) the men don’t wake up for the kiddos quite as well as Momma does. :) JUST SAYIN. NO OFFENSE TO JOHN!!! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, John’s dad of the year! He gets Clara every morning and brings her to me so I can nurse her while laying down slash half-sleeping. He’s the best!
xo,
s
Ashley Watson says
okay i like it ALOT more now that the natural light is on it.. the photoshop version was a no-go for me.. but yes i love it… the colors in the picture mix well with the colors in the chair, dresser and even the pig on the dresser.. me likey! :)
Amber Lee D. says
I always have to sleep on the side farthest from the door too. No matter where we are …hotels, home or a friends/relatives place. I declared this fact to my hubby when we were first married and it has continued down to this day 19 years later. I also can’t sleep with closet doors open. LOL So glad to find out that there are others out there like me.
Lorie Smith says
Very pretty…looking at all that you’ve done in your house is so inspiring and it really makes me step back and look at styles differently. I’ve always thought that I was a very traditional person when it comes to styles of home furnishings and art and whatnot, but I could move right into your house and be super happy, it’s so alive. I would love to completely empty my house and piece by piece put things back in differently…or better yet, maybe I could get you and John and Clara to come and help me redo my entire house! :)
dinah says
ooh i love how the horse print on the right is warm-toned and matches the warm colored dresser whereas the cooler-toned print on the left matches the chocolate brown chair! It seems balanced that way.
Love it!
Monika says
You can have a yeeeeehaw! (It’s something we’ll be saying frequently once the Stampede starts).
I really like the prints mounted on the canvases. You guys are definitely doing a great job of taking more risks and having everything look put together.
I like what you said about having the more calm areas of the house balance out the moodier areas. My parents house has always been decorated that way and I think that’s why it works so well. They’ve painted rooms every color of the rainbow (except orange) and everything always seemed to fit together because there was always a good balance, it was never overwhelming.
Also, Oprah has been on for my entire life, so it’s kinda weird that it is finally over. I am sad, but I loved her last episode.
Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says
Although I wasn’t a fan at first, I must say that I really love the way those prints look mounted on the canvases and I’m happy you were able to save them!
Random note: I too like to sleep on the side of the bed that’s furthest away from the door haha Maybe it’s a girl thing? You know, in case someone breaks down the door your man is right there to save you from any harm :)
Ashley J says
Great idea! We have been searching for some less-expensive art and I think this may be the ticket! As a side note, where did you get your bed spread in the master bedroom. LOVE IT!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s from West Elm a few months back. I think it sold out (it was on clearance when we got it) so maybe try Ebay?
xo,
s
Andi says
I wasn’t sure about those horsies in the mock-up but they are a beaut on the walls. :)
Jessica G in NN says
Sherry- You said so many things that I was giggling at today. Great work. #1- Popples-WHAAT?! I bet I still have some of those hiding at my mom’s house in a box of old stuffed animals. If so, totally sending one to Clara so she can share in the joy of 80s toys. HAH.
Also- sides of the bed: yes. yes. My husband and I change sides every time we move the furniture around because I have a weird thing about the door and having to be near it. It’s like, if someone were to (dreadfully) get into our house, I would take them out with sheer will and seeing them for an extra .3 seconds before my strong, wonderful husband, who would inevitably save me. Weird, but I understood your move.
And as far as Oprah- it’s just so weird. Did you ever get to Oprah-fy yourself? There is a website and my friend made (essentially) photoshop yourself onto one of Oprah’s AMAZING old looks. It’s pretty freaking hilarious and mine was AWFUL. But she did our friend Michael and it looked amazing. Seriously. Amazing. Google it and enjoy. :) Happy Thursday!
YoungHouseLove says
I know how I’ll be spending the next fifteen minutes. Hah. Love it!
xo,
s
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
Love it! I was a bit worried about the whole spray-mounting thing, but it looks great and totally professional!
rhiannon says
i am totally in denial about oprah. my boyfriend almost deleted the last episode off of our dvr and i dramatically yelled across the room, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO” before he could do the deed. whew. i’m going to watch this last episode again, just because she said so many wonderful things. i definitely don’t want to forget any of it.
YoungHouseLove says
I can’t believe I’m admitting this out loud (on the internet no less) but I’m planning to watch it again and take notes. She’s just the smartest lady I know.
xo,
s
Meredith K A says
I dunno…she’s super smart with so many things, but then there are the crazy things like suzanne sommers self-help pump-yourself-full-of-plant-derived-estrogen crap and think-youself-successful hokey. I struggle to match the two extremes! She certainly is brilliant as an entertainer, no question.
Kari says
Hi Sherry! I’ve been wanting to do this for forever but have been too chicken to be out money if I messed it up. Thanks so much for doing this post – it helps me a TON! One of the questions I had when I was thinking about doing this was whether or not I would need to flatten the poster before I glued it to the canvas? Did you flatten your posters out before you adhered them to the canvas, or did you just go to town with the rolled up poster?
Again, thanks SO much!
YoungHouseLove says
They came out of the tube and actually were pretty relaxed (see the top pic where the poster is laying on the canvas without curling very much except for a little at the ends). I would definitely flatten them if they keep rolling, but if they lay mostly flat it should work. Good luck!
xo,
s
e.p. says
Even though I am not into horses you manage to make it look like something I would like in my own room! ha. Your room is so cozy & that guest room is to die for. If I visited someone and got to stay in a beautiful room like that I might wear out my welcome…
LARY says
You have inspired me to go buy a canvas and maybe print out one of my own photos to create a cool piece! We have a wall that is dying to be decorated! (When I say my own photo I mean taken by me not of my face haha.. that will be too funny!)
And your room looks great, thanks for sharing all the details. :)
Allison says
I’m the same way about bed sides. My husband is the protector in case anything happens, so I make him sleep closest to the door. Also, I’m left handed and I think I prefer to sleep facing left on my side as well.
Jessie says
I didn’t check to see if anyone in the comments mentioned this, but working with spray glue the key is to not only spray both sides, but wait for about 30 seconds before adhering them. It’s best used tacky, not right out of the can. Although, I think in the end with this application the glue you used was better
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, I wonder if I didn’t wait long enough. Or I just got bad spray mount (everyone says Super 77 is the best and I got the only kind they had at Michael’s). Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Lynne says
Well, I didn’t want to say it but I wasn’t getting the horse pictures in your bedroom. Don’t get me wrong, I love horses, even have had one or two. I just couldn’t see them in your bedroom. I’m here to eat my words…they look wonderful! I especially like the corner with your comfy-looking chair. Feels serene to me. Great job! (not that you needed my thumbs up or anything.) :)
Jennifer says
I LOVE the beach. I grew up there. And I have always thrown in beach touches through out my house. But I LOVE that you guys are going out on a (what seems to be a) limb. I feel everyone is pale, white, and bleached. Our last house had lots of colors (a few tans/creams/etc)but I had a bold blue DR that was my favorite! We had a grey playroom that instead of mixing with whites and pales we mixed with black and white & some houndstooth and lime green (including some pom poms!)!! Keep up the momentum! I LOVE it!!
Morgan says
I’m absolutely loving the horse art! Of course, I too loved My Little Ponies and Popples. The colors in the prints are picked up so nicely by your wall color…it’s like it was meant to be! love, love, love.
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
Honestly, not a fan of the art. I think there’s too much going on. BUT! You’re the experts and its what makes you guys happy since that your sleeping realm. Love seeing your house come together John and Sherry style! :)
arell says
My Grandmother told me when I became a parent to pick the side furthest from the door so that when sick kids come in and say they are going to puke, they will go for whoever is closest to the door first. She decided to do this after my Aunt puked in her ear one night… if only she’d been farther from the door.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh maaan. That’s a tough lesson to have to learn. Haha.
xo,
s
Ashley says
Wowee, I’m SOLD! They look perfect now that they “switched sides”. I love how they just seem to glow in the room.
B @B Getting Hot says
Noooo don’t delete it ever. It’s far too precious (the last Oprah episode I mean). Although the prints look fantastic and precious too.
YoungHouseLove says
I might not be able to. It’ll stay for the next century. Or until we move and have to turn in our box. Haha.
xo,
s
Mila @ loftyappetite says
It’s so funny that you post this today because my bf and I spent all last night using that same exact spray and spraying down all of our posters down in our frames. They were starting to crinkle and it was driving us nuts, so we got that spray to spray them down to cardboard and then insert into our frames. I never thought of attaching them to canvas! I like that idea. Gets rid of any glare issues from frames.
Your results turned out beautifully! I love how the yellowness of the posters matches your curtains and accents in your bedspread. Brings the whole room together!
Natalie says
Aww noone ever has a clue what I’m talking about when i mention Popples! That just made my day. :)
Love the posters; fun, yet sophisticated. Well done!
Jennifer says
Thanks for the awesome post about taking risks! How do you feel about taking risks with furniture colors? We have a black couch in the living room that I am trying to balance with beautiful chairs that come in orange, green, or neutral beige. Normally, I LOVE bold color but we just bought our first home and the prospect of locking myself into orange chairs and an orange color scheme for the next 5 years is making me cringe a little. Not to mention that they wouldn’t match any other room in the house should we ever want to relocate them. Should I buy the beige chairs and just accent them with colorful pillows and throws for a more flexible color scheme?
YoungHouseLove says
That is soooooo tough. The idea of painted chairs (if they were wood) wouldn’t be too scary since you could always repaint, but armchairs might be harder to repurpose or move as you’ve mentioned. But if you loooove them I bet you’ll love them for a while. We know someone with a teal leather sofa. It sounds crazy but it’s amazing in her space. She used to visit it at the store while she saved her pennies up to buy it and she says she’ll never grow tired of it (she has had it about 5 years already). Anyone else have advice for Jennifer?
xo,
s
Meredith K A says
I guess if you’re set on a specific chair already this won’t help, but if you get chairs that are either slipcovered or reasonably easy to re-upholster, a bold color would be easier to stomach because you could change it with just a little bit of money, time, and effort. Any chance the chairs you love are re-upholster-able?
Jami says
Wow! I can’t believe how good those look! Not that I totally questioned yall originally but I kind of did! The horses originally felt sort of like one of things that doesn’t belong but had the potential to be cool and grow on someone. I seriously love it in the end! What a real tale of trying and succeeding! It’s definitely something I have to learn and embrace! I’m excited to see what’s next! :)
betty says
Just lovely. What kind of black paint and brush would you recommend using for the sides of the canvas?
YoungHouseLove says
I think any craft store black paint (it’s like 99 cents) would work with a small brush (maybe about a half-inch long). Or you could use latex house paint in a test pot for a few bucks from Home Depot or Lowe’s (just pick a black swatch from the wall that you like). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
ellis says
Okay, you have to read this:
http://ask.metafilter.com/136280/According-to-tradition-which-side-of-the-bed-should-a-man-sleep-on
I realized that it makes me most comfortable to sleep away from the door too- thought this discussion was so interesting!
YoungHouseLove says
So interesting!
xo,
s
Rana says
Your room looks great! Had to laugh at the changing sides bit. My husband does the same thing hotels, trips home, moving houses, always changing “his side of the bed”. I finally realized that he likes to be by the door. Guess it’s his sub conscience way of being the protector.
Em says
Lovely! I did the same side-switching thing when we rearranged our room, which drove my husband crazy. He joked that I didn’t want to be on the “kill side”. I kinda freaked while he calmly explained that if a killer came into our room he would kill the person he encountered first. I am NEVER switching back after that comment!
Diana says
I was just thinking how lucky your parents are that you have this great blog. Must be fun for them to see what is new with the house and baby on a regular basis! Your blog is definitely one of my favorites!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks. The funny thing is that all of our parents call us to ask what’s going on instead of checking the blog most of the time. Haha. But when they do check the blog they usually just skim through for Clara pics. Which is totally understandable! We love her pics the most too. Haha.
xo,
s
Jen says
Yesssssssss!!! You just gave me the idea for my huge 20×30 picture that’s been hiding in my closet since we moved in December. I want it above our bed, but don’t want to risk a huge frame falling on my head someday. I could handle a canvas falling on my head. Haha!
Lisa in Seattle says
I never doubted your horse art (hi, Bob!) for a minute. I love how the horizon line in John’s print adds tranquility to that corner, and the dynamic angles in your print break up the rectangular lines of the dresser.
Anybody who breaks into our bedroom will slam nads-first into the bedpost, as our furniture is a bit big for the space and located right near the door. I figure the high-pitched screams will wake us up and we’ll have plenty of time (plus a serious advantage) to defend ourselves.
YoungHouseLove says
Hilarious. I love your burglar-deterring furniture arrangement.
xo,
s
Jamie says
The prints looks amazing. I love all the before-and-after’s. The house looks terrific. Really nice choices and pops of color. Thought you might appreciate this DIY take on your bedroom chandelier: http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/05/diy-sputnik-chandelier.html
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that amazing?! I looooove it!
xo,
s
Diana says
Definitely understandable!! Clara is huggably adorable!
Funny thing is that I’ve told our kids (they are about your age) about your website, and I’m always mentioning things I saw on it. You would think that you were one of my own kids!! haha
ashleyD says
everything you two do is always dead on for my eye!! but! for some reason i think the new prints should be sides should be switched!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we tried it both ways and liked this way better (mostly because our faves were on “our” sides).
xo,
s
Lydia says
Ok you HAVE to swap the photos! The dark on the bottom of the beach photo would balance out the dark chair and the softer browns in the running photo would balance the dresser if they were swapped. Sorry if that means you need to switch sides of the bed too; it has to happen.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we tried it both ways and actually prefer this way better after stepping back and staring at both possibilities. I think one reason we like this version better (other than because our faves are on “our” sides) is because it’s nice that the yellower tones of the dresser are mirrored in that print and the deeper tones of the chair are reflected in the chair. Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Kay says
Thank you for sharing this print mounting technique. But I have to say, I think the horse art is horrible.
I appreciate you posting about affordable art options, but I have to say I also dislike your color-block art in the living room… I think it’s a too “literal” interpretation of your color scheme. But, I love your posts anyway!
kathren says
I’m sorry, but I’m at a loss as to why grown people would post these types of comments. Isn’t there a basic civility rule such as “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?
Gil says
Sherry and John have written at the bottom of each post that they will nix comments that are snarky but these types of comments are always posted anyway. Wonder why?
I’m impressed that this time there are no replies from Sherry about “not reading this blog if it doesn’t do it for you.” It so much more pleasing to read the blog when Sherry is not defending how she has chosen to decorate or posts a comeback for a writer who criticizes something. It’s best to ignore critics cause you really can’t please everyone, or don’t post them.
By the way the art looks great!
Meredith K A says
1. Totally love the My Little Ponies and Popples references. As a child of the 80’s, it totally made my day! (I believe I’m about a year younger than you – just turned 28)
2. I bought some 3M Adhesive Spray a while back with the intent of upgrading a Van Gogh print I have to a better display method, but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet because I’m scared about not centering it right and/or getting wrinkles…do you think the acrylic paint-on adhesive would make that easier? For either method, was it possible to make small adjustments once it was down, or how did you get it all lined up just so? (Once I get that project done, I have a HUGE 72″ map I need to somehow mount and hang, so this is all really good info for me right now!)
3. I’m loving your bedroom. Envious of all the space…our master is pretty small. I converted my side of his-and-hers closets into a nook for a dresser to free up more floor space, and the new layout is SO much better, but I couldn’t talk hubby into curtains to replace the crooked, ugly bi-fold doors, so now that my side’s bi-folds are gone, I am hoping to put up a curtain on mine this summer so he hopefully sees it and realizes it would be great on his side too. But yeah, really loving your bedroom. For the record, I think the mirror-over-the-window is brilliant and perfect and looks great. I also love how the ceiling light is always reflected in it since they’re all centered together with the bed!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Meredith. You can more easily make adjustments with the acrylic medium for sure! It takes a while to cure up so you have more “open” time which is nice. Although I’d definitely recommend having someone else on hand so you can each hold two corners and easily shift it until you love the placement. Good luck!
xo,
s
Meredith K A says
PS: My hubby and I switched sides of the bed multiple times since we first moved in together, including one stint in our last apartment where I was closer to the door now that I think about it. I happen sleep farthest from the door now, and I’m pretty sure our sides of the bed are now set for good, but the reason is that I prefer to fall asleep on my left side and I also prefer to fall asleep facing out (so no hot breath in my face), so that’s how I ended up on my side of the bed! But I love all the caveman protection instinct theories, it makes sense! Haha
Tiffany says
If the photos start to peel again, try 3M Super 77. I used it in college for project presentations (architecture major, 20×40 presentation boards). It’s by far the best spray adhesive. Their website says it’s photo safe.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! So many people have said great things about that stuff. Good to know!
xo,
s