We found these babies at a yard sale and haggled them down to $10 a pop. Let’s call them our twig & berries.
We immediately thought the extra tall shape of the frames would be perfect for either side of our bed above the glass based lamps on the makeshift just-for-now side tables (they’re way too small and don’t have any drawers for storage) on this very unfinished side of our master bedroom:
We definitely had plans to change out the art. They’re prints of the berries and wildflowers of Alaska (which is kind of fun and fitting since we honeymooned there) but they felt a bit too grandma for us.
But we loved the long rectangular shape of those $10 frames. So we hung them up, just to see what we were dealing with. Don’t mind all the blank space on either side of the walls, we still have furnishings to add to fill up this cavernous room. And once we change out the side tables we might rehang the art a bit further out from the bed or higher up depending on the new furnishings.
We definitely liked the shape of our new frames, but we weren’t crazy about how the warm wood tones sort of clashed with the darker tones in the thrift store wood candle holders on either side of Sir Ram above the bed…
… along with the leaning mirror, and the leather chair in the corner:
And yes, we’re aware that not all couples aspire to sleep under a giant resin ram head. We are indeed a rare and special breed. Akin to centaurs and unicorns. Speaking of that above-the-bed stuff, we originally mentioned that the maybe-too-small-art might go, but months later it’s still there and has strangely grown on us.
But back to the yard sale frames. I actually decided to do something completely insane for me when it came to them (but totally ain’t-no-thang for anyone else). I opted to spray the frames with oil-rubbed-bronze spray paint. I know you might think that given my recent ORB kick (here and here and here) this isn’t news. But, you my friend, would be wrong-O with a capital O. Why? Because virtually every frame that we own is white (both in this house and our first one) and we must own five million of them! Dark frames have never been our preference. White is my eternal jam..
Until now, apparently. Total curveball. At least to a white-frame loving fool like me.
I’ll spare you the spray painting play-by-play (you can find some general tips here) except to point out these two things:
- the glass was so tightly fitted that I worried I’d break it if I tried to remove it before spraying – so I just covered it with newspaper
- I laid each frame up on a big ol’ rock from the yard so the sides wouldn’t stick to the “drop cloths” and peel off the finish when I picked them up
While I was at it I carefully removed the mats and sprayed those white for a cleaner look.
Now brace yourself for the hottest picture you’ve ever seen on the internet:
My white mom legs + black dress socks = sexy beast. I can’t believe I’m sharing this, but the whole dark sock thing is actually a spray painting trick I implement nearly every time. Instead of worrying about getting rogue drips on my shoes or flip flops (or my feet, which I could then track into the house) I just don some dark socks, spray to my heart’s content, and slip them off at the backdoor so I don’t track anything in (and don’t have to worry about scrubbing my feet or ruining my favorite shoes/flip flops). As for the rest of my outfit, I’m nude. Just kidding. I wear painting clothes that I do not slip off at the door (big drips only seem to fall on my feet).
A few minutes after snapping that photo was when John and I both started giving each other crazy eyes. Which means we were both having strange and exciting ideas (ideas that are completely unrelated to bedding each other under the ram – get your mind out of the gutter).
John: “What if we put those old botanical-looking prints back into these now that the mat and frame is all updated and graphic?”
Sherry: “Just to be suuuuure we’re completely over them – I agree!”
So we hung them up and we really liked them. So we are in fact completely under them (you know, as opposed to over them as we originally anticipated). Sure, they’re still a little grandma, but they’re also something we could picture in Elle Decor or House Beautiful (with more than a $10 price tag on them). And most of all, they make us smile.
Here’s where I’ll stop to acknowledge that not only is hanging a big white ram head over your bed one of those personal preference things maybe-I’m-crazy things, art in general is definitely a place where all folks on the internet won’t come together and unanimously agree. But we’re loving our twig and berries – er flowers and berries. I mean it’s not like we’ll ever entertain in our bedroom – so we don’t have to worry about what other folks might think. Which I hope is nothing weird and kinky due to the ram. Yikes.
Speaking of weird, we got an embarrassingly huge kick out of hanging the berries on J’s side and the flowers on my side. You know, because ladies have flowers and guys have berries. Too far? My deepest apologies.
Then something crazy and completely unexpected happened (manage your expectations, our lives are not that interesting).
John decided to exercise his veto power on the leafy duvet cover that we ordered around seven months ago.
Didn’t see that coming did you? See, back when the duvet cover was one of the first things we bought for our house (deeply clearanced from West Elm) John agreed that we could get it (we have a full agreement agreement, meaning we’re not allowed to buy things without both being ok with it). But he only agreed with one stipulation: that it wouldn’t necessarily be a forever choice. He reasoned that it was affordable enough and I loved it enough not to keep me from ordering it (I was so worried it would sell out and I’d forever regret it slash hold it against John The Tyrant). But he asserted that if someday he should decide that he no longer liked it I would have to be open to looking for something else that we both could love – especially if the price was right and we could sell this baby on craigslist or something.
At the time I grinned and nodded, never thinking that day would actually come. But wouldn’t you know it, John loved those 10 dolla (holla!) yard sale art infinitely more than the compromise duvet. So he decided we should revisit the whole new-duvet-cover-idea and leave the art as-is (since it was kinda circus-y and compete-y to have them both going on at the same time). And you know what? In an even more shocking turn of events I agreed.
Maybe we’re just sentimental suckers and sleeping between prints of wildlife from the place we honeymooned is our idea of romance? Maybe we think rams and flowers and berries somehow belong together? I don’t know. Either way, the leafy pattern in the duvet cover was fighting with our new leafy art so I stripped things down to our white duvet insert from Ikea and we stepped back to survey the scene.
The weird white duvet insert was definitely more compatible with the art than the competing leafy duvet cover, but not quite perfect. Meaning a white duvet cover isn’t going to be what we go for. We’re hoping to find something with less of a bold pattern and more of a subtle texture (like a soft chevron or crosshatched design or something striped or something else entirely). The jury is still out on what will come home with us, but we’re planning a few HomeGoods and TJ Maxx runs just to see what’s out there. And maybe even an Ikea road trip.
The lesson? Grrrrr, don’t compromise. Just hold out to find something you both love. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, right? And I like to think the Alaska prints “found us” because it was meant to be. And we certainly had our fair share of decorating mind-changing in the first house, so it’s only fitting that we work in a few control-alt-deletes in this house too (look honey, it’s a bad computer joke that I threw in just for you).
So yeah, we’re thinking about selling the old duvet cover on ebay or craigslist. There are some on there for over $100 and we only paid $42 for our king-sized guy thanks to sales and coupon codes. So who knows, maybe we can recoup the entire cost and list it for $45 in great-but-slightly-used condition. We shall see…
As for what the kids think, Clara toddled into the bedroom and gave the new art two thumbs up (not lying, but she does happen to do that gesture a lot). And Burger gave it one paw sideways. He’s such an art snob.
Do you guys have any duvet cover switches or “rewinds” going on? Has anyone else had their man exercise veto power in a surprising but serendipitous-in-the-end way? Does anyone else spray paint while wearing black dress socks or sleep under a white resin ram? Yeah… probably not.
Heather {ModernMealsforTwo} says
I’m glad you kept the prints. They are really awesome. I’m also digging the white duvet, but this is coming from someone who is super into the all white scandanavian look. I can’t wait to see what you end up with on the duvet!
holly@LoveofLifeblog says
White is MY eternal jam too! This post was fantastic. I love the black and white framing combo.
Sarah says
I love the duvet and the prints! They are wonderful!
Shannon says
Haha I was so surprised by this post. I read through it completely agreeing with you two the entire way. I was also not a fan of the grandma-esque art. Then when you mentioned you were going to keep it, I quietly cringed inside. But upon seeing the after (especially without the duvet) I am completely in love with your prints. It’s amazing the power a can of spray paint holds….
paige says
They would look way better if you moved them farther out from the bed frame. It feels way crowded.
YoungHouseLove says
We still have to make a lot of changes/add stuff to that whole wall (new side tables, a cabinet to the left of the bed, etc) so all that negative space will be addressed. And we might end up scooching the art out for sure when it’s all done- just have to see how things layer in!
xo,
s
Wendy says
Hi Sherry,
Amazingly enough, what I found shocking was not the sexy black socks you rock while painting, but the fact that people buy used bedding online from strangers. Your loyal readers may know you and John are meticulous about cleaning, but I venture to say that not everyone meets certain standards.
Call me crazy, but I like to know where my bedding has been. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think folks just wash things on hot and call it a day.
xo,
s
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
really loved that duvet with the colors of the room, but understood why you guys nixed it! I’m still trying to get the hubby to get rid of this giant wolf picture that his grandma bought him! It’s hideous, creepy, and NOT country chic!!! YUCK!
LOVE the prints with the updates frames and mats too! :)
Ashley says
I’m so glad you guys decided to keep the art in there! I totally dig the botanical look and the fact that it’s from the place you honeymooned is even sweeter. <3
Leah says
Sounds like you’re pretty in love with the new prints, but just in case you’re not completely in love, check out this idea that I came across recently:
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2011/06/28/diy-goodwill-print-to-paint-by-number-art/
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so much fun! Wow.
x,
s
Rachel says
I love old botanical prints and am happy you guys chose the prints over the duvet cover. The plain white comforter looks fresh and more sophisticated than the patterned one. I like pretty patterned duvets, but they just never look right to me in our bedroom.
So, we rotate between a white on white subtle stripe and a light weight brown quilt with some matelasse-ish stiching (from Target). In fact, dontcha think a solid brown cover or quilt would compliment your new frames, the wall color, and your dark chair and mirror?
P.S. You making fun of your painting socks is pretty darn funny. Maybe $herdog has a future in comedy blogging.
YoungHouseLove says
We could definitely fall for something with brown tones for sure- although we might not want it to feel too dark. We’ll have to see where we end up!
xo,
s
Lisa in Seattle says
Oh, I love the new art and the updated frames! I am kind of in agreement with Bob about the lampshades blocking the art and now I hate myself. But I also trust that you probably tried different heights and decided that this worked best in real life.
I won’t miss the duvet because sometimes I couldn’t “hear” the room over it. It’s nice to be able to see and appreciate the other furnishings too. It will go to a new home and make somebody very happy.
Also, that is a LOT of fertility symbols. I’m just sayin’.
My husband is pretty easy-going about decor choices except for one area: he refuses to allow any antique brass (furniture, mirror frames, etc.). Says it makes the place look like a Renaissance bordello. So I have to find creative ways to bring in other metal tones and textures!
keri says
As I was reading I was thinking….”no! not white! she’s gonna do ORB!” It was like a Nancy Drew mystery.
And it was nice to see – I am also a lover of white frames and have been contemplating taking a few frames and making them ORB.
Also – when writing ORB, do you say it as “O-R-B” or “Orb”?
I am personally for Orb, it sounds whimsical. Also, I think has a lot of potential for daily use. For example, as a noun – “That lamp looks so good in Orb” or as a verb – “I bought this at Salvation Army and am orbing it this weekend”… the possibilities are endless…
My pinterest challenge for myself is an ORB-framed gallery wall at the end of my hallway. Let’s see if my free time agrees.
YoungHouseLove says
I say O-R-B, but I agree. Orb sounds a lot more mystical and intriguing….
xo,
s
Kim says
I think Orb would be a good name for a pet fish or turtle. Just saying $herdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. Done. The next neighborhood turtle we see if getting named.
xo,
s
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
oh ya… and twigs, flowers, and berries… no comment! ;)
Dana says
I LOVE THEM!
christina r says
Sherry,
Where did you get those large brass rings for the chandy? I have been planning my own project for our kitchen to DIY the chandy that is in Katie Bower’s dining room, but I can’t seem to find the right sized rings. Any help?
Love your Pinterest Challenge! Maybe I will be back on Tuesday with something to share :)
YoungHouseLove says
Those were from Ben Franklin (it’s a craft store like Michael’s). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
shannon says
3 things…
1. LOVING those prints. they look really pretty (and very elle decor/domino)
2. LOVE even more how inappropriate $herdog is.
3. i’m really liking the white duvet. but i know y’all will pick out something pretty!
Ashley Parsons says
The prints look great! Great job on holding out until you got it just right for the two of you :)
Stacey @ HappyGoVintage says
Darn. It. All.
Was totally going to beg, bribe, beg you some more to roll up and ship off those prints to ME when you nixed them. But then you had a change of heart. I cried, but your room is so much the better for it, so way to go! :)
Also loving the so-long-duvet decision. Interested to see what you pick to replace it. Just this moment got an email from Anthro…they have a bedding sale on now if you want to get reallly crazy!
Totally with Bob on the placement…have you tried the frames farther away from the bed? I’m picturing them centered over a bench on one side and a chest of drawers on the other…or mbe just smaller lamps…even sconces or those nifty bendy arm lamps that stick out of the wall…
anyway, kudos on keeping those botanical babies!
YoungHouseLove says
The night tables are a good deal shorter than the mattress so we can’t scooch them away just yet (we need to be able to reach the lamps from bed to turn them off) – which means hanging the art further out would look funny. But once we get taller nightstands and some other furnishings on that side of the room we definitely will be scooching them somehow!
xo,
s
Emily @ Comfortable Home Life says
Bahaha I’m loving all the not-so-subtle sexual innuendo in this post. Or maybe my mind is just permanently in the gutter?
Not gonna lie, my first thought when you wrote “we weren’t crazy about how the warm wood tones sort of clashed..” was “oh, she’s just going to paint them white.” Imagine my shock and awe! Oil rubbed bronze!?! :) The frames looks great!
Amber says
I really like the way your room is heading. I loved that duvet but taking that away and adding the prints makes the room seem so much more homey (homie?) and put together over time. lurve it.
Lori says
Will you be changing the curtains you made or will you wait to see how they look with the new duvet?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re just gonna see how it goes! I toiled over those curtains for a while, so I think we’d consider dying them or stenciling them or altering them if we thought it would work better with the new duvet, but scrapping those completely might make me sad. Who knows where we’ll end up though!
xo,
s
Laurie says
Macy’s is having a bedding/bath sale (and I had a coupon) so I splurged on new Master bedroom bedding from Hotel Collection. It’s beautiful, but upon arrival yesterday we immediately new that it’s fate was to be returned. Up close it became obvious that we could not trust our cats around such fine fabrics. They are as big of fabric snobs as Burger is about art, so we knew they would LOVE our new duvet. Back to the store it goes. Bedding is tricky – I think you have to decide whether you want the bed to make a statement or the room around it to. I think we’re leaning (now) for the room around it. Looks like y’all are, too…and I like it!
Ryan says
I’ve gotta say: I have NO idea where your bedroom is going (style wise) but I’m enjoying the journey! :)
Barb says
Sherry:
I love the art work…the colors are so nice and calming. Where better to hang them but in the calm bedroom. Nice job with spray painting. And yes…I wear something just as nuts when I paint. I wear a shower cap…yes, I do…and an old kitchen apron as the wind carries the paint and I have gotten it on me…and I wear a mask. Lookin’ goodin the neighborhood to spray paint. Kinda scary.
One word stood out for me in that whole blog…are you ready? The sentence where you said that Clara “TODDLED” which says to me that she is walking? When did this occur? Is she full-fledged walking…running….”free as a bird?”
Please let us know.
B.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! She’s walking like crazy! She took her first steps on Father’s Day and has been getting braver ever since! I’d say she still crawls 50% of the time, but the other 50% is spent walking around and clapping for herself. Haha.
xo,
s
Heather W. says
Perfect timing of this post. I have several frames I want to spray paint and I just got a tutorial! I will have to bust out my grandpa socks and get to spraying!
Tammy says
Hi Sherry!
This is totally off subject, but I have no place to store my upright vaccuum cleaner. I prefer to leave it downstairs as opposed to carrying it up and down every time I use it. Was wondering if you had any clever ideas of concealing it? All the covers i’ve seen are creepy old women or cats!
Thanks so much,
Tammy
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, never thought about that. Is there a large potted plant or armchair or furniture item you could tuck it behind?
xo,
s
Tammy says
That’s a good idea…thanks Hun! xoxo
Robin @ our semi organic life says
we sometimes leave ours behind our 2nd bathroom door. You never see it unless you go in there all the way. It makes it easier and doesn’t scare the pets!
erin says
looks fabulous! love it :)
Lara says
Love the prints & how you made the mat & frame work for your room. Very nice!
Pam Hiar says
I think it was a great call to paint the frames. Makes them pop off the wall.
Now I don’t know if it’s just from the angle of the picture but it feels like you have hung them just a bit too close to the bed. I realize you want them over the side tables but it just feels crowed. Oh no, time to find those bigger night stands you want!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, when we upgrade our night stands we’ll do some art shifting for sure!
xo,
s
Hattie @ little red roost says
I’m so glad you kept the prints! I love the look of something old fashioned in an updated space. I think it keeps the room from looking too out of a box. I also really like the the white duvet. Maybe with a pretty textured/patterned throw over the end in a great color? Then again, I have a thing for white towels and bedding like you have a thing for white frames and animals!
Katie, Interrobangs Anonymous says
I kid you not – I grew up with those exact same prints hanging in our dining room. Many a meal was spent looking up at them, and I’m pretty sure I can still identify all the flowers and berries. I’d be awesome at living in the Alaskan wilderness.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so crazy!! What a small world.
xo,
s
lara says
i spray paint in socks! i sprayed our porch furniture in my bare feet, and had to get mineral spirits to get all the paint (and grass that stuck to the paint) off of them. so i used an old pair of socks the next time, and took them off outside. voila! clean feet.
leila says
Loving it!! :) But with your newfound sewing skills, have you thought of re-purposing the duvet as a sushion cover for like, your futons in the sunroom or something? The colors and fun print seem like they would go well!
YoungHouseLove says
I’m definitely thinking about how/if I can repurpose them. We’ll have to see where I end up!
xo,
s
Courtney says
I love the prints and the makeover definitely helps them pop. They look great in your bedroom and I agree that a new duvet cover will work better. I never really cared for the horse prints, though, at least not in that room and they seem more out of place now with the vintage prints.
Carmen says
My parents had some similar prints in their master bedroom when I was growing up. Maybe I should try to go find them and steal them out of their house!
Krys72599 says
I am one of those on the other side of the frame fence.
All my frames were wood-toned, always, mixed and matched.
Until we went to a wedding in Mexico this past April and got several awesome beach shots and were gifted a family portrait taken on said beach…
Those blues and mangentas and sand and flowers just didn’t cut it in dark wood frames, so I stepped WAAAYYY out of my traditional wood comfort zone and bought three white modern square frames from Tarjay or WalMart. And I’m a convert. I had taken all the photos in my hallway down so we could paint the hall, and will now be getting new frames, some white, perhaps some dark, depending on the photo and where it will go in my house, and will be reorg’g the family gallery!!!
caroline says
love your blog. we live in a rancher as well, and i love all of your tips and transformations. is the bed in your room ikea? i have been looking at the 4 poster bed for a while, but was skeptical of the quality. pls advise. (i am sure that you may have tackled this in your blog, but i am a newbie). btw, if you ever find yourself in charleston, sc, we would love to have your critiques and ideas for our home. you guys rock!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, it’s Ikea! We had an Ikea bed in our old house too (sold it with the house) for 4.5 years and loved it. So when we needed to buy a new one we went with Ikea again. Still very happy with this guy 7 months in!
xo,
s
Lauryn says
Im so glad you decided to keep the prints!! I was going back and forth from wanting to plead their case to secretly hoping you’d sell them somewhere and I could buy them! Haha, but I love them in y’alls room! Looks great!
Jen says
It is so funny that you mentioned the black socks, because not 10 minutes ago at work, one of our maintenance men was painting IN HIS SOCKS! NO JOKE. When I commented on it he said very proudly, “These are my special painting socks!” So Miss Sherry, you’re not nuts! (or alone?)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh. My. Goodness.
I love him.
xo,
s
katie says
funny, while reading this post had a flash back to my childhood. my mom had these prints in our childhood house. she had moved to alaska after college and had my sister and i there, but we’re all back in the midwest now and i have no idea where those prints ended up. I sent her this post to read. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so crazy! You’re the second one to own those exact same prints. What a small world!
xo,
s
Cherri T. says
Thanks for the tip about the dark socks. Genius! I’m glad you don’t care if your neighbors think you’re weird – HA!
Rebecca says
Pottery Barn has a great striped duvet right now that’s pretty subtle: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/vintage-ticking-stripet-duvet-cover-sham-blue/?pkey=cstriped-duvet-covers-shams
Good luck!
Rebecca @ Dancingstilettos.blogspot.com
YoungHouseLove says
So prettttty! But the price stings a little. Haha. Fingers crossed for a sale…
xo,
s
katie says
Love the prints! And I really love the white duvet cover ~ I just went with a white one in my guest bedroom, and I’m loving how crisp and fresh it looks! BUT I’m also really excited to see your final choice.
Nora says
So glad you chucked the duvet cover. It looks much more polished, even with just the insert. That old cover always looked kinda rumpled and dorm-room. I really think the white looks so spiffy, I’m not sure you need a cover at all.
FirstCorinthiansThirteen says
okay… so really did not see the duvet (aka – ‘blanket’ as my husband calls it) saying goodbye. However, the prints are cute in their own way. very risky. not sure I could have pulled it off. Secondly, are you guys seeing a MAJOR change in the choices of duvet covers TJMAXX is offering? I L O V E that store, but for the last 5 months or so I have been looking for a couple new duvets and they literally have nothing. maybe one or two choices. what up??? I ended up using a Pottery Barn gift card and bought 2 new ones from there.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no- we haven’t gone there yet. But sometimes it’s even a bust for pillows and lights- which is shocking because whenever we don’t need those things there are a million cool ones. Haha.
xo,
s
Gigi says
I love the flowery duvet with the pictures…I would just add a white throw to the bottom third of the bed.
Either way…your bedroom is GORGEOUS!
KathyG says
That is an awesome quick-change! And they do look great there. But aren’t they hanging too low? I always have a hard time deciding where art should hang, but these look a bit low to me. Maybe it’s different in person, pictures can be deceiving.
YoungHouseLove says
We just kept them on the same center line as the ram and the stuff over the bed so the side stuff didn’t appear to be hanging high. But it’s a just-for-now hang-job since we’ll be changing out the side tables and will most likely have to move the art up and out (and maybe move Sir Ram up too, to match).
xo
s
Letty says
Cute prints! And while I think the white on the bed looks good and totally agree with the decision to remove the flowery duvet, maybe an airy linen cover, slightly darker than your rug, would look nice– especially if you keep the lamp shades. Can’t wait to see what you decide!
Robin @ our semi organic life says
Have you guys seen, or do you know much about that special glass in some fancy frames? There’s a demo at Michaels that shows the difference. It blocks all glare and makes the art really stand out! Just wondering if you think it’d be worth to invest in that. No clue on price- bet its expensive!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve heard of glare-proof glass and it sounds pretty awesome – although we’re so cheap we might not splurge for something like that. Anyone had any experience with it for Robin?
xo,
s
Erin says
I love the prints! The new frame color looks sooo much better.
This may have already been said, but what about getting a quilt for the bottom of the bed and leaving the white comforter?
YoungHouseLove says
Always a possibility!
xo,
s